Grading 7 Spurs NBA Draft prospects from ‘don't draft’ to ‘draft now’

3) Nikola Topic

Despite Nikola Topic being seen as arguably the best passer in the draft, he has flown under the radar in recent weeks. He is mostly still considered a top-five pick and his court vision coupled with his size at 6'6 is the reason why. The biggest drawbacks to his game are his shooting and defense and that is probably why the Spurs have been linked to a player who we'll talk about next.

On the other hand, given the team's need for playmaking, perhaps they are playing coy with their interest in Topic since many know their tendency to draft international prospects. If that were the case, then he'd help solve the team's problem of getting Wemby the ball. While his shot is a concern, he took a lot of shots off the dribble, so he may be a better spot-up shooter in the NBA. Moreover, although his shot isn't broken, his jumper should be tweakable.

That, combined with his being an effective slasher and finisher who is terrific at throwing wrap-around passes to open shooters on the perimeter, means the potential is there for him to be a terrific offensive player. Although there may be another point guard with a similar size available, if Topic pans out, then he might just have star potential.