Tristan Vukčević
Frame: 6’11, 223 lbs
Position: Center
Team: Partizan
2023 Draft Age: 20
Stats via Real GM

Offense
Son of a high-level basketball player, Vukčević had a chance to see the ins and outs of the sport from a very early age. He has professional experience in Spain and Serbia with Euroleague teams that prioritized winning over development, so he hasn’t seen a lot of playing time during his stints.

Vukčević is an offensive-minded player with an upside of a high-volume shooting stretch big. He is a versatile and efficient scorer who converts at an elite 66 true-shooting percentage, with most of his attempts coming from outside the paint. With his ability to stretch the floor, he is often matched up against smaller players, so he doesn’t need to jump too high to get open looks. He also exhibits a very soft touch, which is especially evident in how he manages his release on mid-range jumpers, making 54 percent of those.

Most of his points in half-court offense come from catch-and-shoot/drive situations and cuts. Vukčević converts 38 percent from three (62 when uncontested) and loves to walk into one-dribble pull-ups when attacking closeouts. His quick footwork allows him to take advantage of mismatches in the post and get easy buckets, finishing 68 percent at the rim and converting from the line effectively (80 percent).

Vukčević loves to get out in transition and finish fast breaks. He starts quickly and makes himself available before the defense gets back. He’s punishing lazy defenders, scoring 1.5 points per possession in transition. He is an excellent sprinter for a big man and dangerous as a rim runner/trailer. Turnover-prone when trying to run coast-to-coast with the ball in his hands, Vukčević is more effective as a passing target than a creator.

He was successful in pick-and-roll situations but in a small sample size. As a mobile big (but not a phenomenal athlete), Vukčević plays below the rim and lacks the physicality to attack the paint. He is a face-to-the-basket player who doesn’t take full advantage of his wide base and sets soft screens—but slips away and spaces the floor effectively, providing a reliable shooting option.

 

Defense
As potent as Vukčević is an offensive player, there are some defensive limitations that he still needs to find ways to overcome. He struggled to hold his own against smaller players, often getting beaten on the perimeter. His lack of athleticism and physicality is potentially problematic against bigger guys in the paint. Vukčević still has sufficient length to distract shooters and make chase-down blocks but needs to work on his body control to do it effectively. He’s not a great leaper and hasn’t averaged over 0.5 blocks per game throughout his career.

The more worrying part is his defensive awareness. He buys all the pump fakes, gets lost in rotation and makes several avoidable mistakes. While most of it comes from inexperience, it also has to do a lot with attitude. Vukčević lacks defensive discipline, which has made his coach, the legendary Zeljko Obradovic, red and angry many times this season. He’s prone to ball-watching and often finds himself behind the play. His body language could have been better, and he seemed to quit on plays occasionally. Still, he’s very young and a big man, so it’s a more significant gap to figure out how to impact the defensive end positively.

Looking ahead
Once a highly sought-after European prospect, Vukčević still has much to prove. He decided to stay in the draft pool at the very last moment and projects to be a mid-to-late second-round pick.

He has the potential to be a dynamic stretch four who can knock down shots at a high clip and score in motion, and is an interesting ingredient to spice up an offense. Vukčević can get hot and score in bunches, providing a spark off the bench, but it might not be enough to compensate for his defensive shortcomings.

In-person, Vukčević has a laid-back personality and appears kind and intelligent. Whether he has the mentality required to succeed at the highest level remains to be seen. However, Obradovic’s tough-love approach should have instilled solid fundamentals in Vukčević, and he may be more mentally prepared than it seems.