Zvonimir Ivišić Scouting Report
At 7'2", Zvonimir Ivišić is an appealing yet under-discussed prospect in this year's draft. The combination of size and the ability to dribble, pass and shoot is what NBA franchises tend to bet on.
Scouting report as published on nbadraftjunkies.com
Player Profile
At 7'2", Zvonimir Ivišić is an appealing yet under-discussed prospect in this year's draft.
The combination of size and the ability to dribble, pass and shoot is what NBA franchises tend to bet on. Ivišić played 340 minutes of the ABA League in the last two seasons, which makes the feasibility test more trustworthy as he continued to showcase many tantalizing flashes.
As a 19-year-old, Ivišić shows good decision-making on the defensive end. Despite his slim frame, his natural strength allows him to maintain his ground in post-ups. He leverages his length well in these situations, resulting in him not biting on pump fakes. An important detail here is his active coaching, which led to him occasionally rejecting help defenders in one-on-one situations in the post.
Laterally, he's quick enough to guard forwards and centers. However, below-average defensive footwork doesn't signal that he'll be a switchable defender at the NBA level, but this aspect of his game is able to improve. His team, SC Derby, loved to crowd the paint with him on the court, making life easier for Ivišić in countering teams targeting him on defense.
As a rim protector, his timing and smartness stand out. He'll rarely swat a ball into row Z but looks to ensure the blocked shot ends up in an opponent's hands. This habit also translates to his offense in a somewhat unorthodox way; Ivišić loves to use his length for touch passes upon receiving entry passes to the low or high post.
His threat on the court comes in both ways. Ivišić is a very accomplished passer. Whether it's on executing reads at the top of the key or occasionally in the short roll, he stands out with his feel for the game as a decision-maker.
A translatable part of his game for the NBA is his ability to leverage his strengths to be one step ahead of the defense. His ability to shoot makes it more of a challenge for the defense to keep the paint packed, something we see a lot in European basketball. With a trend of NBA franchises playing more four-out and five-out sets, Ivišić holds value as a potential contributor in the future.
With a high-arcing release, his jumper is almost impossible to block. While shooting 15-for-53 from downtown, the returns aren't good enough. However, the form looks promising, and Ivišić showcases he can make NBA ranged threes off the catch. One of his most important areas of development is his free-throw shooting: 43-for-78, which makes it harder for Ivišić to be on the floor in game-closing lineups.
The - for his size - solid burst completes the offensive versatility in his profile. Ivišić loves to attack closeouts to dump it off or kick it out. His quick decision-maker as a teenager is what makes his case as an NBA prospect.
With loose handles, Ivišić loved to showcase his face-up scoring ability when playing at the youth level. There he was able to use his strength in a more bully-ball type of play and make athletic finishes at the rim.
It's likely this won't be his role in the NBA, but having a scorer's mentality will open doors for his long-term potential and scaling up his usage in the future.
NBA Draft Projection
Zvonimir Ivišić offers size and offensive versatility as a 7'2" big man that can dribble, pass and shoot.
The potential to be an above-average defender in the NBA could get ignited when Ivišić improves his defensive footwork at this stage of his career, especially considering the solid burst he has for his size.
Ivišić is yet to prove he can remain on a floor in a more athletic environment. While averaging almost five fouls per thirty minutes, it's clear that development should come in the form of more live-game reps.
With a third two-way contract being available for NBA franchises, my expectation is that Ivišić will be one of the more highly touted international prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft.