Scouting Report: Mario Hezonja, SF, Croatia

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It's not often success at the team level stands to potentially hurt a player's draft stock.

While that's not necessarily the case for Mario Hezonja, the success of his Barcelona squad in the Spanish ACB league kept him out of the NBA Draft Combine and has prevented him from participating in any individual workouts. If Barcelona keeps winning, his season could potentially extend as far as draft night. This wouldn't be terrible if Hezonja had a major role, but he averages 15.3 minutes for the loaded squad, limiting his exposure to NBA decision-makers. The fact that he's a surefire top-10 pick despite all of this speaks to his level of talent.

Relevant Background

Scouting Report

Strengths: Hezonja's profile is based more on skill than production given the somewhat limited exposure, and in that regard, he looks the part of a top-five pick. He's strong, has length, and is an explosive athlete, but most impressively, he seems to have a real flair for offense. He has NBA-ready range with a smooth, fluid stroke, and he's shown a strong aptitude for finding shots all over the floor. He may be more of an off-ball threat to start his career as his dribble game develops - more than half of his attempts this year were long-range - but he should prove an energetic and distracting weapon in that role. There's also the matters of his intensity and confidence.

Weaknesses: Maybe his confidence should go here, as Hezonja is said to be a little on the selfish side. That may not be the worst attribute for a talented 20-year-old, as that confidence could help carry him through the learning curve and may be something an NBA coach can harness. It could also make him the Croatian Swaggy P. The book on Hezonja seems to be that his range of outcome is fairly wide, but he has enough raw talent to create an appreciable floor. He has the length and athleticism to become a solid defender, but right now that's not said to be something he exhibits consistently.

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What to Expect on Draft Day

It's possible Hezonja is the best wing player in the draft. It's also possible he's not in the top three or top five. It's tough to get a read for him with such limited information, but that's why NBA teams employ international scouts and may even consider flying to Spain to meet before drafting him. Right now, it looks like Hezonja's range probably starts with the Orlando Magic at No. 5, where his shooting is desperately needed, and it seems unlikely he'd get past the equally shooting-starved Charlotte Hornets at No. 9.