Contents

Aleksej Pokuševski

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Bio

  • Dec 26, 2001

  • Olympiacos - Greek A2

  • Power Forward/Center

  • 7’ 205 lbs

  • 7’3” ws ~9’2.5” sr

Stats

Note

I don’t care so much about points, rebounds, or assists per se (eg I’m not doing this for fantasy projections). What I am presenting here are stats that I think are the most relevant to consider with respect to a prospect’s (projected) NBA role. None of these stats are guarantees of future success or necessarily harbingers of certain doom. They are just numbers to put into context with a player’s overall profile.

Noteworthy

  • 8.3% BLK%

  • 25.3% AST%

  • 1.6 A:TO

  • 3.1% STL%

  • 37% 3P% (73 3PA since 2018)

Caution

  • 75.6% FT% on only 37 FTA (small sample)

  • 44% 2PT% (84 2PTA)

  • 0.22 FTR

Scouting

Strengths

  • Length: A true 7-footer who might not even be done growing yet!

  • Uber-Unicorn Potential: There are simply only a handful of humans in the entire world that have the potential to disrupt the game in as many ways as Pokusevski. It’s not just that he can shoot and has the length to disrupt plays on the perimeter and near the basket, which alone would be enough to get the “unicorn” label. It’s his passing and ball-handling at that size combined with his ability to shoot off movement that could truly make him a unicorn among unicorns.

  • Movement/Agility: Most humans at Poku’s size simply can’t move nearly as well as he does. It probably shouldn’t be possible!

  • Age: Literally the youngest player in the class, and almost literally the absolute youngest any draftable player can technically be according to current NBA rules. If he were only 1 week older, and this is not an exaggeration, he would be ineligible for the 2020 Draft.

  • Feel: Most bigs want to be small forwards. This dude wants to be LaMelo Ball and watching him makes you kind of believe he can deliver.

Weaknesses

  • Strength: Not much need to elaborate here; we can all see what he looks like right now. It’s pretty clear the objective for any development program is to add as much strength as possible (moreso in his upper body probably), without taking away from his ability to move well.

  • Petulance of youth: When things don’t quite go his way on the court, his body language and facial expressions make it pretty clear. Is this a legit issue to worry about or just “being 18”? Are there any coachability issues? Interviews probably important here.

  • League competition: This is not so much a weakness of his game, but a question that invariably is raised about the context of his “resume”, so to speak. My understanding is the Greek A2 division is fairly similar to NCAA competition level overall. It is not a “rec league”. For reference, it is the same league that Giannis played for the season he entered the Draft.

  • Shooting/Finishing: Have to acknowledge the very real risk that Poku’s shooting doesn’t pan out. There is a very small sample to go on both in terms of 3PA and FTA. For reference, Giannis shot 31% on 31-99 3PA and 72% on 36-50 from the line in the Greek A2. Unlike Giannis, Poku arguably really does need the shooting to work out, because he doesn’t have the otherworldly athleticism and strength Giannis does to get to the rim at will. Indeed, another issue Poku will want to address is getting to and finishing around the rim, which has been less than spectacular at times. My presumption is additional strength would greatly help there, as he is often and easily just knocked off balance.

Draft Range

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Sentiment

Onyeka Okongwu James Wiseman