Balsa Koprivica

Balsa Koprivica, 7'2, Nova Southeastern, Serbia, 2000

Jonathan Givony

Strengths:
-Measured 7'1 without shoes with a 7'3 1/2 wingspan and a 9'1 ½ standing reach
-Has a well-proportioned 233 pound frame, and big hands (tied for the biggest at the camp)
-Fluid/coordinated athlete. Shows some quickness getting off his feet
-Has a very high skill-level for a 16 year old big man
-Shows excellent touch around the basket and extending out to mid-range.
-Knocks down jumpers in the 15-18 foot range regularly. Should be able to extend his range out in time as he has good form and follow-through, even shooting off the dribble
-Good feel for the game. Stays within himself. Looks used to playing against older players.

Weaknesses:
-Not an elite physical specimen in terms of quick-twitch explosiveness. A lot of his height is in his neck. Somewhat narrow in his shoulders
-Lacks a degree of pop elevating from a stand-still
-Shies away from contact at times. Finesse oriented with his finishes
-Can get pushed around on the glass. Not an overly prolific rebounder
-Has some question marks he'll have to answer defensively as the level of competition stiffens, both as a rim protector and stepping out of the paint.

Outlook: Koprivica had a somewhat quiet camp, which is to be expected as he was one of the younger players in attendance. He showed a high skill-level and basketball IQ on both ends of the floor regardless and has an impressive framework of talent to build off in the long term.

Serbian-born big man Balsa Koprivica is being touted as one of the top prospects in the 2019 high school class already, and will play up here as a 2000-born player. His skill-level is impressive, but it will be interesting to see how ready he is from a physical standpoint to match up with the older, stronger and more mature big men he encounters here./