2018 NBA Draft: Rodions Kurucs seeks to prove his assets are more than projections

NBA Draft prospect Rodions Kurucs potential is evident, unfortunately there simply isn’t much evidence of it this past season as the European was nailed to the bench.

Rodions Kurucs is a European who projects positively, yet witnessed a dip in his stock this past past year. This is mostly due to a decision he made this past season. Last season the small forward ended up withdrawing from the 2017 NBA Draft because he no doubt recognized getting out of his contract with Barcelona would preclude his play Stateside.

In response, Kurucs elected not to re-up his contract with his Spanish team so he could be eligible for the 2018 NBA Draft. This resulted in him being nailed to the bench. It was a typical power play by his club. Still, the overall assets appear to be there, it’s just a matter of getting to see more of him.

Kurucs could end up being the typical grab and stash prospect. Or a team with depth could bring him over to the U.S. and develop him in their G-League system.

Player specifics:

• Height: 6’10”
• Weight: 190 lbs
• Position: Small Forward
• Age: 20.4
• International: FC Barcelona Lassa of the Liga ACB and FC Barcelona Bàsquet
• Home town: Cēsis, Latvia

Statline:

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/15/2018.

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/15/2018.

Skills:

The situation Rodions Kurucs found himself in this season is disappointing. In a catch 22 the youngster needed to decline the Barcelona contract extension, but by doing so he hurt his own stock. Moreover, the qualities which excited analysts last season seemingly regressed. Still, it’s completely understandable the youngster felt pressure in his limited minutes and therefore forced his game.

Prior to this season however, there was good reason to feel excitement over the potential of the young Latvian. Kurucs offers great size (6’10”) as a small forward coupled with an offensive tool box full of treats.

Much of this assessment comes from his previous season since less than 20 games and under seven minutes doesn’t offer much to pull from. To wit, the small forward previously showcased decent shooting from different areas of the court and an explosiveness which afforded him opportunities to drive.

Fundamentally he displayed soft touch and is an excellent ball distributor. Moreover, last season his footwork was above par allowing him to function in the paint, change directions quickly and/or create space for pull up shot opportunities.

Ultimately, Kurucs situation is difficult to gauge since there is no way to tell if he grew this season or regressed. It’s the equivalent of citing a players career best or worst game as their potential. Neither is accurate, but there just isn’t enough of a body of work to make an accurate assessment.

Weaknesses:

The primary knock on Kurucs may well be we just haven’t seen enough of him to know how good he is or what his ceiling is. That’s an unfortunate turn of bad luck for Kurucs, and maybe the end will justify the means, but for now it’s hard to rationalize his worth without evidence.

Of the minutes he did get it was clear his situation affected his on court production. Knowing he could get pulled the minute he stepped on the court he rushed his play on both ends. Whether these bad habits could be dealt with in a refined role is unknown.

Fundamentally the small forward demonstrated offensive skills, but his defense trails in this regard and will need ample time in the gym to improve. For his size his rebounding numbers aren’t impressive and this again could be due to fundamentally poor positioning or perhaps showcasing better aggression and effort.

Awards and honors:

• 2018 Spanish Cup winner
• Member to 2014 Team Latvia, Silver medalist –  FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship

Pro comparison:

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor offers up three tantalizing comparisons in Nicolas Batum, Jonas Jerebko and Chandler Parsons.

If Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer is right and Kurucs registers anywhere near the ceiling of Nicolas Batum he’ll be a quality player. Still, most view Kurucs as a reserve role player simply because there isn’t enough evidence on hand to know precisely what the prospect can be.

Current ranking:

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ESPN/DraftExpress: 42nd

The Ringer: 38th

Draft Net: 47th

CBS Sports: 45th

Sports Illustrated: 47th

Basketball Insider: 36th

Sporting News: 55th

Fit with OKC Thunder:

The Thunder are anxious for the return of Andre Roberson who projects to be healthy and back in time for training camp. Moreover,  youngsters Terrance Ferguson and Alex Abrines are expected to take another step this season resulting in additional minutes. Factor in Corey Brewer could also return depending on what decision he makes in free agency. So, adding yet another small forward who’ll need to develop seems unwise given the other areas of the roster OKC lacks depth.

Next: Omari Spellman tantalizing skillset, upside is ideal for OKC

It’s not to say Kurucs won’t become a quality role player. Rather, the Thunder need players who can immediately step on the court and provide serviceable contributions. And, while the Thunder need to add economical contracts to offset their burgeoning salary they need to do it with a view to filling roster gaps in depth.