Tristan Vukcevic is an intriguing offensive talent that brings a lot that teams have liked in previous draft cycles. He spaces the floor extremely well for a center and in a class that lacks depth at that position, I see him being drafted very highly. His use was mainly as an off-ball shooter and lob threat but he displayed a ton of upside to be a versatile offensive weapon. He has exceptional touch and range and isn’t just another stationary shooter that's labeled as a unicorn. He can shoot very well off of the dribble and likes to move around the floor to find his shot. He played like a forward or wing and preferred to go to moves like step-backs and fadeaways which were efficient in a small volume. He does own the shooting five stereotype but he will step into the midrange and convert on the same moves from outside when needed. He played in rotations while in the ABA and Euroleague despite being a young player which means that coaches and teammates never really saw him as selfish or an offensive problem. I’m not sure how his interesting shot selection will translate or how coaches will tolerate a center that likes to do his own thing but the upside is very intriguing. His ball handling is a little jerky and he isn't super fast with the ball in his hands but he does have a feel for finding his spots. Despite having ball skills he isn’t going to be a vacuum that takes away touches from others, he’s often willing to pass rather quickly and won’t be a real stopper. He’s a good interior scorer that uses his size to push around defenders effectively. His catch radius and hands are highly impressive and help to make life easier for playmakers looking to give the ball up into the post. He isn’t super athletic but he can get well up over the rim when he doesn’t have a ton of contests. His weight and leaner frame caused him to struggle to finish over the grown men he played against and he often had to use post moves when trying to score around the rim. Tristan’s experience against higher competition has helped to make him a more intelligent player that does little things well like making the correct passing reads, screening for others, and creating space through movement. His defense has always been something that scouts have called into question. He has the size and makes the effort to be a good defender but he hasn’t figured it out in terms of actual efficacy. He gets moved around and blown by defenders due to a lack of defensive instincts, he loses track of coverage and mistimes his positioning far too often. These issues aren’t because he isn’t not trying to be better, he always makes second-chance attempts and goes for big plays but older guys often take advantage of his amateurism. His length allows him to block shots and threaten passing lanes but he hasn’t put those skills to use as production, his deflection and block rates aren’t what they really should be, and I'm unsure as to how he will progress as a defender. All-offense big men have a hard time earning time on the floor and I'm afraid that Tristan will never be able to expand his game if he can't find a sense of stability defensively. His shooting and offensive feel are very interesting but he might not have those fully explored if his shortcomings are as serious as I think they might be. As the pace of play gets even quicker in the NBA he might have problems keeping up with the speed of the game.

Smooth shooting big. Issues with physicality. Decent interior scorer. Decent rebounder. Can handle the ball a little. Plays like poor man's Nikola Vucevic.

Prototypical center frame, tall with a stiffer middle body Really relaxed and comfortable beyond the three point arc, will project as a space-the-floor big at the next level Stretches the floor, allows for driving lanes with perimeter gravitational force Really high, pure release, so impressive for a bigger player So much potential in the pick n’ pop Really long skinny legs that allow for impressive mobility Has some self-creativity, makes shots off the bounce Can work as a C&S forward, so versatile Incredible combine performance Has some beautiful instincts like a guard, textbook footwork, lateral movement, and shot ability Moves down the court so gracefully, runs and feeds on transition opportunities Had some incredible flashes at the combine (circus floaters, fade-away pull-ups off of a couple hesitational dribbles) Very impressive ball-handler, so fluid for his size Can lack athletic separation/ability in 1v1 situations, doesn’t excel when forced to create without much space Surprisingly uncomfortable in the post, not your average center at an archetype standpoint Limited verticality and speed to his game, plays in methodical, yet quick ways Won’t beat you to spots off-the-dribble, full driving ability at the next level seems unlikely to flourish Relaxed when moving laterally Really tough to guard his shot when it’s on, high release combines with perfect timing can be deadly for stretches Uses his body well, plays physically as he tries to create space Gets his feet aligned to the basket so quickly and fluently, mechanically strong Played in a competitive NBL, didn’t participate in a starting role, however Despite perimeter tools, Vukcevic isn’t an ideal defender Has a really short wingspan, hurts him as he tries to contest vertically A but clumsy defensively, lacks comfortability Typically plays in spurts (like Montrezl Harrel), 3-minute substitutions