Evaluating Crvena Zvezda’s Marko Guduric in Euroleague

January 9, 2017

As one of the very few draft-eligible players that actually receive regular playing time in Euroleague, I set out to watch Crvena Zvezda’s 6-6 guard, Marko Guduric. In looking at his statistics, he profiled to be a potential 3 and D candidate for the NBA. Thanks to YouTube via Nikola Cvetanovic, I was able to view and analyze a performance of his when his team played Darussafaka on October 13th, 2016.

Interestingly enough former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach, David Blatt now coaches Darussafaka. Crvenz Zvezda took the early lead, as they appeared to be in command of the game from the onset, but Darussafaka came storming back in the 4th quarter, as they rallied from behind under Blatt and with the help of former Iowa State standout swingman Will Clyburn to defeat Crvena Zvezda. Here are my thoughts on how Marko Guduric played on this day, and how he rates as an NBA draft prospect.

Marko Guduric is a very good shooter that can knock down shots from all over the floor. He excels at knocking down outside shots, as he has a lot of range on his shot, and he also has the footwork to make jumpers off the dribble. He will use pump fakes, jab steps, and step back moves to create separation, and he also has a quick release that can enable him to get his shot off. On the other hand, he can tend to be quick to take shots, as his willingness to shoot can both help and hurt him at times.

Also, he may be a decent scorer off the dribble. Guduric does not have a great first step, but he is a deceptively quick guard that has good strength, as he can score on runners, or use his muscle to garner scores even after drawing contact. However, he may have trouble making shots on runners consistently, and he can occasionally struggle to score in traffic.

He also possesses decent playmaking skills. Guduric is an unselfish player that can find open teammates in an assortment of ways, and he also can throw solid interior passes to set up scoring chances for his team. He also is a good ball handler that can bring the ball up, and he will also occasionally set off-ball screens for his teammates on offense. But sometimes, Guduric can get too fancy as he may try to make hasty passes, which can cause them to sail or be intercepted by the opposition. He also may be a decent rebounder. Though Guduric did not grab many rebounds in this game, he was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor, and he showed a great motor in getting to those balls.

Defensively, Guduric appeared to be perhaps above average. For the positives, he appeared to have adequate anticipation skills, as he showed a good ability to deflect passes. He also was defended the post well, as he held his ground to force a couple of misses. However, Guduric may only be an average athlete, as he may lack elite lateral quickness. He had trouble defending drives, as he particularly had trouble against Clyburn despite having some success defending him in the post. Guduric tended to get beat off the dribble, as this would lead him to commit fouls on a couple of occasions.

In general, Marko Guduric appears to be an offensively skilled swingman that can shoot and pass the basketball, and he can also create plays for himself and his teammates off the dribble at times. But his lack of elite athletic tools could place a ceiling on him as a prospect for the NBA. He may not likely be a superstar at that level, but his ability to shoot the basketball combined with his basketball savvy could allow him to excel as a role player in this league.