The Celtics took Croatian big man Ante Zizic with the 23rd pick, another potential draft-and-stash for the Celtics in a draft that is largely underwhelming.
The Zizic pick isn’t bad at this spot, though, and I guarantee that people would like it a lot more if the C’s had made a bigger splash with a trade involving the third pick.
Here’s some scouting info on Zizic:
Zizic fits the profile of a modern day center, both in terms of his size as well as the role he looks capable of playing. He has ample size at 6’11, with a 7’3 wingspan and a 254 pound frame, and is a strong athlete as well, running the floor with purpose and showing strong leaping ability as well.
He gets quite a bit of his offense rolling and cutting to the basket, where he has excellent timing, hands and touch and will often finish plays above the rim emphatically, which he seems to enjoy doing. His effort on the court might be the best thing he offers, as he is incredibly physical, runs the court with reckless abandon, and is constantly crashing the glass on both ends to come up with loose balls (over 12 rebounds per-40). He gets to the free throw line at a very high rate for that same reason, nearly 9 times per-40 minutes, and converts 74% of his attempts once there.
Zizic’s skill-level is not particularly polished at this stage, but he occasionally shows small glimpses of being able to step out for mid-range jumpers or put the ball on the floor in a straight line.
He’s also a willing and competitive defender, being more than happy to put a body on opposing centers and working hard to contest shots around the rim and on the perimeter. His length and mobility offers some hope that he can continue to improve his versatility in this area, particularly when it comes to stepping outside of the paint and guarding quicker big men.
And of course… some highlights
