Menu

Borisa Simanic

Borisa Simanic profile
Height: 7'0" (213 cm)
Weight: 203 lbs (92 kg)
Position: PF
Hometown: Ljubovija, Serbia
Current Team: Zaragoza
Win - Loss: 10 - 16

Articles

Nike Hoop Summit Scouting Reports: Forwards

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mike Schmitz
Mike Schmitz
Apr 13, 2017, 12:08 pm
Borisa Simanic, Red Star Belgrade, Serbia, PF, 19.0 Strengths
-Great size for either forward spot at a hair under 7'feet in shoes. 9'0 ½ standing reach is big enough to play some center if his frame ever fills out
-Fluid athlete who can get off his feet quickly and plays above the rim effortlessly. Light on his feet and highly mobile overall
-Outstanding shooting stroke in warmups. Catches and shoots on the hop. Ball comes out of his hand very smoothly. Shows the ability to hit spot-ups and pull-ups from NBA range
-Shows touch on his floaters. Skilled player overall for a guy his size
-Shows some instincts as a shot-blocker. Has the timing, reach and athleticism to protect the rim a bit if strength isn't an issue.
-Undoubtedly has talent/upsideWeaknesses
-Doesn't have very long arms (7'0 ½ wingspan) relative to his height
-Has long had a projectable frame, but really hasn't done much with it. Weighed just 203 pounds at the Hoop Summit. Not clear if he'll be able to add much weight long term, which limits his ability to play the interior positions
-Doesn't have much ability to create high percentage shots for himself. Wants to get to his pull-up mid-range jumper every time.
-Can play above the rim, but shies away from contact at the basket, negating his physical tools.
-Doesn't have a great feel for the game. Struggles to see the floor effectively. Average passer at best
-Not clear what position he is best suited defending. Too upright on the perimeter to defend 3s. Too weak to guard most power forwards. Doesn't give you enough as a defensive rebounder
-Gets extremely nervous anytime he was asked to operate in competitive settings, even in shooting drills. Struggles with adversity. Hangs his head after misses. Not a next play guy.Outlook Simanic was a major tease throughout the week, showcasing impressive talent in the five on zero drills, but then completely going into a shell anytime a live defender was thrown into the mix. He struggled in the game as well, only playing ten minutes and having a difficult time getting anything going in his time on the floor. Simanic has had a very difficult season, barely seeing any playing time for Red Star, which surely hasn't helped his confidence. He's one of the bigger talents to come out of Serbia in the last few years, but there are major question marks about this point about his ability to realize his potential and turn into a productive player, even at the European level.

2017 Nike Hoop Summit: World Select Team Measurements

DraftExpress
DraftExpress
Apr 03, 2017, 02:11 am
 This is also our first chance to lok at some official numbers of Borisa Simanic who lacks great length, has small hands, and remains on the skinny side, but at almost 7-feet tall, has nice size for a power forward, as well as impressive athleticism.  

2017 NIKE HOOP SUMMIT INTERNATIONAL ROSTER BREAKDOWN AND EVENT PREVIEW

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Matt Williams
Matt Williams
Mar 15, 2017, 12:10 pm
It will be interesting to see what the World Select Team is able to get out of 610 Serbian power forward Borisa Simanic, who has been somewhat of an enigma throughout his career. He has strong physical tools, with great size, an improving frame, long arms, and impressive athleticism, and will wow you at times with his ability to finish around the basket or make pull-up 3-pointers out of isolation situations. The Red Star product can very much a tease at the same time, though, as his intensity-level and demeanor leaves a lot to be desired and he will disappear for long stretches, especially when faced with adversity. Hes going to be relied on quite a bit as one of the lone frontcourt players on this international roster that can stretch the floor consistently, and will have to show more physical and mental toughness than hes demonstrated up until this point.

2016 FIBA U18 European Championship Scouting Reports: Forwards

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Jan 02, 2017, 05:26 pm
Borisa Simanic, 6'10", 18.7 years old, Power Forward, Red Star, Serbia

Strengths:
-Frame continues to fill out. Big shoulders and proportionate upper and lower body. Long arms
-Mobile enough to play the 3, but big enough to operate as a small-ball 4 theoretically.
-Good athlete. Explosive off one or two feet. Quick off his feet. Plays above the rim impressively
-Has good scoring instincts. 21.5 points per-40 at U18s. Can put the ball in the basket in a variety of ways
-Impressive shot-maker who can throw the ball in the basket off the bounce. Has made over 2 threes per-40 minutes for his career so far. Also career 77% FT%
-Playmaker defensively who shows the ability to block shots and get in the passing lanes using his quickness, length and timing
-Can create his own shot off the bounce far better than your average 6'10 player.
-Quick first step and can change gears powerfully driving left
-Can make an iso pull-up 3.

Weaknesses:
-Struggled to score efficiently at the U18s. Shot 45% for 2 and 27% for 3.
-Avoids contact like the plague. Settles for weak floaters from outside the paint instead of driving all the way to the basket and using his explosiveness to finish above the rim. Has never gotten to the free throw line at a high rate in his career
-Still a very streaky shooter. Has a big ball and wind-up on his spot-up jumper. Shoots it different every time. Sometimes guides it off his palm with excessive rotation.
-Much better shooter off the bounce than with his feet set, which is not ideal for a guy expected to be a floor spacer
-Feel for the game is questionable. Wants to go into iso mode every time he catches it. Takes a lot of tough shots.
-Struggles to see the floor and find the open man
-Somewhat of a tweener forward who lacks consistency defensively at either spot. Gets beat off the dribble far more than you'd hope. Doesn't close out on shooters with any urgency. Not strong or physical enough to avoid getting posted up inside the paint. Doesn't have a great mentality in terms of wanting to get stops
-Demonstrates poor body language when things don't go his way. Lacks mental toughness to fight through adversity.

Outlook: Already having seen some minutes in the Euroleague, a lot was expected from Simanic considering he's regarded as one of the biggest talents in the 1998 generation in Europe. Unfortunately he had a very disappointing tournament both individually and collectively, with his team finishing in 10th place, a historically bad result for Serbia. Simanic is still very much a tease, showing flashes of incredible upside at times, and making lottery pick caliber moves every so often. Unfortunately he mixes that in with quite a bit of underachieving and bad body language, something that has frustrated his coaches at every level he's played at since he emerged on the scene.

Basketball Without Borders Global Camp Evaluations: Power Forwards

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Feb 16, 2016, 01:10 pm
Borisa Simanic, 6'11, Red Star, Serbia, 1998

Jonathan Givony

Strengths:
-Has excellent size for a power forward at around 6'11 in shoes. Narrow frame that should fill out in time.
-Fluid and mobile athlete. Very smooth. Can play above the rim
-Versatile skill-set offensively. Can handle the ball, shoot with range, and has excellent footwork in the post.
-Very soft touch inside and out
-Has a natural feel for the game that allows him to make plays all over the floor. Great timing. Comes up with blocks on a regular basis.

Weaknesses:
-Somewhat of a tease. Was not very productive in the actual games.
-Very passive guy that doesn't really know how to insert himself into games
-Does a lot of standing around waiting to shoot jumpers. Settles quite a bit
-Gets down on himself easily when things don't go his way
-Has an inconsistent motor defensively. Seems to avoid contact. Gives you the bare minimum at times.
-Shows very little emotion on the floor. Never changes his expression

Outlook: Arguably the most skilled big man in attendance. Absolutely wowed people in the drills, but then completely disappeared in the games. Incredibly introverted. Does not interact with anyone, possibly due to language barrier, but appeared to be more going on.

2016 Basketball Without Borders Camp Roster Analysis

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Matt Williams
Matt Williams
Jan 30, 2016, 12:09 pm
-Serbian power forward Borisa Simanic played up by two years at the U19 World Championship last summer, and then played up a year at the U18 European Championship as well. He was one of the most productive players at both competitions regardless of age, and possesses a very intriguing skill-set as a stretch 4-man with impressive athleticism. He's seen some minutes already in both the Euroleague and Adriatic league for Red Star. It will be interesting to see how aggressive he is in Toronto, as he sometimes leaves you wanting a bit more, particularly on the defensive end. Regardless, he is one of the best prospects in his age group without a doubt, and is someone to monitor closely.

2015 FIBA U19 World Championship Scouting Reports: Power Forwards

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Jul 12, 2015, 02:22 pm
Jonathan Givony

Strengths:
-Has great size for a power forward at 6-10 or possibly taller
-Very lanky frame, but should fill out nicely in time
-Has long arms and big hands
-Smooth, mobile and agile athlete
-More bouncy than he looks on first glance
-Has great hands
-Terrific scoring instincts. Averaged 24 points per-40 minutes shooting 74% from 2-point range
-Tremendous touch from anywhere on the floor. Extremely reliable finisher. Converted 72% of his attempts around the basket.
-Moves intelligently off the ball. Nice feel for cutting to open spots and finding angles to score. Very good footwork
-Finishes from different vantage points in impressive fashion with long wingspan and big hands. Huge range on his swooping hook shots
-3-pointers didn't make up a huge part of his arsenal at this tournament, but has a terrific stroke. Career 40% 3-point shooter on large volume of attempts. Can make shots with feet set or even off the dribble
-Can put ball on floor a bit in a straight line.
-Shows some potential on defense with his size, length and timing. Gets in passing lanes regularly (3 steals per-40 at U19) and also blocks shots as well (3.7 per-40). Can step out onto perimeter and contest shots in impressive fashion with his length

Weaknesses:
-Lacks strength in a major way at the moment
-Was somewhat of a defensive liability at the U19s, which helps explain why he played only 17 minutes per game, despite his tremendous scoring rate (and efficiency). Opposing teams went at him time after time and were able to score fairly consistently
-Doesn't play with enough urgency. Gets screened too easily. Allows himself to get pushed around inside and outside. Gets posted up
-Too upright in his stance. Has a high center of gravity. Struggles to stay in front of opponents. Gets blown by off the dribble and scored on by mediocre players.
-Poor rebounder at every level he's played at. 8.1 per-40 at U19. Similar numbers for career. Lack of strength is an issue, but so is lack of toughness and intensity level
-Tends to settle for floaters around the basket. Avoids contact like the plague
-Doesn't draw free throws. Career sub-2 free throw attempt per-40 .

Outlook: 17-year old playing at U19 level. One of the most talented players at the tournament and possibly one of the top long-term prospects as well. Game comes very easy for him. Was utilized as a mobile 4/5 who mostly cuts to the rim, finishing on pick and roll and runs the floor, but is more versatile than that in reality. A pure face the basket power forward who can space the floor and score from all over the floor. Some real concerns about his mentality as he often looks like he's operating at half-speed. Lacks aggressiveness in a major way. Shows up most prominently at the moment on defense and on the glass. Had opportunity to leave Serbia for the US or Spain (Barcelona), but appears likely to stay in the Red Star system.

Latest results

03/23/2024 80 - 85 at Andorra Andorra
03/17/2024 103 - 96 vs Palencia Palencia
03/13/2024 86 - 102 at Chemnitz Chemnitz
03/09/2024 85 - 111 at Gran Canaria Gran Canaria
DraftExpress Shop