After spending more than 20 years working as an international scout and serving as director of international scouting for the Portland Trail Blazers, Jason Filippi continues his scouting journey by evaluating players for BasketballNews.com. Today, Filippi evaluates top European prospect Nikola Jovic of Mega Basket in Serbia.
Nikola Jovic has had a very up and down season. But even as a victim of both his inconsistency and the unrelenting pressure of high expectations, he is still arguably the top international prospect in the upcoming <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft</a> and a likely first-round pick.
Admittedly, Jovic struggled a bit early in the season, but I think he has improved a lot since then and is slowly starting to live up to expectations. In his defense, people often forget that this was his first real full season at the pro level; he only played in just a handful of games with the senior Mega Basket team at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Jovic was forced into the spotlight as an 18-year-old with huge expectations, and perhaps too much responsibility, for a kid his age. And while it is true that the Mega Basket club he plays for does everything possible to promote their young star prospects and groom them for the NBA Draft, it is also true that he had to face a lot of scrutiny &mdash; along with a significant amount of pressure &mdash; to perform.
I think that he did an excellent job keeping his focus through it all. Over 25 games in the Adriatic League (ABA), Jovic averaged 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest, shooting 42.8% from the field and 35.6% beyond the arc.
Early in the season, Jovic looked a bit flustered at times, and lost his confidence, swagger and cockiness. Still, he seems to have regained his "mojo" now, as he has been much more assertive over the last couple of months. And, in general, he has seen his role on the team grow since the start of the season. He has also been shooting it better, and is now looking much more confident from three-point range.&nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_hDg2VeqZo" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Having scouted Jovic very closely over the past three years, I have witnessed firsthand his career progression, which has been quite impressive. Here is a list of accomplishments he has earned just over the past two seasons:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Serbian Junior League Finals&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adriatic League (ABA) U19 Championship;</li>
<li aria-level="1">All-Tournament team at 2021 FIBA World U19 Championships</li>
<li aria-level="1">2021-22 Adriatic League (ABA) Top Young Prospect</li>
</ul>
In addition, this past February, Jovic also made his debut with the Serbian senior national team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.&nbsp;
Born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, Jovic is a very skilled and versatile combo forward with excellent positional size; he stands a legit 6-foot-10 with shoes, albeit with just an average wingspan. He has a long but narrow frame, and will need to add muscle to play at the NBA level. Jovic moves pretty well for his size and is very smooth &mdash; everything seems to come easy. He is not an explosive athlete, but still seems to be able to get to wherever he wants to with the ball. He is a decent leaper who can make athletic plays in space or off the move. However, his lateral quickness is more of a question mark for me, especially from an NBA perspective.
Jovic has a very polished offensive game, and I think his versatile skill set will help him succeed at the NBA level. He has excellent ball skills; he can drive, shoot and pass, and help handle the ball. Although he can be somewhat of a ball-stopper at times, he makes excellent reads with the ball, sees the court well and can serve as a facilitator. I have also seen him make plays for others as a ball-handler in pick-and-roll situations. In addition, he is a good ball-handler in the open court who will routinely lead fast-break offense. He'll eventually be able to help initiate the offense even in the half-court too.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
One of the keys to Jovic's development has been the fact that he started his basketball career as a guard, but then had a huge growth spurt. So this allowed him to transition to the frontcourt while still retaining the feel and ball skills of a backcourt player, giving him a considerable edge over others in his new position.
Whether Jovic will be able to handle and create off the dribble as easily at the NBA level or not is a legitimate question, but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt based on his skill level and feel for the game. He may not have an explosive first step, but he can still get to the rim well enough (in my opinion) thanks to his craftiness, excellent use of fakes and changes of speed and direction. The kid has a fantastic mid-range game also. At the junior level, he showed the ability to exploit favorable mismatches, and displayed some nice post-up moves. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to do it as much at the pro level thus far. However, if he can gain strength physically, it will help him.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/jovic_lg.jpeg" alt="" width="400" height="500" />
One area he will need to improve is his perimeter shooting, which can be very erratic. Although he is a better shooter than his current three-point percentage (31.5%) would suggest, Jovic is far from the type of knockdown shooter he will need to be in order to take his game to the next level. His shot is a bit "rigid,'' and he will need to tweak his mechanics to make it more fluid. He also tends not to always follow through well. On the positive side, Jovic is working on developing a nice step-back move and a side-step move.&nbsp;
As good as he is on offense, Jovic still has a lot of work to do on the defensive end, and this will be a key factor in determining his potential success at the NBA level. At the moment, he struggles to defend both forward spots &mdash; even at the European level. He will have to bulk up more to play effectively at the 4, which will likely become his long-term default position at the NBA level, as he lacks the necessary physicality to be a 5. He currently struggles too much to defend the wing at the pro level; he has just average lateral quickness and often plays too stiff &mdash; he needs to learn to bend his knees more.
Jovic has been drawing comparisons to many current and former NBA players like Hedo Turkoglu, Dario Saric, Deni Avdija and even Joe Ingles. However, the one player he reminds me of the most is Danilo Gallinari, and I think his potential career arc could be very similar.
I have followed both players since they were 16 years old, and have noticed remarkable similarities in these two at the same ages. Both were guards before growth spurts who kept those guard-like ball skills, and were mediocre long-range shooters at a young age, but continuously improved. Gallinari has become a great shooter, so I don't see why Jovic can't become the same soon. They also faced similar defensive challenges at the pro level, as both often played too stiff and had just average foot speed as big wings. And in addition, they were both thrown into the spotlight at age-18 and faced similar challenges resulting from the pressure of high expectations.
It may take him some time to adjust his game to the NBA, but I am sure that Nikola Jovic will figure things out and enjoy a long NBA career! 
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

After spending more than 20 years working as an international scout and serving as director of international scouting for the Portland Trail Blazers, Jason Filippi continues his scouting journey by evaluating players for BasketballNews.com. Today, Filippi evaluates top European prospect Nikola Jovic of Mega Basket in Serbia.
Nikola Jovic has had a very up and down season. But even as a victim of both his inconsistency and the unrelenting pressure of high expectations, he is still arguably the top international prospect in the upcoming <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft</a> and a likely first-round pick.
Admittedly, Jovic struggled a bit early in the season, but I think he has improved a lot since then and is slowly starting to live up to expectations. In his defense, people often forget that this was his first real full season at the pro level; he only played in just a handful of games with the senior Mega Basket team at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Jovic was forced into the spotlight as an 18-year-old with huge expectations, and perhaps too much responsibility, for a kid his age. And while it is true that the Mega Basket club he plays for does everything possible to promote their young star prospects and groom them for the NBA Draft, it is also true that he had to face a lot of scrutiny &mdash; along with a significant amount of pressure &mdash; to perform.
Over 25 games in the Adriatic League (ABA), Jovic averaged 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest, shooting 42.8% from the field and 35.6% beyond the arc.
I think that he did an excellent job keeping his focus through it all. 
Early in the season, Jovic looked a bit flustered at times, and lost his confidence, swagger and cockiness. Still, he seems to have regained his "mojo" now, as he has been much more assertive over the last couple of months. And, in general, he has seen his role on the team grow since the start of the season. He has also been shooting it better, and is now looking much more confident from three-point range.&nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_hDg2VeqZo" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Having scouted Jovic very closely over the past three years, I have witnessed firsthand his career progression, which has been quite impressive. Here is a list of accomplishments he has earned just over the past two seasons:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Serbian Junior League Finals&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adriatic League (ABA) U19 Championship;</li>
<li aria-level="1">All-Tournament team at 2021 FIBA World U19 Championships</li>
<li aria-level="1">2021-22 Adriatic League (ABA) Top Young Prospect</li>
</ul>
In addition, this past February, Jovic also made his debut with the Serbian senior national team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.&nbsp;
Born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, Jovic is a very skilled and versatile combo forward with excellent positional size; he stands a legit 6-foot-10 with shoes, albeit with just an average wingspan. He has a long but narrow frame, and will need to add muscle to play at the NBA level. Jovic moves pretty well for his size and is very smooth &mdash; everything seems to come easy. He is not an explosive athlete, but still seems to be able to get to wherever he wants to with the ball. He is a decent leaper who can make athletic plays in space or off the move. However, his lateral quickness is more of a question mark for me, especially from an NBA perspective.
Jovic has a very polished offensive game, and I think his versatile skill set will help him succeed at the NBA level. He has excellent ball skills; he can drive, shoot and pass, and help handle the ball. Although he can be somewhat of a ball-stopper at times, he makes excellent reads with the ball, sees the court well and can serve as a facilitator. I have also seen him make plays for others as a ball-handler in pick-and-roll situations. In addition, he is a good ball-handler in the open court who will routinely lead fast-break offense. He'll eventually be able to help initiate the offense even in the half-court too.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
One of the keys to Jovic's development has been the fact that he started his basketball career as a guard, but then had a huge growth spurt. So this allowed him to transition to the frontcourt while still retaining the feel and ball skills of a backcourt player, giving him a considerable edge over others in his new position.
Whether Jovic will be able to handle and create off the dribble as easily at the NBA level or not is a legitimate question, but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt based on his skill level and feel for the game. He may not have an explosive first step, but he can still get to the rim well enough (in my opinion) thanks to his craftiness, excellent use of fakes and changes of speed and direction. The kid has a fantastic mid-range game also. At the junior level, he showed the ability to exploit favorable mismatches, and displayed some nice post-up moves. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to do it as much at the pro level thus far. However, if he can gain strength physically, it will help him.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/jovic_lg.jpeg" alt="" width="400" height="500" />
One area he will need to improve is his perimeter shooting, which can be very erratic. Although he is a better shooter than his current three-point percentage (31.5%) would suggest, Jovic is far from the type of knockdown shooter he will need to be in order to take his game to the next level. His shot is a bit "rigid,'' and he will need to tweak his mechanics to make it more fluid. He also tends not to always follow through well. On the positive side, Jovic is working on developing a nice step-back move and a side-step move.&nbsp;
As good as he is on offense, Jovic still has a lot of work to do on the defensive end, and this will be a key factor in determining his potential success at the NBA level. At the moment, he struggles to defend both forward spots &mdash; even at the European level. He will have to bulk up more to play effectively at the 4, which will likely become his long-term default position at the NBA level, as he lacks the necessary physicality to be a 5. He currently struggles too much to defend the wing at the pro level; he has just average lateral quickness and often plays too stiff &mdash; he needs to learn to bend his knees more.
Jovic has been drawing comparisons to many current and former NBA players like Hedo Turkoglu, Dario Saric, Deni Avdija and even Joe Ingles. However, the one player he reminds me of the most is Danilo Gallinari, and I think his potential career arc could be very similar.
I have followed both players since they were 16 years old, and have noticed remarkable similarities in these two at the same ages. Both were guards before growth spurts who kept those guard-like ball skills, and were mediocre long-range shooters at a young age, but continuously improved. Gallinari has become a great shooter, so I don't see why Jovic can't become the same soon. They also faced similar defensive challenges at the pro level, as both often played too stiff and had just average foot speed as big wings. And in addition, they were both thrown into the spotlight at age-18 and faced similar challenges resulting from the pressure of high expectations.
It may take him some time to adjust his game to the NBA, but I am sure that Nikola Jovic will figure things out and enjoy a long NBA career! 
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

After spending more than 20 years working as an international scout and serving as director of international scouting for the Portland Trail Blazers, Jason Filippi continues his scouting journey by evaluating players for BasketballNews.com. Today, Filippi evaluates top European prospect Nikola Jovic of Mega Basket in Serbia.
Nikola Jovic has had a very up and down season. But even as a victim of both his inconsistency and the unrelenting pressure of high expectations, he is still arguably the top international prospect in the upcoming <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft</a> and a likely first-round pick.
Admittedly, Jovic struggled a bit early in the season, but I think he has improved a lot since then and is slowly starting to live up to expectations. In his defense, people often forget that this was his first real full season at the pro level; he only played in just a handful of games with the senior Mega Basket team at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Jovic was forced into the spotlight as an 18-year-old with huge expectations, and perhaps too much responsibility, for a kid his age. And while it is true that the Mega Basket club he plays for does everything possible to promote their young star prospects and groom them for the NBA Draft, it is also true that he had to face a lot of scrutiny &mdash; along with a significant amount of pressure &mdash; to perform.
Over 25 games in the Adriatic League (ABA), Jovic averaged 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest, shooting 42.8% from the field and 35.6% beyond the arc.
I think that he did an excellent job keeping his focus through it all. 
Early in the season, Jovic looked a bit flustered at times, and lost his confidence, swagger and cockiness. Still, he seems to have regained his "mojo" now, as he has been much more assertive over the last couple of months. And, in general, he has seen his role on the team grow since the start of the season. He has also been shooting it better, and is now looking much more confident from three-point range.&nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_hDg2VeqZo" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Having scouted Jovic very closely over the past three years, I have witnessed firsthand his career progression, which has been quite impressive. Here is a list of accomplishments he has earned just over the past two seasons:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Serbian Junior League Finals&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adriatic League (ABA) U19 Championship;</li>
<li aria-level="1">All-Tournament team at 2021 FIBA World U19 Championships</li>
<li aria-level="1">2021-22 Adriatic League (ABA) Top Young Prospect</li>
</ul>
In addition, this past February, Jovic also made his debut with the Serbian senior national team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.&nbsp;
Born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, Jovic is a very skilled and versatile combo forward with excellent positional size; he stands a legit 6-foot-10 with shoes, albeit with just an average wingspan. He has a long but narrow frame, and will need to add muscle to play at the NBA level. Jovic moves pretty well for his size and is very smooth &mdash; everything seems to come easy. He is not an explosive athlete, but still seems to be able to get to wherever he wants to with the ball. He is a decent leaper who can make athletic plays in space or off the move. However, his lateral quickness is more of a question mark for me, especially from an NBA perspective.
Jovic has a very polished offensive game, and I think his versatile skill set will help him succeed at the NBA level. He has excellent ball skills; he can drive, shoot and pass, and help handle the ball. Although he can be somewhat of a ball-stopper at times, he makes excellent reads with the ball, sees the court well and can serve as a facilitator. I have also seen him make plays for others as a ball-handler in pick-and-roll situations. In addition, he is a good ball-handler in the open court who will routinely lead fast-break offense. He'll eventually be able to help initiate the offense even in the half-court too.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
One of the keys to Jovic's development has been the fact that he started his basketball career as a guard, but then had a huge growth spurt. So this allowed him to transition to the frontcourt while still retaining the feel and ball skills of a backcourt player, giving him a considerable edge over others in his new position.
Whether Jovic will be able to handle and create off the dribble as easily at the NBA level or not is a legitimate question, but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt based on his skill level and feel for the game. He may not have an explosive first step, but he can still get to the rim well enough (in my opinion) thanks to his craftiness, excellent use of fakes and changes of speed and direction. The kid has a fantastic mid-range game also. At the junior level, he showed the ability to exploit favorable mismatches, and displayed some nice post-up moves. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to do it as much at the pro level thus far. However, if he can gain strength physically, it will help him.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/jovic_lg.jpeg" alt="" width="400" height="500" />
One area he will need to improve is his perimeter shooting, which can be very erratic. Although he is a better shooter than his current three-point percentage would suggest, Jovic is far from the type of knockdown shooter he will need to be in order to take his game to the next level. His shot is a bit "rigid,'' and he will need to tweak his mechanics to make it more fluid. He also tends not to always follow through well. On the positive side, Jovic is working on developing a nice step-back move and a side-step move.&nbsp;
As good as he is on offense, Jovic still has a lot of work to do on the defensive end, and this will be a key factor in determining his potential success at the NBA level. At the moment, he struggles to defend both forward spots &mdash; even at the European level. He will have to bulk up more to play effectively at the 4, which will likely become his long-term default position at the NBA level, as he lacks the necessary physicality to be a 5. He currently struggles too much to defend the wing at the pro level; he has just average lateral quickness and often plays too stiff &mdash; he needs to learn to bend his knees more.
Jovic has been drawing comparisons to many current and former NBA players like Hedo Turkoglu, Dario Saric, Deni Avdija and even Joe Ingles. However, the one player he reminds me of the most is Danilo Gallinari, and I think his potential career arc could be very similar.
I have followed both players since they were 16 years old, and have noticed remarkable similarities in these two at the same ages. Both were guards before growth spurts who kept those guard-like ball skills, and were mediocre long-range shooters at a young age, but continuously improved. Gallinari has become a great shooter, so I don't see why Jovic can't become the same soon. They also faced similar defensive challenges at the pro level, as both often played too stiff and had just average foot speed as big wings. And in addition, they were both thrown into the spotlight at age-18 and faced similar challenges resulting from the pressure of high expectations.
It may take him some time to adjust his game to the NBA, but I am sure that Nikola Jovic will figure things out and enjoy a long NBA career! 
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

After spending more than 20 years working as an international scout and serving as director of international scouting for the Portland Trail Blazers, Jason Filippi continues his scouting journey by evaluating players for BasketballNews.com. Today, Filippi evaluates top European prospect Nikola Jovic of Mega Basket in Serbia.
Nikola Jovic has had a very up and down season. But even as a victim of both his inconsistency and the unrelenting pressure of high expectations, he is still arguably the top international prospect in the upcoming <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft</a> and a likely first-round pick.
Admittedly, Jovic struggled a bit early in the season, but I think he has improved a lot since then and is slowly starting to live up to expectations. In his defense, people often forget that this was his first real full season at the pro level; he only played in just a handful of games with the senior Mega Basket team at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Jovic was forced into the spotlight as an 18-year-old with huge expectations, and perhaps too much responsibility, for a kid his age. And while it is true that the Mega Basket club he plays for does everything possible to promote their young star prospects and groom them for the NBA Draft, it is also true that he had to face a lot of scrutiny &mdash; along with a significant amount of pressure &mdash; to perform.
Over 25 games in the Adriatic League (ABA), Jovic has averaged 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest, shooting 42.8% from the field and 35.6% beyond the arc.
I think that he did an excellent job keeping his focus through it all. 
Early in the season, Jovic looked a bit flustered at times, and lost his confidence, swagger and cockiness. Still, he seems to have regained his "mojo" now, as he has been much more assertive over the last couple of months. And, in general, he has seen his role on the team grow since the start of the season. He has also been shooting it better, and is now looking much more confident from three-point range.&nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_hDg2VeqZo" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Having scouted Jovic very closely over the past three years, I have witnessed firsthand his career progression, which has been quite impressive. Here is a list of accomplishments he has earned just over the past two seasons:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Serbian Junior League Finals&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adriatic League (ABA) U19 Championship;</li>
<li aria-level="1">All-Tournament team at 2021 FIBA World U19 Championships</li>
<li aria-level="1">2021-22 Adriatic League (ABA) Top Young Prospect</li>
</ul>
In addition, this past February, Jovic also made his debut with the Serbian senior national team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.&nbsp;
Born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, Jovic is a very skilled and versatile combo forward with excellent positional size; he stands a legit 6-foot-10 with shoes, albeit with just an average wingspan. He has a long but narrow frame, and will need to add muscle to play at the NBA level. Jovic moves pretty well for his size and is very smooth &mdash; everything seems to come easy. He is not an explosive athlete, but still seems to be able to get to wherever he wants to with the ball. He is a decent leaper who can make athletic plays in space or off the move. However, his lateral quickness is more of a question mark for me, especially from an NBA perspective.
Jovic has a very polished offensive game, and I think his versatile skill set will help him succeed at the NBA level. He has excellent ball skills; he can drive, shoot and pass, and help handle the ball. Although he can be somewhat of a ball-stopper at times, he makes excellent reads with the ball, sees the court well and can serve as a facilitator. I have also seen him make plays for others as a ball-handler in pick-and-roll situations. In addition, he is a good ball-handler in the open court who will routinely lead fast-break offense. He'll eventually be able to help initiate the offense even in the half-court too.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
One of the keys to Jovic's development has been the fact that he started his basketball career as a guard, but then had a huge growth spurt. So this allowed him to transition to the frontcourt while still retaining the feel and ball skills of a backcourt player, giving him a considerable edge over others in his new position.
Whether Jovic will be able to handle and create off the dribble as easily at the NBA level or not is a legitimate question, but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt based on his skill level and feel for the game. He may not have an explosive first step, but he can still get to the rim well enough (in my opinion) thanks to his craftiness, excellent use of fakes and changes of speed and direction. The kid has a fantastic mid-range game also. At the junior level, he showed the ability to exploit favorable mismatches, and displayed some nice post-up moves. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to do it as much at the pro level thus far. However, if he can gain strength physically, it will help him.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/jovic_lg.jpeg" alt="" width="400" height="500" />
One area he will need to improve is his perimeter shooting, which can be very erratic. Although he is a better shooter than his current three-point percentage would suggest, Jovic is far from the type of knockdown shooter he will need to be in order to take his game to the next level. His shot is a bit "rigid,'' and he will need to tweak his mechanics to make it more fluid. He also tends not to always follow through well. On the positive side, Jovic is working on developing a nice step-back move and a side-step move.&nbsp;
As good as he is on offense, Jovic still has a lot of work to do on the defensive end, and this will be a key factor in determining his potential success at the NBA level. At the moment, he struggles to defend both forward spots &mdash; even at the European level. He will have to bulk up more to play effectively at the 4, which will likely become his long-term default position at the NBA level, as he lacks the necessary physicality to be a 5. He currently struggles too much to defend the wing at the pro level; he has just average lateral quickness and often plays too stiff &mdash; he needs to learn to bend his knees more.
Jovic has been drawing comparisons to many current and former NBA players like Hedo Turkoglu, Dario Saric, Deni Avdija and even Joe Ingles. However, the one player he reminds me of the most is Danilo Gallinari, and I think his potential career arc could be very similar.
I have followed both players since they were 16 years old, and have noticed remarkable similarities in these two at the same ages. Both were guards before growth spurts who kept those guard-like ball skills, and were mediocre long-range shooters at a young age, but continuously improved. Gallinari has become a great shooter, so I don't see why Jovic can't become the same soon. They also faced similar defensive challenges at the pro level, as both often played too stiff and had just average foot speed as big wings. And in addition, they were both thrown into the spotlight at age-18 and faced similar challenges resulting from the pressure of high expectations.
It may take him some time to adjust his game to the NBA, but I am sure that Nikola Jovic will figure things out and enjoy a long NBA career! 
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

After spending more than 20 years working as an international scout and serving as director of international scouting for the Portland Trail Blazers, Jason Filippi continues his scouting journey by evaluating players for BasketballNews.com. Today, Filippi evaluates top European prospect Nikola Jovic of Mega Basket in Serbia.
Nikola Jovic has had a very up and down season. But even as a victim of both his inconsistency and the unrelenting pressure of high expectations, he is still arguably the top international prospect in the upcoming <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft</a> and a likely first-round pick.
Admittedly, Jovic struggled a bit early in the season, but I think he has improved a lot since then and is slowly starting to live up to expectations. In his defense, people often forget that this was his first real full season at the pro level; he only played in just a handful of games with the senior Mega Basket team at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Jovic was forced into the spotlight as an 18-year-old with huge expectations, and perhaps too much responsibility, for a kid his age. And while it is true that the Mega Basket club he plays for does everything possible to promote their young star prospects and groom them for the NBA Draft, it is also true that he had to face a lot of scrutiny &mdash; along with a significant amount of pressure &mdash; to perform.
Over 25 games in the Adriatic League (ABA), Jovic averaged 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest, shooting 42.8% from the field and 35.6% beyond the arc.
I think that he did an excellent job keeping his focus through it all. 
Early in the season, Jovic looked a bit flustered at times, and lost his confidence, swagger and cockiness. Still, he seems to have regained his "mojo" now, as he has been much more assertive over the last couple of months. And, in general, he has seen his role on the team grow since the start of the season. He has also been shooting it better, and is now looking much more confident from three-point range.&nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_hDg2VeqZo" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Having scouted Jovic very closely over the past three years, I have witnessed firsthand his career progression, which has been quite impressive. Here is a list of accomplishments he has earned just over the past two seasons:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Serbian Junior League Finals&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adriatic League ABA U19 Championship;</li>
<li aria-level="1">All-Tournament team at 2021 FIBA World U19 Championships</li>
<li aria-level="1">2021-22 Adriatic League Top Young Prospect</li>
</ul>
In addition, this past February, Jovic also made his debut with the Serbian senior national team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.&nbsp;
Born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, Jovic is a very skilled and versatile combo forward with excellent positional size; he stands a legit 6-foot-10 with shoes, albeit with just an average wingspan. He has a long but narrow frame, and will need to add muscle to play at the NBA level. Jovic moves pretty well for his size and is very smooth &mdash; everything seems to come easy. He is not an explosive athlete, but still seems to be able to get to wherever he wants to with the ball. He is a decent leaper who can make athletic plays in space or off the move. However, his lateral quickness is more of a question mark for me, especially from an NBA perspective.
Jovic has a very polished offensive game, and I think his versatile skill set will help him succeed at the NBA level. He has excellent ball skills; he can drive, shoot and pass, and help handle the ball. Although he can be somewhat of a ball-stopper at times, he makes excellent reads with the ball, sees the court well and can serve as a facilitator. I have also seen him make plays for others as a ball-handler in pick-and-roll situations. In addition, he is a good ball-handler in the open court who will routinely lead fast-break offense. He'll eventually be able to help initiate the offense even in the half-court too.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
One of the keys to Jovic's development has been the fact that he started his basketball career as a guard, but then had a huge growth spurt. So this allowed him to transition to the frontcourt while still retaining the feel and ball skills of a backcourt player, giving him a considerable edge over others in his new position.
Whether Jovic will be able to handle and create off the dribble as easily at the NBA level or not is a legitimate question, but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt based on his skill level and feel for the game. He may not have an explosive first step, but he can still get to the rim well enough (in my opinion) thanks to his craftiness, excellent use of fakes and changes of speed and direction. The kid has a fantastic mid-range game also. At the junior level, he showed the ability to exploit favorable mismatches, and displayed some nice post-up moves. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to do it as much at the pro level thus far. However, if he can gain strength physically, it will help him.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/jovic_lg.jpeg" alt="" width="400" height="500" />
One area he will need to improve is his perimeter shooting, which can be very erratic. Although he is a better shooter than his current three-point percentage would suggest, Jovic is far from the type of knockdown shooter he will need to be in order to take his game to the next level. His shot is a bit "rigid,'' and he will need to tweak his mechanics to make it more fluid. He also tends not to always follow through well. On the positive side, Jovic is working on developing a nice step-back move and a side-step move.&nbsp;
As good as he is on offense, Jovic still has a lot of work to do on the defensive end, and this will be a key factor in determining his potential success at the NBA level. At the moment, he struggles to defend both forward spots &mdash; even at the European level. He will have to bulk up more to play effectively at the 4, which will likely become his long-term default position at the NBA level, as he lacks the necessary physicality to be a 5. He currently struggles too much to defend the wing at the pro level; he has just average lateral quickness and often plays too stiff &mdash; he needs to learn to bend his knees more.
Jovic has been drawing comparisons to many current and former NBA players like Hedo Turkoglu, Dario Saric, Deni Avdija and even Joe Ingles. However, the one player he reminds me of the most is Danilo Gallinari, and I think his potential career arc could be very similar.
I have followed both players since they were 16 years old, and have noticed remarkable similarities in these two at the same ages. Both were guards before growth spurts who kept those guard-like ball skills, and were mediocre long-range shooters at a young age, but continuously improved. Gallinari has become a great shooter, so I don't see why Jovic can't become the same soon. They also faced similar defensive challenges at the pro level, as both often played too stiff and had just average foot speed as big wings. And in addition, they were both thrown into the spotlight at age-18 and faced similar challenges resulting from the pressure of high expectations.
It may take him some time to adjust his game to the NBA, but I am sure that Nikola Jovic will figure things out and enjoy a long NBA career! 
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

After spending more than 20 years working as an international scout and serving as director of international scouting for the Portland Trail Blazers, Jason Filippi continues his scouting journey by evaluating players for BasketballNews.com. Today, Filippi evaluates top European prospect Nikola Jovic of Mega Basket in Serbia.
Nikola Jovic has had a very up and down season. But even as a victim of both his inconsistency and the unrelenting pressure of high expectations, he is still arguably the top international prospect in the upcoming <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft</a> and a likely first-round pick.
Admittedly, Jovic struggled a bit early in the season, but I think he has improved a lot since then and is slowly starting to live up to expectations. In his defense, people often forget that this was his first real full season at the pro level; he only played in just a handful of games with the senior Mega Basket team at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Jovic was forced into the spotlight as an 18-year-old with huge expectations, and perhaps too much responsibility, for a kid his age. And while it is true that the Mega Basket club he plays for does everything possible to promote their young star prospects and groom them for the NBA Draft, it is also true that he had to face a lot of scrutiny &mdash; along with a significant amount of pressure &mdash; to perform.
(Over 25 games in the Adriatic League (ABA), Jovic averaged 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest, shooting 42.8% from the field and 35.6% beyond the arc.)
I think that he did an excellent job keeping his focus through it all. 
Early in the season, Jovic looked a bit flustered at times, and lost his confidence, swagger and cockiness. Still, he seems to have regained his "mojo" now, as he has been much more assertive over the last couple of months. And, in general, he has seen his role on the team grow since the start of the season. He has also been shooting it better, and is now looking much more confident from three-point range.&nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_hDg2VeqZo" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Having scouted Jovic very closely over the past three years, I have witnessed firsthand his career progression, which has been quite impressive. Here is a list of accomplishments he has earned just over the past two seasons:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Serbian Junior League Finals&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adriatic League ABA U19 Championship;</li>
<li aria-level="1">All-Tournament team at 2021 FIBA World U19 Championships</li>
<li aria-level="1">2021-22 Adriatic League Top Young Prospect</li>
</ul>
In addition, this past February, Jovic also made his debut with the Serbian senior national team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.&nbsp;
Born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, Jovic is a very skilled and versatile combo forward with excellent positional size; he stands a legit 6-foot-10 with shoes, albeit with just an average wingspan. He has a long but narrow frame, and will need to add muscle to play at the NBA level. Jovic moves pretty well for his size and is very smooth &mdash; everything seems to come easy. He is not an explosive athlete, but still seems to be able to get to wherever he wants to with the ball. He is a decent leaper who can make athletic plays in space or off the move. However, his lateral quickness is more of a question mark for me, especially from an NBA perspective.
Jovic has a very polished offensive game, and I think his versatile skill set will help him succeed at the NBA level. He has excellent ball skills; he can drive, shoot and pass, and help handle the ball. Although he can be somewhat of a ball-stopper at times, he makes excellent reads with the ball, sees the court well and can serve as a facilitator. I have also seen him make plays for others as a ball-handler in pick-and-roll situations. In addition, he is a good ball-handler in the open court who will routinely lead fast-break offense. He'll eventually be able to help initiate the offense even in the half-court too.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
One of the keys to Jovic's development has been the fact that he started his basketball career as a guard, but then had a huge growth spurt. So this allowed him to transition to the frontcourt while still retaining the feel and ball skills of a backcourt player, giving him a considerable edge over others in his new position.
Whether Jovic will be able to handle and create off the dribble as easily at the NBA level or not is a legitimate question, but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt based on his skill level and feel for the game. He may not have an explosive first step, but he can still get to the rim well enough (in my opinion) thanks to his craftiness, excellent use of fakes and changes of speed and direction. The kid has a fantastic mid-range game also. At the junior level, he showed the ability to exploit favorable mismatches, and displayed some nice post-up moves. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to do it as much at the pro level thus far. However, if he can gain strength physically, it will help him.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/jovic_lg.jpeg" alt="" width="400" height="500" />
One area he will need to improve is his perimeter shooting, which can be very erratic. Although he is a better shooter than his current three-point percentage would suggest, Jovic is far from the type of knockdown shooter he will need to be in order to take his game to the next level. His shot is a bit "rigid,'' and he will need to tweak his mechanics to make it more fluid. He also tends not to always follow through well. On the positive side, Jovic is working on developing a nice step-back move and a side-step move.&nbsp;
As good as he is on offense, Jovic still has a lot of work to do on the defensive end, and this will be a key factor in determining his potential success at the NBA level. At the moment, he struggles to defend both forward spots &mdash; even at the European level. He will have to bulk up more to play effectively at the 4, which will likely become his long-term default position at the NBA level, as he lacks the necessary physicality to be a 5. He currently struggles too much to defend the wing at the pro level; he has just average lateral quickness and often plays too stiff &mdash; he needs to learn to bend his knees more.
Jovic has been drawing comparisons to many current and former NBA players like Hedo Turkoglu, Dario Saric, Deni Avdija and even Joe Ingles. However, the one player he reminds me of the most is Danilo Gallinari, and I think his potential career arc could be very similar.
I have followed both players since they were 16 years old, and have noticed remarkable similarities in these two at the same ages. Both were guards before growth spurts who kept those guard-like ball skills, and were mediocre long-range shooters at a young age, but continuously improved. Gallinari has become a great shooter, so I don't see why Jovic can't become the same soon. They also faced similar defensive challenges at the pro level, as both often played too stiff and had just average foot speed as big wings. And in addition, they were both thrown into the spotlight at age-18 and faced similar challenges resulting from the pressure of high expectations.
It may take him some time to adjust his game to the NBA, but I am sure that Nikola Jovic will figure things out and enjoy a long NBA career! 
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

After spending more than 20 years working as an international scout and serving as director of international scouting for the Portland Trail Blazers, Jason Filippi continues his scouting journey by evaluating players for BasketballNews.com. Today, Filippi evaluates top European prospect Nikola Jovic of Mega Basket in Serbia.
Nikola Jovic has had a very up and down season. But even as a victim of both his inconsistency and the unrelenting pressure of high expectations, he is still arguably the top international prospect in the upcoming <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft</a> and a likely first-round pick.
Admittedly, Jovic struggled a bit early in the season, but I think he has improved a lot since then and is slowly starting to live up to expectations. In his defense, people often forget that this was his first real full season at the pro level; he only played in just a handful of games with the senior Mega Basket team at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Jovic was forced into the spotlight as an 18-year-old with huge expectations, and perhaps too much responsibility, for a kid his age. And while it is true that the Mega Basket club he plays for does everything possible to promote their young star prospects and groom them for the NBA Draft, it is also true that he had to face a lot of scrutiny &mdash; along with a significant amount of pressure &mdash; to perform.
(Editor's Note: Over 25 games in the Adriatic League [ABA], Jovic averaged 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest, shooting 42.8% from the field and 35.6% beyond the arc.)
I think that he did an excellent job keeping his focus through it all. 
Early in the season, Jovic looked a bit flustered at times, and lost his confidence, swagger and cockiness. Still, he seems to have regained his "mojo" now, as he has been much more assertive over the last couple of months. And, in general, he has seen his role on the team grow since the start of the season. He has also been shooting it better, and is now looking much more confident from three-point range.&nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_hDg2VeqZo" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Having scouted Jovic very closely over the past three years, I have witnessed firsthand his career progression, which has been quite impressive. Here is a list of accomplishments he has earned just over the past two seasons:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Serbian Junior League Finals&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adriatic League ABA U19 Championship;</li>
<li aria-level="1">All-Tournament team at 2021 FIBA World U19 Championships</li>
<li aria-level="1">2021-22 Adriatic League Top Young Prospect</li>
</ul>
In addition, this past February, Jovic also made his debut with the Serbian senior national team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.&nbsp;
Born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, Jovic is a very skilled and versatile combo forward with excellent positional size; he stands a legit 6-foot-10 with shoes, albeit with just an average wingspan. He has a long but narrow frame, and will need to add muscle to play at the NBA level. Jovic moves pretty well for his size and is very smooth &mdash; everything seems to come easy. He is not an explosive athlete, but still seems to be able to get to wherever he wants to with the ball. He is a decent leaper who can make athletic plays in space or off the move. However, his lateral quickness is more of a question mark for me, especially from an NBA perspective.
Jovic has a very polished offensive game, and I think his versatile skill set will help him succeed at the NBA level. He has excellent ball skills; he can drive, shoot and pass, and help handle the ball. Although he can be somewhat of a ball-stopper at times, he makes excellent reads with the ball, sees the court well and can serve as a facilitator. I have also seen him make plays for others as a ball-handler in pick-and-roll situations. In addition, he is a good ball-handler in the open court who will routinely lead fast-break offense. He'll eventually be able to help initiate the offense even in the half-court too.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
One of the keys to Jovic's development has been the fact that he started his basketball career as a guard, but then had a huge growth spurt. So this allowed him to transition to the frontcourt while still retaining the feel and ball skills of a backcourt player, giving him a considerable edge over others in his new position.
Whether Jovic will be able to handle and create off the dribble as easily at the NBA level or not is a legitimate question, but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt based on his skill level and feel for the game. He may not have an explosive first step, but he can still get to the rim well enough (in my opinion) thanks to his craftiness, excellent use of fakes and changes of speed and direction. The kid has a fantastic mid-range game also. At the junior level, he showed the ability to exploit favorable mismatches, and displayed some nice post-up moves. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to do it as much at the pro level thus far. However, if he can gain strength physically, it will help him.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/jovic_lg.jpeg" alt="" width="400" height="500" />
One area he will need to improve is his perimeter shooting, which can be very erratic. Although he is a better shooter than his current three-point percentage would suggest, Jovic is far from the type of knockdown shooter he will need to be in order to take his game to the next level. His shot is a bit "rigid,'' and he will need to tweak his mechanics to make it more fluid. He also tends not to always follow through well. On the positive side, Jovic is working on developing a nice step-back move and a side-step move.&nbsp;
As good as he is on offense, Jovic still has a lot of work to do on the defensive end, and this will be a key factor in determining his potential success at the NBA level. At the moment, he struggles to defend both forward spots &mdash; even at the European level. He will have to bulk up more to play effectively at the 4, which will likely become his long-term default position at the NBA level, as he lacks the necessary physicality to be a 5. He currently struggles too much to defend the wing at the pro level; he has just average lateral quickness and often plays too stiff &mdash; he needs to learn to bend his knees more.
Jovic has been drawing comparisons to many current and former NBA players like Hedo Turkoglu, Dario Saric, Deni Avdija and even Joe Ingles. However, the one player he reminds me of the most is Danilo Gallinari, and I think his potential career arc could be very similar.
I have followed both players since they were 16 years old, and have noticed remarkable similarities in these two at the same ages. Both were guards before growth spurts who kept those guard-like ball skills, and were mediocre long-range shooters at a young age, but continuously improved. Gallinari has become a great shooter, so I don't see why Jovic can't become the same soon. They also faced similar defensive challenges at the pro level, as both often played too stiff and had just average foot speed as big wings. And in addition, they were both thrown into the spotlight at age-18 and faced similar challenges resulting from the pressure of high expectations.
It may take him some time to adjust his game to the NBA, but I am sure that Nikola Jovic will figure things out and enjoy a long NBA career! 
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

After spending more than 20 years working as an international scout and serving as director of international scouting for the Portland Trail Blazers, Jason Filippi continues his scouting journey by evaluating players for BasketballNews.com. Today, Filippi evaluates top European prospect Nikola Jovic of Mega Basket in Serbia.
Nikola Jovic has had a very up and down season. But even as a victim of both his inconsistency and the unrelenting pressure of high expectations, he is still arguably the top international prospect in the upcoming <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft</a> and a likely first-round pick.
Admittedly, Jovic struggled a bit early in the season, but I think he has improved a lot since then and is slowly starting to live up to expectations. In his defense, people often forget that this was his first real full season at the pro level; he only played in just a handful of games with the senior Mega Basket team at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Jovic was forced into the spotlight as an 18-year-old with huge expectations, and perhaps too much responsibility, for a kid his age. And while it is true that the Mega Basket club he plays for does everything possible to promote their young star prospects and groom them for the NBA Draft, it is also true that he had to face a lot of scrutiny &mdash; along with a significant amount of pressure &mdash; to perform.
(Editor's Note: Over 25 games in the Adriatic League [ABA], Jovic averaged 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest, shooting 42.8% from the field and 35.6% beyond the arc.)
I think that he did an excellent job keeping his focus through it all. 
Early in the season, Jovic looked a bit flustered at times, and lost his confidence, swagger and cockiness. Still, he seems to have regained his "mojo" now, as he has been much more assertive over the last couple of months. And, in general, he has seen his role on the team grow since the start of the season. He has also been shooting it better, and is now looking much more confident from three-point range.&nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_hDg2VeqZo" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Having scouted Jovic very closely over the past three years, I have witnessed firsthand his career progression, which has been quite impressive. Here is a list of accomplishments he has earned just over the past two seasons:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Serbian Junior League Finals&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adriatic League ABA U19 Championship;</li>
<li aria-level="1">All-Tournament team at 2021 FIBA World U19 Championships</li>
<li aria-level="1">2021-22 Adriatic League Top Young Prospect</li>
</ul>
In addition, this past February, Jovic also made his debut with the Serbian senior national team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.&nbsp;
Born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, Jovic is a very skilled and versatile combo forward with excellent positional size; he stands a legit 6-foot-10 with shoes, albeit with just an average wingspan. He has a long but narrow frame, and will need to add muscle to play at the NBA level. Jovic moves pretty well for his size and is very smooth &mdash; everything seems to come easy. He is not an explosive athlete, but still seems to be able to get to wherever he wants to with the ball. He is a decent leaper who can make athletic plays in space or off the move. However, his lateral quickness is more of a question mark for me, especially from an NBA perspective.
Jovic has a very polished offensive game, and I think his versatile skill set will help him succeed at the NBA level. He has excellent ball skills; he can drive, shoot and pass, and help handle the ball. Although he can be somewhat of a ball-stopper at times, he makes excellent reads with the ball, sees the court well and can serve as a facilitator. I have also seen him make plays for others as a ball-handler in pick-and-roll situations. In addition, he is a good ball-handler in the open court who will routinely lead fast-break offense. He'll eventually be able to help initiate the offense even in the half-court too.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
One of the keys to Jovic's development has been the fact that he started his basketball career as a guard, but then had a huge growth spurt. So this allowed him to transition to the frontcourt while still retaining the feel and ball skills of a backcourt player, giving him a considerable edge over others in his new position.
Whether Jovic will be able to handle and create off the dribble as easily at the NBA level or not is a legitimate question, but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt based on his skill level and feel for the game. He may not have an explosive first step, but he can still get to the rim well enough (in my opinion) thanks to his craftiness, excellent use of fakes and changes of speed and direction. The kid has a fantastic mid-range game also. At the junior level, he showed the ability to exploit favorable mismatches, and displayed some nice post-up moves. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to do it as much at the pro level thus far. However, if he can gain strength physically, it will help him.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/jovic_lg.jpeg" alt="" width="400" height="500" />
One area he will need to improve is his perimeter shooting, which can be very erratic. Although he is a better shooter than his current three-point percentage would suggest, Jovic is far from the type of knockdown shooter he will need to be in order to take his game to the next level. His shot is a bit "rigid,'' and he will need to tweak his mechanics to make it more fluid. He also tends not to always follow through well. On the positive side, Jovic is working on developing a nice step-back move and a side-step move.&nbsp;
As good as he is on offense, Jovic still has a lot of work to do on the defensive end, and this will be a key factor in determining his potential success at the NBA level. At the moment, he struggles to defend both forward spots &mdash; even at the European level. He will have to bulk up more to play effectively at the 4, which will likely become his long-term default position at the NBA level, as he lacks the necessary physicality to be a 5. He currently struggles too much to defend the wing at the pro level; he has just average lateral quickness and often plays too stiff &mdash; he needs to learn to bend his knees more.
Jovic has been drawing comparisons to many current and former NBA players like Hedo Turkoglu, Dario Saric, Deni Avdija and even Joe Ingles. However, the one player he reminds me of the most is Danilo Gallinari, and I think his potential career arc could be very similar.
I have followed both players since they were 16 years old, and have noticed remarkable similarities in these two at the same ages. Both were guards before growth spurts who kept those guard-like ball skills, and were mediocre long-range shooters at a young age, but continuously improved. Gallinari has become a great shooter, so I don't see why Jovic can't become the same soon. They also faced similar defensive challenges at the pro level, as both often played too stiff and had just average foot speed as big wings. And in addition, they were both thrown into the spotlight at age-18 and faced similar challenges resulting from the pressure of high expectations.
It may take him some time to adjust his game to the NBA, but I am sure that Nikola Jovic will figure things out and enjoy a long NBA career! 
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

After spending more than 20 years working as an international scout and serving as director of international scouting for the Portland Trail Blazers, Jason Filippi continues his scouting journey by evaluating players for BasketballNews.com. Today, Filippi evaluates top European prospect Nikola Jovic of Mega Basket in Serbia.
Nikola Jovic has had a very up and down season. But even as a victim of both his inconsistency and the unrelenting pressure of high expectations, he is still arguably the top international prospect in the upcoming <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft</a> and a likely first-round pick.
Admittedly, Jovic struggled a bit early in the season, but I think he has improved a lot since then and is slowly starting to live up to expectations. In his defense, people often forget that this was his first real full season at the pro level; he only played in just a handful of games with the senior Mega Basket team at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Jovic was forced into the spotlight as an 18-year-old with huge expectations, and perhaps too much responsibility, for a kid his age. And while it is true that the Mega Basket club he plays for does everything possible to promote their young star prospects and groom them for the NBA Draft, it is also true that he had to face a lot of scrutiny &mdash; along with a significant amount of pressure &mdash; to perform.
(Editor's Note: Over 25 games in the Adriatic League [ABA], Jovic averaged 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest, shooting 42.8% from the field and 35.6% beyond the arc.)
I think that he did an excellent job keeping his focus through it all.
Early in the season, Jovic looked a bit flustered at times, and lost his confidence, swagger and cockiness. Still, he seems to have regained his "mojo" now, as he has been much more assertive over the last couple of months. And, in general, he has seen his role on the team grow since the start of the season. He has also been shooting it better, and is now looking much more confident from three-point range.&nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q_hDg2VeqZo" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Having scouted Jovic very closely over the past three years, I have witnessed firsthand his career progression, which has been quite impressive. Here is a list of accomplishments he has earned just over the past two seasons:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Serbian Junior League Finals&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">MVP of 2021 Adriatic League ABA U19 Championship;</li>
<li aria-level="1">All-Tournament team at 2021 FIBA World U19 Championships</li>
<li aria-level="1">2021-22 Adriatic League Top Young Prospect</li>
</ul>
In addition, this past February, Jovic also made his debut with the Serbian senior national team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.&nbsp;
Born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, Jovic is a very skilled and versatile combo forward with excellent positional size; he stands a legit 6-foot-10 with shoes, albeit with just an average wingspan. He has a long but narrow frame, and will need to add muscle to play at the NBA level. Jovic moves pretty well for his size and is very smooth &mdash; everything seems to come easy. He is not an explosive athlete, but still seems to be able to get to wherever he wants to with the ball. He is a decent leaper who can make athletic plays in space or off the move. However, his lateral quickness is more of a question mark for me, especially from an NBA perspective.
Jovic has a very polished offensive game, and I think his versatile skill set will help him succeed at the NBA level. He has excellent ball skills; he can drive, shoot and pass, and help handle the ball. Although he can be somewhat of a ball-stopper at times, he makes excellent reads with the ball, sees the court well and can serve as a facilitator. I have also seen him make plays for others as a ball-handler in pick-and-roll situations. In addition, he is a good ball-handler in the open court who will routinely lead fast-break offense. He'll eventually be able to help initiate the offense even in the half-court too.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
One of the keys to Jovic's development has been the fact that he started his basketball career as a guard, but then had a huge growth spurt. So this allowed him to transition to the frontcourt while still retaining the feel and ball skills of a backcourt player, giving him a considerable edge over others in his new position.
Whether Jovic will be able to handle and create off the dribble as easily at the NBA level or not is a legitimate question, but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt based on his skill level and feel for the game. He may not have an explosive first step, but he can still get to the rim well enough (in my opinion) thanks to his craftiness, excellent use of fakes and changes of speed and direction. The kid has a fantastic mid-range game also. At the junior level, he showed the ability to exploit favorable mismatches, and displayed some nice post-up moves. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to do it as much at the pro level thus far. However, if he can gain strength physically, it will help him.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/jovic_lg.jpeg" alt="" width="400" height="500" />
One area he will need to improve is his perimeter shooting, which can be very erratic. Although he is a better shooter than his current three-point percentage would suggest, Jovic is far from the type of knockdown shooter he will need to be in order to take his game to the next level. His shot is a bit "rigid,'' and he will need to tweak his mechanics to make it more fluid. He also tends not to always follow through well. On the positive side, Jovic is working on developing a nice step-back move and a side-step move.&nbsp;
As good as he is on offense, Jovic still has a lot of work to do on the defensive end, and this will be a key factor in determining his potential success at the NBA level. At the moment, he struggles to defend both forward spots &mdash; even at the European level. He will have to bulk up more to play effectively at the 4, which will likely become his long-term default position at the NBA level, as he lacks the necessary physicality to be a 5. He currently struggles too much to defend the wing at the pro level; he has just average lateral quickness and often plays too stiff &mdash; he needs to learn to bend his knees more.
Jovic has been drawing comparisons to many current and former NBA players like Hedo Turkoglu, Dario Saric, Deni Avdija and even Joe Ingles. However, the one player he reminds me of the most is Danilo Gallinari, and I think his potential career arc could be very similar.
I have followed both players since they were 16 years old, and have noticed remarkable similarities in these two at the same ages. Both were guards before growth spurts who kept those guard-like ball skills, and were mediocre long-range shooters at a young age, but continuously improved. Gallinari has become a great shooter, so I don't see why Jovic can't become the same soon. They also faced similar defensive challenges at the pro level, as both often played too stiff and had just average foot speed as big wings. And in addition, they were both thrown into the spotlight at age-18 and faced similar challenges resulting from the pressure of high expectations.
It may take him some time to adjust his game to the NBA, but I am sure that Nikola Jovic will figure things out and enjoy a long NBA career! 
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Jason Filippi shares his in-depth evaluation of top 2022 NBA Draft prospect Nikola Jovic of Mega Basket in Serbia.

2022 NBA Draft: An in-depth evaluation of Nikola Jovic's game

Ismael Kamagate is a 6-foot-11, 220 pound big man Paris, France who is currently playing for Paris Basketball. Thus far on the early season, he is averaging 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest with Paris Basketball.
Former NBA scout and BasketballNews.com scouting advisor, Jason Filippi, recently had the opportunity to speak to French NBA prospect after a breakout 27-point, 11-rebound performance in his team's victory over Alba Berlin in a preseason tournament.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rigMJng2JMU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Who is Ismael Kamagate? Tell us about yourself, your family and where you are from.
Ismael Kamagate: I am from Paris, France. I was born in the 19th District of Paris, but now I live in the 14th District of Paris. I am 20 years old. I have two brothers and two sisters as well as one half-brother. We are all very close.
Does your family follow your basketball career?
Kamagate: My mother never misses a home game and she will bring one of my brothers or sisters to each game with her. I only have two complimentary tickets per game.
When and where did you start to play basketball?
Kamagate: I started playing for a local neighborhood youth club called Basket Paris 14 when I was 12 years old. Then, when I was 15 years old, I went to play for the Paris Levallois team in [the] 3rd Division. My first professional experience was in Orleans though. I was in Orleans for three years, and I made my debut with the French U18 national team in 2019 at the FIBA U18 European Championships. I guess that is when Paris Basket noticed me, and they made me an offer to come play for them the following season.
Who is the best player you have played against?
Kamagate: Well, the best players I have ever faced were on the French Senior National Team, with whom I trained and scrimmaged against this past summer as they prepared for the Olympics. So I guess the best player I have ever played against has to be Rudy Gobert, but I was also very impressed with Evan Fournier and Nando de Colo. Fournier really impressed me with his work ethic and his intensity. Nando De Colo is probably the most talented and skilled player I have been around &ndash; he can really shoot and score, but he is also such a great passer. I was also impressed with his leadership. I really looked up to him and he gave me a lot of valuable advice. Anyway, this was a great experience for me and I am so proud they won the silver medal at the Olympics.
Who is your favorite player(s)?
Kamagate: My favorite player is Kevin Durant, but I also like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. Bam Adebayo is the player I have always compared myself to though.
Do you watch a lot of NBA games and basketball in general?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Well, I like to watch NBA games, but obviously because of the time difference, it is not convenient for me to watch them &mdash; considering I have practice in the mornings. But if it is an early game, I will definitely watch it. OKC used to be my favorite team, but after Kevin Durrant left I pretty much just root for the teams that Gobert, Fournier, [Nicolas] Batum and any other French players are on. I really like the way Miami plays though, too. I also just started to follow the EuroLeague more closely this past season.
Was this Euroleague preseason tournament basically the first time you had ever played against a Euroleague team?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Yes, this was my first time playing against EuroLeague teams. The biggest difference I have noticed besides the physicality and intensity is that EuroLeague teams will punish you for even the smallest mistakes.
What are the areas where you think you need to improve the most?&nbsp;
Kamagate: &ldquo;Well, I need to improve a bit at everything. I am trying to do more things on court now like putting the ball on the floor more. The one thing that I have really been focusing on during the offseason though has been my shot, and trying to increase my shooting range.
What do you consider to be your best skills out on court?
Kamagate: I would say my mobility for sure, and also my passing ability.
Based on what you have shown in this tournament, you look like a very improved player! Tell me about what you did this summer to better your game?
Kamagate: Well, I had a very busy summer with very little time off because, in addition to training with the French National Team for the Olympics, I also played for the French U20 Team too. When that was over though, I went to Germany to work on my game with Holger Geschwindner (Dirk Nowitzki&rsquo;s long-time personal coach). It was a great experience working with Holger, who I had met last year through my agent who is based in Dallas. In addition to working on my shot and basketball skills, we also worked a lot on my footwork. Then when I returned home to Paris in August, I just worked a lot on my body &ndash; both my strength and conditioning &ndash; as well as adding more power to my legs.
This is obviously going to be a decisive season for your career, as you and your team will be playing in French Pro A for the first time. What are your goals for the season?
Kamagate: The main goal will be to help my team win as many games as possible (and remain in the French 1st Division). At the same time, I look forward to being able to play against the best big men in France, and hopefully by the end of the season, I will have improved enough to be considered a top center in the league myself.&rdquo;
This past summer, you did not put your name in the NBA Draft like many thought you would. What is your plan moving forward?
Kamagate: I did not feel ready to try to make the jump to the NBA this past summer. I think there are still too many things that I need to work on and improve at. If and when I will go to the NBA, it will only be when I feel I am ready. My agents, Comsport, also agreed with me on this, and they have done everything they can to help me improve.
So it is fair to say that you will definitely be putting your name in the 2022 NBA Draft?
Kamagate: Yes, that is the plan. To be ready for real this time.
What about your long-term goals? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Kamagate: That is very far ahead for me (laughs). My future goal now is to simply work hard and keep improving until, hopefully, I will be able to make a name for myself in the basketball world.
The NBA is the ultimate goal for any professional basketball player. However, if you never made it in the NBA, would playing in the Euroleague be gratifying enough?
Kamagate: Obviously the NBA is my dream and ultimate goal, but I am realistic, and I know that the EuroLeague is a great competition also, and I would be lucky to have a long career playing there too.&rdquo;
What about a scenario where you are indeed drafted by an NBA team but they decide to &ldquo;stash&rdquo; you in Europe for another year to two?
Kamagate: &ldquo;I would be OK with that too. Obviously, I would be motivated to work even harder and prove to my team that I am ready as well as worthy of them spending a draft pick to take a chance on me.&rdquo;

Ismael Kamagate is a 6-foot-11, 220 pound big man Paris, France who is currently playing for Paris Basketball. Thus far on the early season, he is averaging 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest with Paris Basketball.
Former NBA scout and BasketballNews.com scouting advisor, Jason Filippi, recently had the opportunity to speak to French NBA prospect after a breakout 27-point, 11-rebound performance in his team's victory over Alba Berlin in a preseason tournament.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rigMJng2JMU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Who is Ismael Kamagate? Tell us about yourself, your family and where you are from.
Ismael Kamagate: I am from Paris, France. I was born in the 19th District of Paris, but now I live in the 14th District of Paris. I am 20 years old. I have two brothers and two sisters as well as one half-brother. We are all very close.
Does your family follow your basketball career?
Kamagate: My mother never misses a home game and she will bring one of my brothers or sisters to each game with her. I only have two complimentary tickets per game.
When and where did you start to play basketball?
Kamagate: I started playing for a local neighborhood youth club called Basket Paris 14 when I was 12 years old. Then, when I was 15 years old, I went to play for the Paris Levallois team in [the] 3rd Division. My first professional experience was in Orleans though. I was in Orleans for three years, and I made my debut with the French U18 national team in 2019 at the FIBA U18 European Championships. I guess that is when Paris Basket noticed me, and they made me an offer to come play for them the following season.
Who is the best player you have played against?
Kamagate: Well, the best players I have ever faced were on the French Senior National Team, with whom I trained and scrimmaged against this past summer as they prepared for the Olympics. So I guess the best player I have ever played against has to be Rudy Gobert, but I was also very impressed with Evan Fournier and Nando de Colo. Fournier really impressed me with his work ethic and his intensity. Nando De Colo is probably the most talented and skilled player I have been around &ndash; he can really shoot and score, but he is also such a great passer. I was also impressed with his leadership. I really looked up to him and he gave me a lot of valuable advice. Anyway, this was a great experience for me and I am so proud they won the silver medal at the Olympics.
Who is your favorite player(s)?
Kamagate: My favorite player is Kevin Durant, but I also like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. Bam Adebayo is the player I have always compared myself to though.
Do you watch a lot of NBA games and basketball in general?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Well, I like to watch NBA games, but obviously because of the time difference, it is not convenient for me to watch them &mdash; considering I have practice in the mornings. But if it is an early game, I will definitely watch it. OKC used to be my favorite team, but after Kevin Durrant left I pretty much just root for the teams that Gobert, Fournier, [Nicolas] Batum and any other French players are on. I really like the way Miami plays though, too. I also just started to follow the EuroLeague more closely this past season.
Was this Euroleague preseason tournament basically the first time you had ever played against a Euroleague team?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Yes, this was my first time playing against EuroLeague teams. The biggest difference I have noticed besides the physicality and intensity is that EuroLeague teams will punish you for even the smallest mistakes.
What are the areas where you think you need to improve the most?&nbsp;
Kamagate: &ldquo;Well, I need to improve a bit at everything. I am trying to do more things on court now like putting the ball on the floor more. The one thing that I have really been focusing on during the offseason though has been my shot, and trying to increase my shooting range.
What do you consider to be your best skills out on court?
Kamagate: I would say my mobility for sure, and also my passing ability.
Based on what you have shown in this tournament, you look like a very improved player! Tell me about what you did this summer to better your game?
Kamagate: Well, I had a very busy summer with very little time off because, in addition to training with the French National Team for the Olympics, I also played for the French U20 Team too. When that was over though, I went to Germany to work on my game with Holger Geschwindner (Dirk Nowitzki&rsquo;s long-time personal coach). It was a great experience working with Holger, who I had met last year through my agent who is based in Dallas. In addition to working on my shot and basketball skills, we also worked a lot on my footwork. Then when I returned home to Paris in August, I just worked a lot on my body &ndash; both my strength and conditioning &ndash; as well as adding more power to my legs.
This is obviously going to be a decisive season for your career, as you and your team will be playing in French Pro A for the first time. What are your goals for the season?
Kamagate: The main goal will be to help my team win as many games as possible (and remain in the French 1st Division). At the same time, I look forward to being able to play against the best big men in France, and hopefully by the end of the season, I will have improved enough to be considered a top center in the league myself.&rdquo;
This past summer, you did not put your name in the NBA Draft like many thought you would. What is your plan moving forward?
Kamagate: I did not feel ready to try to make the jump to the NBA this past summer. I think there are still too many things that I need to work on and improve at. If and when I will go to the NBA, it will only be when I feel I am ready. My agents, Comsport, also agreed with me on this, and they have done everything they can to help me improve.
So it is fair to say that you will definitely be putting your name in the 2022 NBA Draft?
Kamagate: Yes, that is the plan. To be ready for real this time.
What about your long-term goals? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Kamagate: That is very far ahead for me (laughs). My future goal now is to simply work hard and keep improving until, hopefully, I will be able to make a name for myself in the basketball world.
The NBA is the ultimate goal for any professional basketball player. However, if you never made it in the NBA, would playing in the Euroleague be gratifying enough?
Kamagate: Obviously the NBA is my dream and ultimate goal, but I am realistic, and I know that the EuroLeague is a great competition also, and I would be lucky to have a long career playing there too.&rdquo;
What about a scenario where you are indeed drafted by an NBA team but they decide to &ldquo;stash&rdquo; you in Europe for another year to two?
Kamagate: I would be okay with that too. Obviously, I would be motivated to work even harder and prove to my team that I am ready as well as worthy of them spending a draft pick to take a chance on me.&rdquo;

Ismael Kamagate is a 6-foot-11, 220 pound big man Paris, France who is currently playing for Paris Basketball. Thus far on the early season, he is averaging 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest with Paris Basketball.
Former NBA scout and BasketballNews.com scouting advisor, Jason Filippi, recently had the opportunity to speak to French NBA prospect after a breakout 27-point, 11-rebound performance in his team's victory over Alba Berlin in a preseason tournament.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rigMJng2JMU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Who is Ismael Kamagate? Tell us about yourself, your family and where you are from.
Ismael Kamagate: I am from Paris, France. I was born in the 19th District of Paris, but now I live in the 14th District of Paris. I am 20 years old. I have two brothers and two sisters as well as one half-brother. We are all very close.
Does your family follow your basketball career?
Kamagate: My mother never misses a home game and she will bring one of my brothers or sisters to each game with her. I only have two complimentary tickets per game.
When and where did you start to play basketball?
Kamagate: I started playing for a local neighborhood youth club called Basket Paris 14 when I was 12 years old. Then, when I was 15 years old, I went to play for the Paris Levallois team in [the] 3rd Division. My first professional experience was in Orleans though. I was in Orleans for three years, and I made my debut with the French U18 national team in 2019 at the FIBA U18 European Championships. I guess that is when Paris Basket noticed me, and they made me an offer to come play for them the following season.
Who is the best player you have played against?
Kamagate: Well, the best players I have ever faced were on the French Senior National Team, with whom I trained and scrimmaged against this past summer as they prepared for the Olympics. So I guess the best player I have ever played against has to be Rudy Gobert, but I was also very impressed with Evan Fournier and Nando de Colo. Fournier really impressed me with his work ethic and his intensity. Nando De Colo is probably the most talented and skilled player I have been around &ndash; he can really shoot and score, but he is also such a great passer. I was also impressed with his leadership. I really looked up to him and he gave me a lot of valuable advice. Anyway, this was a great experience for me and I am so proud they won the silver medal at the Olympics.
Who is your favorite player(s)?
Kamagate: My favorite player is Kevin Durant, but I also like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. Bam Adebayo is the player I have always compared myself to though.
Do you watch a lot of NBA games and basketball in general?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Well, I like to watch NBA games, but obviously because of the time difference, it is not convenient for me to watch them &mdash; considering I have practice in the mornings. But if it is an early game, I will definitely watch it. OKC used to be my favorite team, but after Kevin Durrant left I pretty much just root for the teams that Gobert, Fournier, [Nicolas] Batum and any other French players are on. I really like the way Miami plays though, too. I also just started to follow the EuroLeague more closely this past season.
Was this Euroleague preseason tournament basically the first time you had ever played against a Euroleague team?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Yes, this was my first time playing against EuroLeague teams. The biggest difference I have noticed besides the physicality and intensity is that EuroLeague teams will punish you for even the smallest mistakes.
What are the areas where you think you need to improve the most?&nbsp;
Kamagate: &ldquo;Well, I need to improve a bit at everything. I am trying to do more things on court now like putting the ball on the floor more. The one thing that I have really been focusing on during the offseason though has been my shot, and trying to increase my shooting range.
What do you consider to be your best skills out on court?
Kamagate: I would say my mobility for sure, and also my passing ability.
Based on what you have shown in this tournament, you look like a very improved player! Tell me about what you did this summer to better your game?
Kamagate: Well, I had a very busy summer with very little time off because, in addition to training with the French National Team for the Olympics, I also played for the French U20 Team too. When that was over though, I went to Germany to work on my game with Holger Geschwindner (Dirk Nowitzki&rsquo;s long-time personal coach). It was a great experience working with Holger, who I had met last year through my agent who is based in Dallas. In addition to working on my shot and basketball skills, we also worked a lot on my footwork. Then when I returned home to Paris in August, I just worked a lot on my body &ndash; both my strength and conditioning &ndash; as well as adding more power to my legs.
This is obviously going to be a decisive season for your career, as you and your team will be playing in French Pro A for the first time. What are your goals for the season?
Kamagate: The main goal will be to help my team win as many games as possible (and remain in the French 1st Division). At the same time, I look forward to being able to play against the best big men in France, and hopefully by the end of the season, I will have improved enough to be considered a top center in the league myself.&rdquo;
This past summer, you did not put your name in the NBA Draft like many thought you would. What is your plan moving forward?
Kamagate: I did not feel ready to try to make the jump to the NBA this past summer. I think there are still too many things that I need to work on and improve at. If and when I will go to the NBA, it will only be when I feel I am ready. My agents, Comsport, also agreed with me on this, and they have done everything they can to help me improve.
So it is fair to say that you will definitely be putting your name in the 2022 NBA Draft?
Kamagate: Yes, that is the plan. To be ready for real this time.
What about your long-term goals? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Kamagate: That is very far ahead for me (laughs). My future goal now is to simply work hard and keep improving until, hopefully, I will be able to make a name for myself in the basketball world.
The NBA is the ultimate goal for any professional basketball player. However, if you never made it in the NBA, would playing in the Euroleague be gratifying enough?
Kamagate: Obviously the NBA is my dream and ultimate goal, but I am realistic, and I know that the EuroLeague is a great competition also, and I would be lucky to have a long career playing there too.&rdquo;
What about a scenario where you are indeed drafted by an NBA team but they decide to &ldquo;stash&rdquo; you in Europe for another year to two?
Kamagate: I would be okay with that too. Obviously, I would be motivated to work even harder and prove to my team that I am ready, as well as worthy of them spending a draft pick to take a chance on me.&rdquo;

Ismael Kamagate is a 6-foot-11, 220 pound big man Paris, France who is currently playing for Paris Basketball. Thus far on the early season, he is averaging 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest with Paris Basketball.
Former NBA scout and BasketballNews.com scouting advisor, Jason Filippi, recently had the opportunity to speak to French NBA prospect after a breakout 27-point, 11-rebound performance in his team's victory over Alba Berlin in a preseason tournament.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rigMJng2JMU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Who is Ismael Kamagate? Tell us about yourself, your family and where you are from.
Ismael Kamagate: I am from Paris, France. I was born in the 19th District of Paris, but now I live in the 14th District of Paris. I am 20 years old. I have two brothers and two sisters as well as one half-brother. We are all very close.
Does your family follow your basketball career?
Kamagate: My mother never misses a home game and she will bring one of my brothers or sisters to each game with her. I only have two complimentary tickets per game.
When and where did you start to play basketball?
Kamagate: I started playing for a local neighborhood youth club called Basket Paris 14 when I was 12 years old. Then, when I was 15 years old, I went to play for the Paris Levallois team in [the] 3rd Division. My first professional experience was in Orleans though. I was in Orleans for three years, and I made my debut with the French U18 national team in 2019 at the FIBA U18 European Championships. I guess that is when Paris Basket noticed me, and they made me an offer to come play for them the following season.
Who is the best player you have played against?
Kamagate: Well, the best players I have ever faced were on the French Senior National Team, with whom I trained and scrimmaged against this past summer as they prepared for the Olympics. So I guess the best player I have ever played against has to be Rudy Gobert, but I was also very impressed with Evan Fournier and Nando de Colo. Fournier really impressed me with his work ethic and his intensity. Nando De Colo is probably the most talented and skilled player I have been around &ndash; he can really shoot and score, but he is also such a great passer. I was also impressed with his leadership. I really looked up to him and he gave me a lot of valuable advice. Anyway, this was a great experience for me and I am so proud they won the silver medal at the Olympics.
Who is your favorite player(s)?
Kamagate: My favorite player is Kevin Durant, but I also like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. Bam Adebayo is the player I have always compared myself to though.
Do you watch a lot of NBA games and basketball in general?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Well, I like to watch NBA games, but obviously because of the time difference, it is not convenient for me to watch them &mdash; considering I have practice in the mornings. But if it is an early game, I will definitely watch it. OKC used to be my favorite team, but after Kevin Durrant left I pretty much just root for the teams that Gobert, Fournier, [Nicolas] Batum and any other French players are on. I really like the way Miami plays though, too. I also just started to follow the EuroLeague more closely this past season.
Was this Euroleague preseason tournament basically the first time you had ever played against a Euroleague team?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Yes, this was my first time playing against EuroLeague teams. The biggest difference I have noticed besides the physicality and intensity is that EuroLeague teams will punish you for even the smallest mistakes.
What are the areas where you think you need to improve the most?&nbsp;
Kamagate: &ldquo;Well, I need to improve a bit at everything. I am trying to do more things on court now like putting the ball on the floor more. The one thing that I have really been focusing on during the offseason though has been my shot, and trying to increase my shooting range.
What do you consider to be your best skills out on court?
Kamagate: I would say my mobility for sure, and also my passing ability.
Based on what you have shown in this tournament, you look like a very improved player! Tell me about what you did this summer to better your game?
Kamagate: Well, I had a very busy summer with very little time off because, in addition to training with the French National Team for the Olympics, I also played for the French U20 Team too. When that was over though, I went to Germany to work on my game with Holger Geschwindner (Dirk Nowitzki&rsquo;s long-time personal coach). It was a great experience working with Holger, who I had met last year through my agent who is based in Dallas. In addition to working on my shot and basketball skills, we also worked a lot on my footwork. Then when I returned home to Paris in August, I just worked a lot on my body &ndash; both my strength and conditioning &ndash; as well as adding more power to my legs.
This is obviously going to be a decisive season for your career, as you and your team will be playing in French Pro A for the first time. What are your goals for the season?
Kamagate: The main goal will be to help my team win as many games as possible (and remain in the French 1st Division). At the same time, I look forward to being able to play against the best big men in France, and hopefully by the end of the season, I will have improved enough to be considered a top center in the league myself.&rdquo;
This past summer, you did not put your name in the NBA Draft like many thought you would. What is your plan moving forward?
Kamagate: I did not feel ready to try to make the jump to the NBA this past summer. I think there are still too many things that I need to work on and improve at. If and when I will go to the NBA, it will only be when I feel I am ready. My agents, Comsport, also agreed with me on this, and they have done everything they can to help me improve.
So it is fair to say that you will definitely be putting your name in the 2022 NBA Draft?
Kamagate: Yes, that is the plan. To be ready for real this time.
What about your long-term goals? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Kamagate: That is very far ahead for me (laughs). My future goal now is to simply work hard and keep improving until, hopefully, I will be able to make a name for myself in the basketball world.
The NBA is the ultimate goal for any professional basketball player. However, if you never made it in the NBA, would playing in the Euroleague be gratifying enough?
Kamagate: Obviously the NBA is my dream and ultimate goal, but I am realistic, and I know that the EuroLeague is a great competition also, and I would be lucky to have a long career playing there too.&rdquo;
What about a scenario where you are indeed drafted by an NBA team but they decide to &ldquo;stash&rdquo; you in Europe for another year to two?
Kamagate: I would be okay with that too. Obviously, I would be motivated to work even harder and prove to my team that I am ready, as well as worthy of them spending a draft pick to take a chance on me.

Ismael Kamagate is a 6-foot-11, 220 pound big man Paris, France who is currently playing for Paris Basketball. Thus far on the early season, he is averaging 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest with Paris Basketball.
Former NBA scout and BasketballNews.com scouting advisor, Jason Filippi, recently had the opportunity to speak to French NBA prospect after a breakout 27-point, 11-rebound performance in his team's victory over Alba Berlin in a preseason tournament.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rigMJng2JMU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Who is Ismael Kamagate? Tell us about yourself, your family and where you are from.
Ismael Kamagate: I am from Paris, France. I was born in the 19th District of Paris, but now I live in the 14th District of Paris. I am 20 years old. I have two brothers and two sisters as well as one half-brother. We are all very close.
Does your family follow your basketball career?
Kamagate: My mother never misses a home game and she will bring one of my brothers or sisters to each game with her. I only have two complimentary tickets per game.
When and where did you start to play basketball?
Kamagate: I started playing for a local neighborhood youth club called Basket Paris 14 when I was 12 years old. Then, when I was 15 years old, I went to play for the Paris Levallois team in [the] 3rd Division. My first professional experience was in Orleans though. I was in Orleans for three years, and I made my debut with the French U18 national team in 2019 at the FIBA U18 European Championships. I guess that is when Paris Basket noticed me, and they made me an offer to come play for them the following season.
Who is the best player you have played against?
Kamagate: Well, the best players I have ever faced were on the French Senior National Team, with whom I trained and scrimmaged against this past summer as they prepared for the Olympics. So I guess the best player I have ever played against has to be Rudy Gobert, but I was also very impressed with Evan Fournier and Nando de Colo. Fournier really impressed me with his work ethic and his intensity. Nando De Colo is probably the most talented and skilled player I have been around &ndash; he can really shoot and score, but he is also such a great passer. I was also impressed with his leadership. I really looked up to him and he gave me a lot of valuable advice. Anyway, this was a great experience for me and I am so proud they won the silver medal at the Olympics.
Who is your favorite player(s)?
Kamagate: My favorite player is Kevin Durant, but I also like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. Bam Adebayo is the player I have always compared myself to though.
Do you watch a lot of NBA games and basketball in general?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Well, I like to watch NBA games, but obviously because of the time difference, it is not convenient for me to watch them &mdash; considering I have practice in the mornings. But if it is an early game, I will definitely watch it. OKC used to be my favorite team, but after Kevin Durrant left I pretty much just root for the teams that Gobert, Fournier, [Nicolas] Batum and any other French players are on. I really like the way Miami plays though, too. I also just started to follow the EuroLeague more closely this past season.
Was this Euroleague preseason tournament basically the first time you had ever played against a Euroleague team?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Yes, this was my first time playing against EuroLeague teams. The biggest difference I have noticed besides the physicality and intensity is that EuroLeague teams will punish you for even the smallest mistakes.
&nbsp;
What are the areas where you think you need to improve the most?&nbsp;
Kamagate: &ldquo;Well, I need to improve a bit at everything. I am trying to do more things on court now like putting the ball on the floor more. The one thing that I have really been focusing on during the offseason though has been my shot, and trying to increase my shooting range.
What do you consider to be your best skills out on court?
Kamagate: I would say my mobility for sure, and also my passing ability.
Based on what you have shown in this tournament, you look like a very improved player! Tell me about what you did this summer to better your game?
Kamagate: Well, I had a very busy summer with very little time off because, in addition to training with the French National Team for the Olympics, I also played for the French U20 Team too. When that was over though, I went to Germany to work on my game with Holger Geschwindner (Dirk Nowitzki&rsquo;s long-time personal coach). It was a great experience working with Holger, who I had met last year through my agent who is based in Dallas. In addition to working on my shot and basketball skills, we also worked a lot on my footwork. Then when I returned home to Paris in August, I just worked a lot on my body &ndash; both my strength and conditioning &ndash; as well as adding more power to my legs.
This is obviously going to be a decisive season for your career, as you and your team will be playing in French Pro A for the first time. What are your goals for the season?
Kamagate: The main goal will be to help my team win as many games as possible (and remain in the French 1st Division). At the same time, I look forward to being able to play against the best big men in France, and hopefully by the end of the season, I will have improved enough to be considered a top center in the league myself.&rdquo;
This past summer, you did not put your name in the NBA Draft like many thought you would. What is your plan moving forward?
Kamagate: I did not feel ready to try to make the jump to the NBA this past summer. I think there are still too many things that I need to work on and improve at. If and when I will go to the NBA, it will only be when I feel I am ready. My agents, Comsport, also agreed with me on this, and they have done everything they can to help me improve.
So it is fair to say that you will definitely be putting your name in the 2022 NBA Draft?
Kamagate: Yes, that is the plan. To be ready for real this time.
What about your long-term goals? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Kamagate: That is very far ahead for me (laughs). My future goal now is to simply work hard and keep improving until, hopefully, I will be able to make a name for myself in the basketball world.
The NBA is the ultimate goal for any professional basketball player. However, if you never made it in the NBA, would playing in the Euroleague be gratifying enough?
Kamagate: Obviously the NBA is my dream and ultimate goal, but I am realistic, and I know that the EuroLeague is a great competition also, and I would be lucky to have a long career playing there too.&rdquo;
What about a scenario where you are indeed drafted by an NBA team but they decide to &ldquo;stash&rdquo; you in Europe for another year to two?
Kamagate: I would be okay with that too. Obviously, I would be motivated to work even harder and prove to my team that I am ready, as well as worthy of them spending a draft pick to take a chance on me.

Ismael Kamagate is a 6-foot-11, 220 pound big man Paris, France who is currently playing for Paris Basketball. Thus far on the early season, he is averaging 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest with Paris Basketball.
Former NBA scout and BasketballNews.com scouting advisor, Jason Filippi, recently had the opportunity to speak to French NBA prospect after a breakout 27-point, 11-rebound performance in his team's victory over Alba Berlin in a preseason tournament.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rigMJng2JMU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Who is Ismael Kamagate? Tell us about yourself, your family and where you are from.
Ismael Kamagate: I am from Paris, France. I was born in the 19th District of Paris, but now I live in the 14th District of Paris. I am 20 years old. I have two brothers and two sisters as well as one half-brother. We are all very close.
Does your family follow your basketball career?
Kamagate: My mother never misses a home game and she will bring one of my brothers or sisters to each game with her. I only have two complimentary tickets per game.
When and where did you start to play basketball?
Kamagate: I started playing for a local neighborhood youth club called Basket Paris 14 when I was 12 years old. Then, when I was 15 years old, I went to play for the Paris Levallois team in [the] 3rd Division. My first professional experience was in Orleans though. I was in Orleans for three years, and I made my debut with the French U18 national team in 2019 at the FIBA U18 European Championships. I guess that is when Paris Basket noticed me, and they made me an offer to come play for them the following season.
Who is the best player you have played against?
Kamagate: Well, the best players I have ever faced were on the French Senior National Team, with whom I trained and scrimmaged against this past summer as they prepared for the Olympics. So I guess the best player I have ever played against has to be Rudy Gobert, but I was also very impressed with Evan Fournier and Nando de Colo. Fournier really impressed me with his work ethic and his intensity. Nando De Colo is probably the most talented and skilled player I have been around &ndash; he can really shoot and score, but he is also such a great passer. I was also impressed with his leadership. I really looked up to him and he gave me a lot of valuable advice. Anyway, this was a great experience for me and I am so proud they won the silver medal at the Olympics.
Who is your favorite player(s)?
Kamagate: My favorite player is Kevin Durant, but I also like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. Bam Adebayo is the player I have always compared myself to though.
Do you watch a lot of NBA games and basketball in general?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Well, I like to watch NBA games, but obviously because of the time difference, it is not convenient for me to watch them &mdash; considering I have practice in the mornings. But if it is an early game, I will definitely watch it. OKC used to be my favorite team, but after Kevin Durrant left I pretty much just root for the teams that Gobert, Fournier, [Nicolas] Batum and any other French players are on. I really like the way Miami plays though, too. I also just started to follow the EuroLeague more closely this past season.
Was this Euroleague preseason tournament basically the first time you had ever played against a Euroleague team?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Yes, this was my first time playing against EuroLeague teams. The biggest difference I have noticed besides the physicality and intensity is that EuroLeague teams will punish you for even the smallest mistakes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Tonight I had the opportunity to interview Ismael Kamagate following his breakout game vs Alba Berlin! Up &amp; coming prospect who comes from a good family and has a great attitude. <a href="https://twitter.com/_proinsight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_proinsight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BabcockHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BabcockHoops</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Agence_Comsport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Agence_Comsport</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ParisBasketball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JMedjana?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JMedjana</a> <a href="https://t.co/a3ADzLuvEn">pic.twitter.com/a3ADzLuvEn</a>
&mdash; Jason Filippi (@JasonFilippi) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonFilippi/status/1437182233601839105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

What are the areas where you think you need to improve the most?&nbsp;
Kamagate: &ldquo;Well, I need to improve a bit at everything. I am trying to do more things on court now like putting the ball on the floor more. The one thing that I have really been focusing on during the offseason though has been my shot, and trying to increase my shooting range.
What do you consider to be your best skills out on court?
Kamagate: I would say my mobility for sure, and also my passing ability.
Based on what you have shown in this tournament, you look like a very improved player! Tell me about what you did this summer to better your game?
Kamagate: Well, I had a very busy summer with very little time off because, in addition to training with the French National Team for the Olympics, I also played for the French U20 Team too. When that was over though, I went to Germany to work on my game with Holger Geschwindner (Dirk Nowitzki&rsquo;s long-time personal coach). It was a great experience working with Holger, who I had met last year through my agent who is based in Dallas. In addition to working on my shot and basketball skills, we also worked a lot on my footwork. Then when I returned home to Paris in August, I just worked a lot on my body &ndash; both my strength and conditioning &ndash; as well as adding more power to my legs.
This is obviously going to be a decisive season for your career, as you and your team will be playing in French Pro A for the first time. What are your goals for the season?
Kamagate: The main goal will be to help my team win as many games as possible (and remain in the French 1st Division). At the same time, I look forward to being able to play against the best big men in France, and hopefully by the end of the season, I will have improved enough to be considered a top center in the league myself.&rdquo;
This past summer, you did not put your name in the NBA Draft like many thought you would. What is your plan moving forward?
Kamagate: I did not feel ready to try to make the jump to the NBA this past summer. I think there are still too many things that I need to work on and improve at. If and when I will go to the NBA, it will only be when I feel I am ready. My agents, Comsport, also agreed with me on this, and they have done everything they can to help me improve.
So it is fair to say that you will definitely be putting your name in the 2022 NBA Draft?
Kamagate: Yes, that is the plan. To be ready for real this time.
What about your long-term goals? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Kamagate: That is very far ahead for me (laughs). My future goal now is to simply work hard and keep improving until, hopefully, I will be able to make a name for myself in the basketball world.
The NBA is the ultimate goal for any professional basketball player. However, if you never made it in the NBA, would playing in the Euroleague be gratifying enough?
Kamagate: Obviously the NBA is my dream and ultimate goal, but I am realistic, and I know that the EuroLeague is a great competition also, and I would be lucky to have a long career playing there too.&rdquo;
What about a scenario where you are indeed drafted by an NBA team but they decide to &ldquo;stash&rdquo; you in Europe for another year to two?
Kamagate: I would be okay with that too. Obviously, I would be motivated to work even harder and prove to my team that I am ready, as well as worthy of them spending a draft pick to take a chance on me.

Ismael Kamagate is a 6-foot-11, 220 pound big man Paris, France who is currently playing for Paris Basketball. Thus far on the early season, he is averaging 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest with Paris Basketball.
Former NBA scout and BasketballNews.com scouting advisor, Jason Filippi, recently had the opportunity to speak to French NBA prospect after a breakout 27-point, 11-rebound performance in his team's victory over Alba Berlin in a preseason tournament.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rigMJng2JMU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Who is Ismael Kamagate? Tell us about yourself, your family and where you are from.
Ismael Kamagate: I am from Paris, France. I was born in the 19th District of Paris, but now I live in the 14th District of Paris. I am 20 years old. I have two brothers and two sisters as well as one half-brother. We are all very close.
Does your family follow your basketball career?
Kamagate: My mother never misses a home game and she will bring one of my brothers or sisters to each game with her. I only have two complimentary tickets per game.
When and where did you start to play basketball?
Kamagate: I started playing for a local neighborhood youth club called Basket Paris 14 when I was 12 years old. Then, when I was 15 years old, I went to play for the Paris Levallois team in [the] 3rd Division. My first professional experience was in Orleans though. I was in Orleans for three years, and I made my debut with the French U18 national team in 2019 at the FIBA U18 European Championships. I guess that is when Paris Basket noticed me, and they made me an offer to come play for them the following season.
Who is the best player you have played against?
Kamagate: Well, the best players I have ever faced were on the French Senior National Team, with whom I trained and scrimmaged against this past summer as they prepared for the Olympics. So I guess the best player I have ever played against has to be Rudy Gobert, but I was also very impressed with Evan Fournier and Nando de Colo. Fournier really impressed me with his work ethic and his intensity. Nando De Colo is probably the most talented and skilled player I have been around &ndash; he can really shoot and score, but he is also such a great passer. I was also impressed with his leadership. I really looked up to him and he gave me a lot of valuable advice. Anyway, this was a great experience for me and I am so proud they won the silver medal at the Olympics.
Who is your favorite player(s)?
Kamagate: My favorite player is Kevin Durant, but I also like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. Bam Adebayo is the player I have always compared myself to though.
Do you watch a lot of NBA games and basketball in general?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Well, I like to watch NBA games, but obviously because of the time difference, it is not convenient for me to watch them &mdash; considering I have practice in the mornings. But if it is an early game, I will definitely watch it. OKC used to be my favorite team, but after Kevin Durrant left I pretty much just root for the teams that Gobert, Fournier, [Nicolas] Batum and any other French players are on. I really like the way Miami plays though, too. I also just started to follow the EuroLeague more closely this past season.
Was this Euroleague preseason tournament basically the first time you had ever played against a Euroleague team?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Yes, this was my first time playing against EuroLeague teams. The biggest difference I have noticed besides the physicality and intensity is that EuroLeague teams will punish you for even the smallest mistakes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Tonight I had the opportunity to interview Ismael Kamagate following his breakout game vs Alba Berlin! Up &amp; coming prospect who comes from a good family and has a great attitude. <a href="https://twitter.com/_proinsight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_proinsight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BabcockHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BabcockHoops</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Agence_Comsport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Agence_Comsport</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ParisBasketball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JMedjana?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JMedjana</a> <a href="https://t.co/a3ADzLuvEn">pic.twitter.com/a3ADzLuvEn</a>
&mdash; Jason Filippi (@JasonFilippi) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonFilippi/status/1437182233601839105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

What are the areas where you think you need to improve the most?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Well, I need to improve a bit at everything. I am trying to do more things on court now like putting the ball on the floor more. The one thing that I have really been focusing on during the offseason though has been my shot, and trying to increase my shooting range.
What do you consider to be your best skills out on court?
Kamagate: I would say my mobility for sure, and also my passing ability.
Based on what you have shown in this tournament, you look like a very improved player! Tell me about what you did this summer to better your game?
Kamagate: Well, I had a very busy summer with very little time off because, in addition to training with the French National Team for the Olympics, I also played for the French U20 Team too. When that was over though, I went to Germany to work on my game with Holger Geschwindner (Dirk Nowitzki&rsquo;s long-time personal coach). It was a great experience working with Holger, who I had met last year through my agent who is based in Dallas. In addition to working on my shot and basketball skills, we also worked a lot on my footwork. Then when I returned home to Paris in August, I just worked a lot on my body &ndash; both my strength and conditioning &ndash; as well as adding more power to my legs.
This is obviously going to be a decisive season for your career, as you and your team will be playing in French Pro A for the first time. What are your goals for the season?
Kamagate: The main goal will be to help my team win as many games as possible (and remain in the French 1st Division). At the same time, I look forward to being able to play against the best big men in France, and hopefully by the end of the season, I will have improved enough to be considered a top center in the league myself.&rdquo;
This past summer, you did not put your name in the NBA Draft like many thought you would. What is your plan moving forward?
Kamagate: I did not feel ready to try to make the jump to the NBA this past summer. I think there are still too many things that I need to work on and improve at. If and when I will go to the NBA, it will only be when I feel I am ready. My agents, Comsport, also agreed with me on this, and they have done everything they can to help me improve.
So it is fair to say that you will definitely be putting your name in the 2022 NBA Draft?
Kamagate: Yes, that is the plan. To be ready for real this time.
What about your long-term goals? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Kamagate: That is very far ahead for me (laughs). My future goal now is to simply work hard and keep improving until, hopefully, I will be able to make a name for myself in the basketball world.
The NBA is the ultimate goal for any professional basketball player. However, if you never made it in the NBA, would playing in the Euroleague be gratifying enough?
Kamagate: Obviously the NBA is my dream and ultimate goal, but I am realistic, and I know that the EuroLeague is a great competition also, and I would be lucky to have a long career playing there too.&rdquo;
What about a scenario where you are indeed drafted by an NBA team but they decide to &ldquo;stash&rdquo; you in Europe for another year to two?
Kamagate: I would be okay with that too. Obviously, I would be motivated to work even harder and prove to my team that I am ready, as well as worthy of them spending a draft pick to take a chance on me.

Ismael Kamagate is a 6-foot-11, 220 pound big man Paris, France who is currently playing for Paris Basket. Thus far on the early season, he is averaging 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest with Paris Basketball.
Former NBA scout and BasketballNews.com scouting advisor, Jason Filippi, recently had the opportunity to speak to French NBA prospect after a breakout 27-point, 11-rebound performance in his team's victory over Alba Berlin in a preseason tournament.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rigMJng2JMU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Who is Ismael Kamagate? Tell us about yourself, your family and where you are from.
Ismael Kamagate: I am from Paris, France. I was born in the 19th District of Paris, but now I live in the 14th District of Paris. I am 20 years old. I have two brothers and two sisters as well as one half-brother. We are all very close.
Does your family follow your basketball career?
Kamagate: My mother never misses a home game and she will bring one of my brothers or sisters to each game with her. I only have two complimentary tickets per game.
When and where did you start to play basketball?
Kamagate: I started playing for a local neighborhood youth club called Basket Paris 14 when I was 12 years old. Then, when I was 15 years old, I went to play for the Paris Levallois team in [the] 3rd Division. My first professional experience was in Orleans though. I was in Orleans for three years, and I made my debut with the French U18 national team in 2019 at the FIBA U18 European Championships. I guess that is when Paris Basket noticed me, and they made me an offer to come play for them the following season.
Who is the best player you have played against?
Kamagate: Well, the best players I have ever faced were on the French Senior National Team, with whom I trained and scrimmaged against this past summer as they prepared for the Olympics. So I guess the best player I have ever played against has to be Rudy Gobert, but I was also very impressed with Evan Fournier and Nando de Colo. Fournier really impressed me with his work ethic and his intensity. Nando De Colo is probably the most talented and skilled player I have been around &ndash; he can really shoot and score, but he is also such a great passer. I was also impressed with his leadership. I really looked up to him and he gave me a lot of valuable advice. Anyway, this was a great experience for me and I am so proud they won the silver medal at the Olympics.
Who is your favorite player(s)?
Kamagate: My favorite player is Kevin Durant, but I also like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. Bam Adebayo is the player I have always compared myself to though.
Do you watch a lot of NBA games and basketball in general?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Well, I like to watch NBA games, but obviously because of the time difference, it is not convenient for me to watch them &mdash; considering I have practice in the mornings. But if it is an early game, I will definitely watch it. OKC used to be my favorite team, but after Kevin Durrant left I pretty much just root for the teams that Gobert, Fournier, [Nicolas] Batum and any other French players are on. I really like the way Miami plays though, too. I also just started to follow the EuroLeague more closely this past season.
Was this Euroleague preseason tournament basically the first time you had ever played against a Euroleague team?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Yes, this was my first time playing against EuroLeague teams. The biggest difference I have noticed besides the physicality and intensity is that EuroLeague teams will punish you for even the smallest mistakes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Tonight I had the opportunity to interview Ismael Kamagate following his breakout game vs Alba Berlin! Up &amp; coming prospect who comes from a good family and has a great attitude. <a href="https://twitter.com/_proinsight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_proinsight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BabcockHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BabcockHoops</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Agence_Comsport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Agence_Comsport</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ParisBasketball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JMedjana?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JMedjana</a> <a href="https://t.co/a3ADzLuvEn">pic.twitter.com/a3ADzLuvEn</a>
&mdash; Jason Filippi (@JasonFilippi) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonFilippi/status/1437182233601839105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

What are the areas where you think you need to improve the most?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Well, I need to improve a bit at everything. I am trying to do more things on court now like putting the ball on the floor more. The one thing that I have really been focusing on during the offseason though has been my shot, and trying to increase my shooting range.
What do you consider to be your best skills out on court?
Kamagate: I would say my mobility for sure, and also my passing ability.
Based on what you have shown in this tournament, you look like a very improved player! Tell me about what you did this summer to better your game?
Kamagate: Well, I had a very busy summer with very little time off because, in addition to training with the French National Team for the Olympics, I also played for the French U20 Team too. When that was over though, I went to Germany to work on my game with Holger Geschwindner (Dirk Nowitzki&rsquo;s long-time personal coach). It was a great experience working with Holger, who I had met last year through my agent who is based in Dallas. In addition to working on my shot and basketball skills, we also worked a lot on my footwork. Then when I returned home to Paris in August, I just worked a lot on my body &ndash; both my strength and conditioning &ndash; as well as adding more power to my legs.
This is obviously going to be a decisive season for your career, as you and your team will be playing in French Pro A for the first time. What are your goals for the season?
Kamagate: The main goal will be to help my team win as many games as possible (and remain in the French 1st Division). At the same time, I look forward to being able to play against the best big men in France, and hopefully by the end of the season, I will have improved enough to be considered a top center in the league myself.&rdquo;
This past summer, you did not put your name in the NBA Draft like many thought you would. What is your plan moving forward?
Kamagate: I did not feel ready to try to make the jump to the NBA this past summer. I think there are still too many things that I need to work on and improve at. If and when I will go to the NBA, it will only be when I feel I am ready. My agents, Comsport, also agreed with me on this, and they have done everything they can to help me improve.
So it is fair to say that you will definitely be putting your name in the 2022 NBA Draft?
Kamagate: Yes, that is the plan. To be ready for real this time.
What about your long-term goals? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Kamagate: That is very far ahead for me (laughs). My future goal now is to simply work hard and keep improving until, hopefully, I will be able to make a name for myself in the basketball world.
The NBA is the ultimate goal for any professional basketball player. However, if you never made it in the NBA, would playing in the Euroleague be gratifying enough?
Kamagate: Obviously the NBA is my dream and ultimate goal, but I am realistic, and I know that the EuroLeague is a great competition also, and I would be lucky to have a long career playing there too.&rdquo;
What about a scenario where you are indeed drafted by an NBA team but they decide to &ldquo;stash&rdquo; you in Europe for another year to two?
Kamagate: I would be okay with that too. Obviously, I would be motivated to work even harder and prove to my team that I am ready, as well as worthy of them spending a draft pick to take a chance on me.

Ismael Kamagate is a 6-foot-11, 220 pound big man Paris, France who is <a href="https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Ismael-Kamagate/Summary/132958" target="_blank" rel="noopener">currently playing for Paris Basket</a>. Thus far on the early season, he is averaging 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest with the team.
Former NBA scout and BasketballNews.com scouting advisor, Jason Filippi, recently had the opportunity to speak to French NBA prospect after a breakout 27-point, 11-rebound performance in his team's victory over Alba Berlin in a preseason tournament.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rigMJng2JMU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Who is Ismael Kamagate? Tell us about yourself, your family and where you are from.
Ismael Kamagate: I am from Paris, France. I was born in the 19th District of Paris, but now I live in the 14th District of Paris. I am 20 years old. I have two brothers and two sisters as well as one half-brother. We are all very close.
Does your family follow your basketball career?
Kamagate: My mother never misses a home game and she will bring one of my brothers or sisters to each game with her. I only have two complimentary tickets per game.
When and where did you start to play basketball?
Kamagate: I started playing for a local neighborhood youth club called Basket Paris 14 when I was 12 years old. Then, when I was 15 years old, I went to play for the Paris Levallois team in [the] 3rd Division. My first professional experience was in Orleans though. I was in Orleans for three years, and I made my debut with the French U18 national team in 2019 at the FIBA U18 European Championships. I guess that is when Paris Basket noticed me, and they made me an offer to come play for them the following season.
Who is the best player you have played against?
Kamagate: Well, the best players I have ever faced were on the French Senior National Team, with whom I trained and scrimmaged against this past summer as they prepared for the Olympics. So I guess the best player I have ever played against has to be Rudy Gobert, but I was also very impressed with Evan Fournier and Nando de Colo. Fournier really impressed me with his work ethic and his intensity. Nando De Colo is probably the most talented and skilled player I have been around &ndash; he can really shoot and score, but he is also such a great passer. I was also impressed with his leadership. I really looked up to him and he gave me a lot of valuable advice. Anyway, this was a great experience for me and I am so proud they won the silver medal at the Olympics.
Who is your favorite player(s)?
Kamagate: My favorite player is Kevin Durant, but I also like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. Bam Adebayo is the player I have always compared myself to though.
Do you watch a lot of NBA games and basketball in general?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Well, I like to watch NBA games, but obviously because of the time difference, it is not convenient for me to watch them &mdash; considering I have practice in the mornings. But if it is an early game, I will definitely watch it. OKC used to be my favorite team, but after Kevin Durrant left I pretty much just root for the teams that Gobert, Fournier, [Nicolas] Batum and any other French players are on. I really like the way Miami plays though, too. I also just started to follow the EuroLeague more closely this past season.
Was this Euroleague preseason tournament basically the first time you had ever played against a Euroleague team?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Yes, this was my first time playing against EuroLeague teams. The biggest difference I have noticed besides the physicality and intensity is that EuroLeague teams will punish you for even the smallest mistakes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Tonight I had the opportunity to interview Ismael Kamagate following his breakout game vs Alba Berlin! Up &amp; coming prospect who comes from a good family and has a great attitude. <a href="https://twitter.com/_proinsight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_proinsight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BabcockHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BabcockHoops</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Agence_Comsport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Agence_Comsport</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ParisBasketball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JMedjana?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JMedjana</a> <a href="https://t.co/a3ADzLuvEn">pic.twitter.com/a3ADzLuvEn</a>
&mdash; Jason Filippi (@JasonFilippi) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonFilippi/status/1437182233601839105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

What are the areas where you think you need to improve the most?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Well, I need to improve a bit at everything. I am trying to do more things on court now like putting the ball on the floor more. The one thing that I have really been focusing on during the offseason though has been my shot, and trying to increase my shooting range.
What do you consider to be your best skills out on court?
Kamagate: I would say my mobility for sure, and also my passing ability.
Based on what you have shown in this tournament, you look like a very improved player! Tell me about what you did this summer to better your game?
Kamagate: Well, I had a very busy summer with very little time off because, in addition to training with the French National Team for the Olympics, I also played for the French U20 Team too. When that was over though, I went to Germany to work on my game with Holger Geschwindner (Dirk Nowitzki&rsquo;s long-time personal coach). It was a great experience working with Holger, who I had met last year through my agent who is based in Dallas. In addition to working on my shot and basketball skills, we also worked a lot on my footwork. Then when I returned home to Paris in August, I just worked a lot on my body &ndash; both my strength and conditioning &ndash; as well as adding more power to my legs.
This is obviously going to be a decisive season for your career, as you and your team will be playing in French Pro A for the first time. What are your goals for the season?
Kamagate: The main goal will be to help my team win as many games as possible (and remain in the French 1st Division). At the same time, I look forward to being able to play against the best big men in France, and hopefully by the end of the season, I will have improved enough to be considered a top center in the league myself.&rdquo;
This past summer, you did not put your name in the NBA Draft like many thought you would. What is your plan moving forward?
Kamagate: I did not feel ready to try to make the jump to the NBA this past summer. I think there are still too many things that I need to work on and improve at. If and when I will go to the NBA, it will only be when I feel I am ready. My agents, Comsport, also agreed with me on this, and they have done everything they can to help me improve.
So it is fair to say that you will definitely be putting your name in the 2022 NBA Draft?
Kamagate: Yes, that is the plan. To be ready for real this time.
What about your long-term goals? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Kamagate: That is very far ahead for me (laughs). My future goal now is to simply work hard and keep improving until, hopefully, I will be able to make a name for myself in the basketball world.
The NBA is the ultimate goal for any professional basketball player. However, if you never made it in the NBA, would playing in the Euroleague be gratifying enough?
Kamagate: Obviously the NBA is my dream and ultimate goal, but I am realistic, and I know that the EuroLeague is a great competition also, and I would be lucky to have a long career playing there too.&rdquo;
What about a scenario where you are indeed drafted by an NBA team but they decide to &ldquo;stash&rdquo; you in Europe for another year to two?
Kamagate: I would be okay with that too. Obviously, I would be motivated to work even harder and prove to my team that I am ready, as well as worthy of them spending a draft pick to take a chance on me.

Ismael Kamagate is a 6-foot-11, 220 pound big man Paris, France who is <a href="https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Ismael-Kamagate/Summary/132958" target="_blank" rel="noopener">currently playing for Paris Basketball</a>. Thus far on the early season, he is averaging 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest with the team.
Former NBA scout and BasketballNews.com scouting advisor, Jason Filippi, recently had the opportunity to speak to French NBA prospect after a breakout 27-point, 11-rebound performance in his team's victory over Alba Berlin in a preseason tournament.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rigMJng2JMU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Who is Ismael Kamagate? Tell us about yourself, your family and where you are from.
Ismael Kamagate: I am from Paris, France. I was born in the 19th District of Paris, but now I live in the 14th District of Paris. I am 20 years old. I have two brothers and two sisters as well as one half-brother. We are all very close.
Does your family follow your basketball career?
Kamagate: My mother never misses a home game and she will bring one of my brothers or sisters to each game with her. I only have two complimentary tickets per game.
When and where did you start to play basketball?
Kamagate: I started playing for a local neighborhood youth club called Basket Paris 14 when I was 12 years old. Then, when I was 15 years old, I went to play for the Paris Levallois team in [the] 3rd Division. My first professional experience was in Orleans though. I was in Orleans for three years, and I made my debut with the French U18 national team in 2019 at the FIBA U18 European Championships. I guess that is when Paris Basket noticed me, and they made me an offer to come play for them the following season.
Who is the best player you have played against?
Kamagate: Well, the best players I have ever faced were on the French Senior National Team, with whom I trained and scrimmaged against this past summer as they prepared for the Olympics. So I guess the best player I have ever played against has to be Rudy Gobert, but I was also very impressed with Evan Fournier and Nando de Colo. Fournier really impressed me with his work ethic and his intensity. Nando De Colo is probably the most talented and skilled player I have been around &ndash; he can really shoot and score, but he is also such a great passer. I was also impressed with his leadership. I really looked up to him and he gave me a lot of valuable advice. Anyway, this was a great experience for me and I am so proud they won the silver medal at the Olympics.
Who is your favorite player(s)?
Kamagate: My favorite player is Kevin Durant, but I also like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. Bam Adebayo is the player I have always compared myself to though.
Do you watch a lot of NBA games and basketball in general?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Well, I like to watch NBA games, but obviously because of the time difference, it is not convenient for me to watch them &mdash; considering I have practice in the mornings. But if it is an early game, I will definitely watch it. OKC used to be my favorite team, but after Kevin Durrant left I pretty much just root for the teams that Gobert, Fournier, [Nicolas] Batum and any other French players are on. I really like the way Miami plays though, too. I also just started to follow the EuroLeague more closely this past season.
Was this Euroleague preseason tournament basically the first time you had ever played against a Euroleague team?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Yes, this was my first time playing against EuroLeague teams. The biggest difference I have noticed besides the physicality and intensity is that EuroLeague teams will punish you for even the smallest mistakes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Tonight I had the opportunity to interview Ismael Kamagate following his breakout game vs Alba Berlin! Up &amp; coming prospect who comes from a good family and has a great attitude. <a href="https://twitter.com/_proinsight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_proinsight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BabcockHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BabcockHoops</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Agence_Comsport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Agence_Comsport</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ParisBasketball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JMedjana?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JMedjana</a> <a href="https://t.co/a3ADzLuvEn">pic.twitter.com/a3ADzLuvEn</a>
&mdash; Jason Filippi (@JasonFilippi) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonFilippi/status/1437182233601839105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

What are the areas where you think you need to improve the most?&nbsp;
Kamagate: Well, I need to improve a bit at everything. I am trying to do more things on court now like putting the ball on the floor more. The one thing that I have really been focusing on during the offseason though has been my shot, and trying to increase my shooting range.
What do you consider to be your best skills out on court?
Kamagate: I would say my mobility for sure, and also my passing ability.
Based on what you have shown in this tournament, you look like a very improved player! Tell me about what you did this summer to better your game?
Kamagate: Well, I had a very busy summer with very little time off because, in addition to training with the French National Team for the Olympics, I also played for the French U20 Team too. When that was over though, I went to Germany to work on my game with Holger Geschwindner (Dirk Nowitzki&rsquo;s long-time personal coach). It was a great experience working with Holger, who I had met last year through my agent who is based in Dallas. In addition to working on my shot and basketball skills, we also worked a lot on my footwork. Then when I returned home to Paris in August, I just worked a lot on my body &ndash; both my strength and conditioning &ndash; as well as adding more power to my legs.
This is obviously going to be a decisive season for your career, as you and your team will be playing in French Pro A for the first time. What are your goals for the season?
Kamagate: The main goal will be to help my team win as many games as possible (and remain in the French 1st Division). At the same time, I look forward to being able to play against the best big men in France, and hopefully by the end of the season, I will have improved enough to be considered a top center in the league myself.&rdquo;
This past summer, you did not put your name in the NBA Draft like many thought you would. What is your plan moving forward?
Kamagate: I did not feel ready to try to make the jump to the NBA this past summer. I think there are still too many things that I need to work on and improve at. If and when I will go to the NBA, it will only be when I feel I am ready. My agents, Comsport, also agreed with me on this, and they have done everything they can to help me improve.
So it is fair to say that you will definitely be putting your name in the 2022 NBA Draft?
Kamagate: Yes, that is the plan. To be ready for real this time.
What about your long-term goals? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Kamagate: That is very far ahead for me (laughs). My future goal now is to simply work hard and keep improving until, hopefully, I will be able to make a name for myself in the basketball world.
The NBA is the ultimate goal for any professional basketball player. However, if you never made it in the NBA, would playing in the Euroleague be gratifying enough?
Kamagate: Obviously the NBA is my dream and ultimate goal, but I am realistic, and I know that the EuroLeague is a great competition also, and I would be lucky to have a long career playing there too.&rdquo;
What about a scenario where you are indeed drafted by an NBA team but they decide to &ldquo;stash&rdquo; you in Europe for another year to two?
Kamagate: I would be okay with that too. Obviously, I would be motivated to work even harder and prove to my team that I am ready, as well as worthy of them spending a draft pick to take a chance on me.

Jason Filippi chats with French center Ismael Kamagate about planning to declare in the 2022 NBA Draft and his aspirations with Paris Basket.

2022 NBA Draft Q&A: French big man Ismael Kamagate

Jason Filippi brings 19 years of NBA scouting experience to BasketballNews.com and serves as a scouting advisor with an emphasized focus on prospects currently playing in Europe.
Prior to joining BasketballNews.com, Jason held positions as an international scout for the Detroit Pistons and the Miami Heat. He also served as the director of international scouting for the Portland Trail Blazers. He was a member of the front office for teams that selected the following European players in previous NBA Drafts: Nicolas Batum, Primoz Brezec, Rudy Fernandez, Pau Gasol, Viktor Khryapa, Nenad Krstic, Sergio Rodriguez and Hedo Turkoglu. Filippi has scouted players in over 30 different countries and has attended major basketball events in five different continents throughout the world: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America.
In addition to his extensive experience as an NBA scout, Jason also has experience as a media member and as a sports agent. From 1995-1997, Filippi worked as a basketball journalist and served as a TV analyst for the two professional teams in Bologna, Italy: Virtus Bologna and Fortitudo Bologna. He was also a co-host of the TV show, "Basket Time." Following his time as a media member, he worked as an agent for the sports agency Group Italia from 1997-1999.
To go along with his own NBA experience, Jason also has family ties within basketball and the NBA as well. His brother, Adam Filippi, is an experienced NBA scout and is currently the director of pro scouting for the Sacramento Kings.
A graduate of Bologna University in Bologna, Italy, Jason is a dual citizen of the United States and Italy. Filippi is fluent in English and Italian.
Jason currently lives in Bologna, Italy.