Michael Ruzic Scouting Report

The combination of ball skills and size form the base for Ruzic's NBA profile. But what else is there to like? What's his role at the next level? Find out more below.

At only 17 years old, Ruzic has over 600 minutes combined in the Spanish ACB and Eurocup. The face-up scoring forward stands out with his ball skills and great understanding of the game, leading to his ascending to a key rotational player for Joventut Badalona.

After being one of the best young prospects in the Balkans, Ruzic transferred to one of the best youth development clubs in Europe. It didn’t take much time for Ruzic to make it to the first team after an injury-riddled start to the season. While taking most of the opportunities, he kept his rotational spot and looked in a good position to improve his value for the 2025 NBA Draft.

Physical Profile

At 6’10”, Ruzic stands out with his length. He has a lanky frame and a slightly above-average wingspan. While there is no official measurement available, it should be near 7-foot-2. Ruzic shows fluidity on the floor, especially in his hips.

His quickness allows him to switch to smaller wings and some guards. However, due to his slim frame, Ruzic often struggles against average centers in both defensive box-outs and while defending at the rim.

He’ll turn 18 years old around the start of the next season in Spain, so there is enough time to get stronger during the summer. An NBA decision-maker must factor in his age despite him playing older than he is based on his high-level fundamentals and understanding of the game. His NBA value increases when considering his ball skills. While he’s a below-average athlete in terms of vertical pop, Ruzic makes up most of it with his great decision-making that lands him consistent playing time in the best domestic league in Europe.

Defense

In a switch-heavy NBA, Ruzic will be asked to guard on the perimeter. Despite a non-existing defensive three-second rule in Europe, Ruzic is often caught guarding the four and three outside of his duties as a center. There are some areas that he needs to improve next season, with his defensive footwork being the primary intangible.

In the first play below, Ruzic keeps the lane near the baseline open for the drive, forcing him to commit the reaching foul. On a better-spaced NBA floor, he should focus on forcing opponents to drive into the strong side, rather than allowing the defense to collapse by leaving the baseline open, which leads to problems for help defenses.

A positive in Ruzic’s defense is that he doesn’t rely on drop coverage. He’s well aware of the reach of his length, allowing him to stay far enough from his opponent to be able to contest pull-ups while forcing them to beat him off the dribble. A well-positioned contest in the second play is an example that led to Ruzic playing heavy minutes throughout the season.

We see the same positives when he has to guard against spot-up shooters. An NBA decision-maker will be intrigued by Ruzic’s ability to rotate in a faster-paced game. In the first play below, he shows an active attitude by picking up the slightly late rotation from his teammate, while trying to coach him to close out on the potential side pass. As a result, Ruzic contests the shot from the elbow area successfully.

He thrives on making winning plays, with him hitting the deck to stop a potential offensive board being a result. In the last play below, where Ruzic is quick to the corner after his opponents find the wide-open shooter. Plays such as these form a good feasibility test for NBA teams that are going to play playoff basketball. With the hesitancy to play rookies and sophomores in a big role, Ruzic shows he separates himself from his peers with his great decision-maker and quick execution as a defender.

In the pick-and-roll, we see Ruzic play an aggressive style of defense where he goes over the screen more often than not. He’s also active in hedging due to his being able to rely on his teammates more in such a fundamental-based European game.

The details for his age stand out. He’s good at tagging potential rollers to force ball handlers to drive themselves, as shown in the first play below. An area that Ruzic must work on is unnecessary jumps at times, just as he did right after the ball handler scored at the rim. In the second play below, we see Ruzic trusting his instincts and switching to the ball handler where he switched back to his assignment after the entry pass.

Projecting improvement as a pick-and-roll defender is more feasible if reads on offensive sets and quick execution are consistent. And despite Ruzic being a 17-year-old, he shows that he can play at the top of Europe consistently. However, his lack of strength hurts his chances when he has to guard against his position at the rim, leading to the foul on the second play. As a result, he plays at 2.7 personal fouls in 17.6 minutes per game. This number emphasizes the importance of him filling his frame in the next few years.

Due to his slim frame, Ruzic is often put in a position where has to defend against post-ups. Granted, the physical disadvantage isn’t helping him. However, some positives are translatable for the NBA. Knowing that he’ll give up ground, Ruzic compensates it with his aggressiveness. He’s actively putting his chest in upon his opponent initiating contact. Combined with his length, Ruzic does well in using his arms to fake reach-ins that sometimes work in his favor, as shown in the third play below.

The other side of the medal is that Ruzic commits too many fouls when he knows he’s going to get posted up to the rim. On an NBA floor, you’ll see fewer post-up plays compared to Europe. However, the average big wing or forward will gladly play bully ball against Ruzic if he doesn’t get stronger in the next few years. An NBA decision-maker must make an investment in Ruzic in their strength and conditioning program a priority when evaluating his profile.

Offense

On an NBA floor, Ruzic’s ball skills and quickness will allow him to make plays out of closeouts. However, while he’s matured his game on the defensive side of the ball, he shows a more raw profile on offense. In the first and last play below, we see him having to pick up his dribble, where the midrange jumper falls but in the last play, his not setting his feet before the launch led to a sloppy turnover as he failed to control the ball.

While shooting 49.7% from the floor, the numbers look better than they are, mostly due to the play-finishing nature of Ruzic’s offensive production. As of this season, Ruzic is likely going to be a threat to a team’s offensive rating, rather than an addition with scoring versatility. In a low-usage role, closeouts are a must-have to master for Ruzic if he wants to stay on an NBA floor. An NBA decision-maker must put his focus on that area while evaluating his game in the 2024-25 season.

At 40.2% on almost two three-point attempts per game, we see a great number with a decent sample size. While shooting 82.9% from the line it is more feasible that Ruzic’s shot is potentially something he can hang his hat on while playing in the NBA on a better-spaced floor.

He’s encouraged to select high-quality looks instead of forcing shots. Otherwise, he’ll lose his spot quickly on a team that emphasized winning while playing in both the Eurocup and Spanish ACB. Despite the raw nature of his offense, shot selection is what comes easy for Ruzic. He doesn’t force shots and is good at settling into his role as a spot-up shooter.

The biggest positive is his moving actively toward the ball. With most prospects we see arms move from a stand-still, but Ruzic is an active communicator who demands the ball when he’s open, despite his young age. In the last play we see him move well toward where the pass needs to fall while setting his feet quickly and showing a decent arc on his release, high enough that with his size at 6’11”, the chances of getting blocked are slim.

Another role where Ruzic will be asked to perform on an NBA floor is as a screener. Whether it’s on actions involving more screeners, or in pick-and-roll sequences, Ruzic shows the ability to screen well despite his lanky frame. At times, he sets for a screen too far away from where he needs to be, where he’s forced to just tag instead of letting his body do the stopping of the opponent for him, with the first play below being an example.

In the second play, we see him screen with more confidence, setting a hard pick at the right spot, leaving his opponent with no chance to dodge the screen. In the last play below, we see Ruzic position himself well to relocate to the weakside for a potential catch-and-shoot sequence. However, I like his decision-making to attack the rim instead, with the lane opening and his opponent not setting his feet well enough in the closeout.

Due to the NBA’s need for more passing forwards and big men, Ruzic must focus more on his passing game next season—23 assists to 26 turnovers in 44 games this season. We saw a similar image during his years in the ABA Junior League, where he didn’t show much of his passing game due to him having to carry the scoring load for his team. At Badalona, the rare amount of ball touches combined with guards leading the offense led to Ruzic not being able to show his passing game.

In a limited sample size, Ruzic shows that he can execute basic reads with precise passing. In the first and last play, he’s hitting bullet passes to cutters near the rim with ease. He’s also not afraid to make high-risk, high-reward passes. The turnovers out of those plays are to be taken with a grain of salt, as Ruzic shows the confidence and reads to find these passing opportunities in the first place.

In the NBA, Ruzic will be able to serve as a connective passer and ball-mover. Growing into a playmaker is an area of untapped potential an NBA decision-maker must invest time and resources in when drafting him. A good example of the package of handles, fundamentals, and creating angles is seen in the second play below. After a lovely euro-step pivot move, he hits the cutter with the dropoff pass. Despite limited sample size, there’s a consistency in good decision-making and accurate passing, which makes his future as an NBA passer more feasible, thus adding value to his profile due to the NBA’s need for more creativity from their big men in securing a high enough offensive rating to succeed.

NBA Draft Projection

In a loaded 2025 class, Ruzic is one top European prospects early on in the cycle. The maturity of his game at 17 years old lands him an important role in Joventut Badalona’s rotation. His defensive decision-making and feel for the game make him a feasible bet for an NBA team in securing the rights to a long-term rotational piece.

The untapped potential comes on the offensive end, where his game is more raw. Improving his plays out of closeouts is a priority for Ruzic in the 2024-25 season. Showing that the flashes of his passing game are real by improving his assist numbers is not a must, but would add more value if he’s put in a position to serve as a playmaker, rather than a ball-mover.

Despite the field goal percentage being deceptive as he’s mostly a play-finisher, the three-point shooting numbers are another positive. It’s backed up by a consistent shooting stroke where Ruzic can earn a role early as a screener and spot-up shooter on the offensive end.

As one of the youngest players in the 2025 NBA Draft, Ruzic has the potential to be a lottery pick if he takes on a bigger role next season. The growth in the last few years resulting in his role during the 2023-24 season is a sign to the NBA decision-makers that production at a young age is usually the result of maturity on the court with the way the game is read by Ruzic, and his decision-maker—in Ruzic’s case as a defender.