2018 NBA Draft: Rodions Kurucs Scouting Report and Highlights

Where will Rodions Kurucs go in the draft? The Crossover’s Front Office breaks down his strengths, weaknesses and more in its in-depth scouting report.

Rodions Kurucs has spent the past year in a bit of limbo after withdrawing from the 2017 draft. He was rumored to have a promise in the late first round, but he reportedly had a substantial contract buyout with Barcelona that made it difficult for him to jump to the NBA (he has one year left on his deal). He has continually struggled to find playing time with Barca’s senior team and become a tricky player for scouts, subsequently deflating his draft stock. His size and skill on the wing have kept him in the draft conversation.

The Crossover’s Front Office breaks down Kurucs’s strengths, weaknesses, NBA comparison and more in its in-depth scouting report.

Rodions Kurucs, SF, FC Barcelona

Height: 6'9" | Weight: 190 | DOB: 2/5/98 (20)
Stats (LEB Gold): 10.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 44.5% FG

Strengths

• Long, fluid athlete. Skinny upper body but wide shoulders. Big enough to defend both forward spots. Coordinated and runs the floor well.

• Has a nice-looking jumper with NBA range. Shot 33% from three last season. Can hit jumpers off the dribble. Ideal role is probably working out of spot-up situations.

• Has some defensive instincts. Managed 2.9 steals per-36 last season, albeit in a very small sample size. Athletic enough to think he won’t be totally overmatched. Has 3-and-D type potential.

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Weaknesses

• Not a very creative ballhandler or playmaker. Straight-line driver who can attack a closeout, but he isn’t going to generate much isolation offense.

• Tendency to be a gunner. Falls back on hoisting his own shot and can be streaky. Decision-making and overall pass-shoot balance can improve with time.

• Tricky player to scout. Injuries and team situation have sidetracked pro career to a degree. Hard to get a feel for what his tendencies are in terms of shot selection versus what’s been affected by situational challenges. Practices with Barcelona’s A team but lacks game experience against top-level competition.

Highlights

Comparison: Austin Daye

The tools and talent are there for Kurucs to find a role in the NBA, but he needs to refine his game. Finding a consistent situation would go a long way.