3. Roko Prkacin (Croatia)
Player Comp: Jabari Parker
Take a wide barrel of a body, give him a 7’1 wingspan, and a smooth handle at the power forward position, what do you get? This year’s Croatian sensation Roko Prkacin, for those alliterative readers out there.
He’s a deceptively good athlete. He likes to drive and dun the ball, which made him a fan favourite in Europe. He knows how to use his long arms to finish layups above defenders rather than trying to avoid the contact and go around them.
His end-to-end speed won’t turn heads, but for someone who will be playing power forward in the NBA, he’s got all the tools he needs to match up well physically.
The skills are where things get more interesting. The passing instincts are there. Probably not enough that he’ll be much of a point-forward, but being able to find cutters and operate from he high post and off drive-and-kick actions will make him easy to acclimate to an NBA offence.
The key to his game will be the jump shot. He’s got a bit of an awkward form, slow and unreliable at this point. He hits his free throws at a decent rate though so the potential for range is there. Mostly, he loves to score around the hoop off of powerful, straight-line drives.
For the Raptors, Prkacin would bring playmaking flexibility at the forward position. Someone who has some similarities to Pascal Siakam, though stockier and with more years of development ahead of him.
Prkacin like the rest has a lot of interesting strengths and weaknesses. The experience of playing in Croatia (one of the top leagues outside of the NBA) will undoubtedly be useful while trying make a name for himself next year. If he falls to the second round he could be a really nice pickup.