Boston Celtics player report card 2016-2017: Ante Zizic
The international man of mystery is finally set to come over to the NBA and join the Boston Celtics.
Ante Zizic, picked number 23 overall in the 2016 draft by the Boston Celtics, is set to be part of the team’s Summer League roster. Danny Ainge has plans for Zizic to be part of the actual roster, and fans have heard nothing but great things about the 20 year old Croatian.
What we know
He’s six foot eleven with a seven foot wingspan, and plays for David Blatt out in Europe. He can block shots, rebound and finish around the rim. Per 40 minutes, Zizic averaged nine points per game while shooting 65 percent from the field. He pulled down about seven rebounds and blocked 0.8 blocks per game. The numbers don’t stand out, but we’ll get a better feel for his game when summer league rolls around.
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From what I’ve seen, Zizic has no problem doing the dirty work down low.
According to DraftExpress, he averaged around three offensive rebounds per game. Again, it doesn’t seem like much, but for a team who not only struggles rebounding, but is awful with grabbing offensive boards, this is a help.
His weaknesses.
Zizic isn’t a guy who can spread the floor, which is a big part of Brad Stevens‘ system. He doesn’t really create his own shot, but rather parks himself down on the block. He does cut to the basket quite a bit, which is great.
His footwork needs…well..work. He’s a little hesitant and doesn’t have the most agile footwork. Honestly, I can see him as a Kelly Olynyk. Not strong enough, not fast enough, gets overpowered by bigger guys.
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Final Grade
Sorry to disappoint, but I’m going with an incomplete. I haven’t seen enough of him to give an actual grade. Hopefully by the end of Summer League we have a better idea of his game.