Dzanan Musa
Age 19
Height 6’8
Wingspan 7′
Weight 190 lbs
Strengths:
Boasts a usage rate of 25%, needless to say, he’s not afraid to shoot.
Good Free throw shooter at over 80%, this indicates consistent shooting motion and is an indicator he could be a great shooter at the next level
Tenacity on drives, wills himself to the rim with above average ball handling and makes savvy plays around the rim
Scored 34 points per game in the 2016 FIBA U17 World Cup.
Averaged 12.3 points in EuroCup and Croatian Leagues play this season at 19.
True scorer at all three levels
With a 7 foot wingspan and quick feet he could be a plus defender in the NBA if he puts on muscle and shows more consistent effort on that end
Good vision and ability to set up teammates with passes when he is not locked in to shooting
Weaknesses:
Plays erratically by taking bad shots, his 3PT %(30.1) is indicative of his desire to heave up shots regardless of position and defenders
At 190 pounds he will have to put on muscle to survive in the NBA, both defensively and offensively
A work in progress who does not play an organized form of basketball, being the best player on a Croatian League team is one thing, but in the NBA many players, as talented as Musa have flamed out from not being able to adjust to the NBA’s style of play
He stands hunched and shoots hunched, which means he is playing smaller than he is
Grade: C+
With Musa the potential is there to be a great scorer in the NBA, he has the shooting mechanics down and the drive to get to the rim at will. His shot selection remains a concern, it’s hard to imagine any NBA coach letting him come in off the bench and only offer heat check potential, he will need to work on his defense, passing and decision making if he wants to be more than a G-League player.
Here’s what I wrote about him in my mock draft, projecting him to go to the Warriors at 28
This guy is raw, but with the right coaching he could be great. A great shooter with a lightning trigger and just a big body with an unpredictable style. This guy is fearless and has great handles and great vision. I see him as a high energy Dario Saric type with a better shot and better shooting off the dribble.
I could also see Musa get burned guarding wings at first but he has great footwork and size, his wingspan is 7 feet which could help him be a plus perimeter defender, but his weight is a concern at 190.
Musa’s shot is wonky and he does play erratically but he has that type of rhythm on the court that will just keep defenders guessing. I’m predicting him going to Golden State because typically in the mock drafts I’ve read he’s going between 25 and 29 so I settled with a team that needs more bench scoring in the Warriors. He is so raw and inconsistent at this point he may be well served playing in the G-League for a stint before he can fully understand how to play a more organized form of basketball.
By the way I love this dudes name. It sounds like a game of thrones character. Dzanan is just a dope name I can’t wait to hear Bill Simmons try to pronounce it after the draft.
The teams where he would fit best would be the Warriors, Spurs, Celtics and 76ers. Teams with track records of producing quality homegrown talent and not throwing players into the fire day one and seeing how it goes. This is a guy with a very high ceiling and a very low floor, so it’s a gamble, but if he falls into the right system he could be great. Also if anyone has seen train spotting this guy looks like he could be a character in that movie. I don’t know if he is a drug addict but I’m damn sure he could play one.
LavaTakes 