MUSA HUNTING
Nets select Bosnian sharpshooter with No. 29 pick
On draft night in their building, the Nets picked a pair of sweetshooting European forwards they had been eyeing for more than a year, Bosnian Dzanan Musa and Latvian Rodions Kurucs. Now it remains to be seen how long it takes them to get to the NBA, and how they adjust when they get here.
With the 29th pick, the Nets picked the teenaged Musa, who plays for Cedevita of the Croatian League, getting a player ranked No. 18 in ESPN’s Top 100. With the 40th pick, general manager Sean Marks tabbed the 20-year-old Kurucs, whom he had personally scouted with his Spanish League Barcelona team.
Their international status, buyouts and questions over their feasibility as stash picks may have played a role in both falling to Brooklyn. But with the Nets (28-54) in dire need of building blocks, they were happy to take both — and the players sounded even happier to be coming to America.
“I can’t describe this feeling. I was very emotional when my name was called. I started crying. This is like the dream come true. I’m willing to work hard for every minute on the court,” said Musa, overcome at being drafted at Barclays Center, soon to be his NBA home. “I started to cry. When you get drafted to the home and in the building where you’re going to spend most of the time of the year, I’m very happy. This is truly a blessing from God.”
Musa averaged 12.4 points and hit 47.6 percent from 3-point range in all competitions. He has a good offensive feel and confidence to hit tough shots, although he needs to add size, strength and shot selection.
“I can bring confidence and energy on the court, playing through offense to spread a lane and to play hard defense, just be a great team player to the Nets,” said Musa, who has lived on his own since he was 11 years old and moved to Croatia to join KK Cedevita at 15. He was the only player under 19 to average more than 20 points per 40 minutes at the EuroCup level according the DraftExpress database.
“He’s very dynamic. Obviously his offensive skills are pretty special. Has size for his position. He was playing at a very, very high level. He’s a very competitive young man. We’ve enjoyed getting to know him, interview and watching him play in Europe,” said Marks, who added he expects both players to come to buyout agreements with their European teams.
“Both guys are pretty dynamic offensive players. I mentioned before the size and the skill level they’ve been playing at. We’ve scouted them enough and evaluated some areas we think we can make some gains for them. Shooting is obviously at a premium in this league, and we think both guys will be able to contribute in that way as well as others.”
Kurucs has a nice stroke and serviceable athleticism, but isn’t a one-on-one player or strong defender. The Nets saw the Latvian as a first-round possibility last year before he pulled his name out of the draft.
Both players have good reasons for not wanting to be a stash picks.
Kurucs’ coach at Barcelona, Sito Alonso, demoted him to the B team and froze out both him and current Nets stash Aleksandar Vezenkov for being NBA-bound. That and a $4 million buyout, which he recently succeeded in getting lowered, may have let him slip to the second round this year.
Musa has two years left on his deal at Cedevita, which in a twist of fate just hired Alonso. Still, Marks expects both to be in the NBA next season, although it’s never certain how long the adjustment period will be.
“You never quite know when guys are coming over, again, whether that’s coming from the U.S. college system or coming from Europe,” Marks said. “Those guys have played at a high level of maturity with both of them, some of the experiences that they’ve gone through will certainly help and guide them through this transition to Brooklyn.”