The young players who joined international camps as BWB, usually have the green light to freelance basketball. No structured game plan, more time for testing and trying different roles or tasks on the court. Matej Rudan is one of the campers who experienced new positions on the court.

WHO’S MATEJ?

He’s a 6’9’’ forward with a 7’2’’ wingspan from Croatia. He’s playing for Munich II, the second team of Munich basketball in Bundesliga pro-B, the third tier German basketball league.

He’s a stretch 4 who loves to slip and flare on pick and pops and who knows how to find mismatch down low, as he said in the interview for Draft Express.

The self-assessment of his game is pretty accurate. His ability to create for the others by posting up against guards translate to open looks or good options. NBA teams love big forwards able to read double teams, restart the offense, exploiting size advantages.

Where Rudan is better than more the half of the BWB campers is at shooting from the 3-point line. He’s currently connecting three’s at a clip of 35.5 percent (with a good volume of 3 attempts per game) with Munich II.

He’s an excellent floor spacer. Even when he can’t shot right off pick and pops, he knows the best spots to relocate. Rudan is also good coming off pin downs.

BALL TREATMENT

Something new for him was making plays on high ball screens or running the offense as a secondary ball handler. Doing both, even in a non-organized basketball context as the BWB global camp – where you’re not playing your U18 teams offensive sets – is remarkable. Disclosing upside as a creator, whether he’d play for limited time or not, is a positive thing for his draft stocks.

The pick and roll coverage is weak on the first possession. Once he gets at the nail, there’s a miscommunication between the man’s screener and the helper, who leaves unattended the baseline. On the second action, the man’s screener is not anymore below the free throw line. Good reads in both cases.

QUESTION MARKS

His athletic tools are the biggest concern at the moment. Does he have enough time to fill the lateral quickness gap to be defensively relevant from an NBA standpoint? What about his first step in 2-3 years?

He’s a skinny 3-4, and while his upper body might grow, feet and explosiveness are more challenging to develop.