Serbian Miroslav Raduljica : An Intriguing and Controversial NBA Prospect
Finally, Miroslav Raduljica is all set to conquer the NBA. With his strong physical attributes that include his good frame, solid wingspan, great hands and excellent athleticism, he had already passed the initial requirements for a prospective NBA center.
Aside from these physical attributes, he is also a very mobile player as he can run the floor well, and can finish plays with marvelous dunks. Having all these in mind, he can be considered as an explosive player.
Raduljica is also very capable of executing low post moves, which gives him a high field goal percentage at 57%. He has also showcased his great footwork with his nice spin-moves, pivots, jump-hooks, drop-steps, turn-around jumpers, and he can even elude defenders with his shot fakes.
Indeed, Raduljica is a kind of player who has a very nice touch around the basket and can convert with either hand. Adding up to his merits is his being an excellent passer. At 6’11, he is not your typical college center; he has far more to offer to his team. He has good control over the ball as he frequently scores from his rush, which is not innate to all centers, especially at his size.
However, his defensive skills have been questioned because he does not fight too hard to defend his opponents, gives up position at most instances, does not rotate well from the weak side, poor shot-blocker because of his lack of explosiveness, and his run of the mill awareness, intensity and hustle on the floor.
His lateral quickness on the perimeter is also not that special, which can be a disadvantage for him in the upcoming NBA draft. Raduljica is also an average rebounder; he is not the type of player who will go extra mile to grab the ball that is not in his area. This is a serious aspect of his game that he definitely needs to improve if he wants to find a place in the NBA. When he is off the court, Raduljica is known to be a very intelligent person, and a certified bookworm.
To sum it up, he has several intriguing characteristics for a college center; thus, considering him a very interesting NBA draft prospect. He was predicted to be drafted at the latter part of the first round.
There are issues that concern his eagerness in playing in the NBA and whether or not he will accept any salary that will be given to him. But with the way it has been going for NBA centers, seemingly, Raduljica will find a decent premium with his set of skills and size.
Issues off the court continue to haunt his bid in the NBA draft; there was an allegedly controversial pact that he signed with Turkish powerhouse Efes Pilsen to play there in the upcoming season. These things become distractions on his chances in playing in the NBA.
Indeed, Raduljica has the great potential to play in the NBA; he has the needed skills and attitude to go up against other NBA players. Although, he still needs to improve some aspects of his game, these things just proved to be minor adjustments that he has to make once he steps on the NBA court.
The more important factor is his willingness to play in the NBA. Is he really willing to join any NBA ball club? Is he willing to give up any prior commitments in exchange of playing in the NBA?
How far he could go in improving his skills and attitude? All these can be answered when he already in the NBA soil.
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