Here is part five, the final piece to complete the international prospects series of my top 10 players 20 and under.
9. Nemanja Aleksandrov: Is 6’11, 220 pounds, 20 years old, and is from Serbia.
He is a very good offensive player, with a great outside shot. He has is improving his inside game to go along with his outside game, and he has become an inside-outside threat. He is a good ball handler, he has good passing skills, and good court vision. He has good hands, long arms, quick speed, and pretty good coordination. He plays well with and without the ball. He can play in transition or a set offense. He has a variety of moves to use to creat shots. He is a pretty good rebounder and solid shot blocker.
Nemanja lacks strength and could put on at least 15 pounds. Sometimes it looks like he’s just on the court just to play and doesn’t show much passion. He doesn’t like physical contact, and he can be injury prone. He can get out hustled and overpowered, he needs to show more aggression.
Overall Nemanja is a good prospect, but still could stand out more. I see similarities between him and Toni Kukoc.
10. Alexis Ajinca: Is 7’1, 210 pounds, 19 years old, and is from France.
He has a very good jump shot, and is developing a jump hook in the post. He is versatile and is a pretty smart player. He is good with defensive rotations, he can create mismatches, and he is a very good shot blocker with his excellent timing and length. He is a solid free throw shooter. He is good in transition, he has great quickness, and good coordination. He has good hands and a long 7’9 wingspan.
He is not a offensive rebounder, he is very skinny for his height and definitely needs to ad weight and strength. He tries to avoid contact, and depends on his athleticism to bail him out. He needs to develop some low post moves. Overall Alexis can be a difference maker on the court, but he needs to continue to develop and play to his potential. He has been very inconsistent so far, but is still an interesting player to watch.
I see a combination of Tim Thomas in him offensively and Samuel Dalembert in him defensively.
