(Editor’s Note: With the Pistons holding the No. 5 pick in the June 26-27 NBA Draft, Pistons.com continues its draft preview series with a look at Serbian guard Nikola Topic. Monday next: Rob Dillingham.)
As with virtually every potential lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, opinions on Nikola Topic vary widely. Some think he should be considered the top prospect in the class. You’ll find others wondering if he deserves a lottery pick.
And that’s before you factor in a knee injury that was recently determined to be a partial ACL tear. Ask an orthopedic surgeon what that means and don’t be surprised if the answer is that a partially torn ACL is just another way of saying a torn ACL. They don’t really heal themselves.
So, in a draft class already rich in nuance, speculation and projections, add another layer of intrigue when it comes to Topic, who some consider a savant playmaker and whose stock certainly won’t be affected by the player impact on his part. from Europe with virtually homonymous names, Doncic and Jokic. Maybe you’ve heard of it.
This will be the Pistons’ first draft for new President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon, and it can’t hurt that Langdon’s ties run deep with European basketball, where he was elected into the Euroleague All-Decade team for 2000-10. Every piece of credible intelligence to help determine what the Pistons should do with the fifth pick will be tapped into and Langdon will have a vast network of European connections to help guide him through this process. Topic is one of four players widely considered potential top-10 picks in this month’s draft.
FIRST ROUND CANDIDATE: SUBJECT NIKOLA
ID CARD: 6-foot-7 guard, Mega (Adriatic), 18 years old
PROJECT RANGE: Ranked 10th by ESPN.com; sixth by The Ringer; second by The Athletic; third by Bleacher Report
SCOUT LOVE: Topic is widely considered the best pure point guard in this draft class, making him particularly attractive due to his plus size for a point guard. Facing quality competition in the Adriatic League, where the triple MVP Nikola Jokic cut his teeth, Topic averaged 18.6 points and 6.9 assists as one of the youngest players in the league. He won’t turn 19 until August. The subject shows excellent feel for creating space and making passing angles. He’s patient in a Luka Doncic way when he enters the paint, seemingly willing to wait for defenders to overcommit to create the split-second advantage for a teammate that he can set up. But he also proved adept at finishing the piece himself in the paint, where his repertoire of finishing with either hand is already sophisticated.
THE WONDER OF THE SCOUTS: The biggest red flag with Topic is the condition of his left knee. Topic injured his knee in January and missed much of the season before being cleared to return in April. Then on April 13, during a championship final against Partizan Belgrade, Topic injured his knee again. During the NBA draft held in Treviso, Italy, in early June, the injury was diagnosed as a partial ACL tear. It remains to be determined what steps to follow to repair the damage. Surgery would in all likelihood threaten most of Topic’s rookie season. In the long term, there is probably no concern about Topic’s potential diminishing. And if it’s determined that a rehab program would be enough to remedy Topic’s knee injury, then personnel evaluators might start questioning Topic’s perimeter shooting again — he shot 26 percent from three on low volume in the Adriatic League – and on his defense, which appears to be exploited at least until he catches up physically.
NUMBER TO NOTE: 18 – This is the number of games Topic played in the Adriatic League all season, including the playoffs, due to his knee injuries. That’s not much for the youngest player in the draft.
MONEY QUOTE: “Wherever I go, it will be my pleasure. My approach will be the same. Whether it’s Atlanta, San Antonio or Detroit, I just want to be the best I can be and make everyone around me better. – Nikola Topic at the NBA Draft in Treviso, Italy
ADJUSTMENT OF PISTONS: The Pistons already have a plus-sized primary point guard in Cade Cunningham, one on the cusp of All-Star status. Having multiple playmakers isn’t a problem in itself, but it becomes one if one of those players has questionable value when playing without the ball. Does this define the subject? With questions about his 3-point ability, that could very well happen. Cunningham is firmly established as the guy the Pistons want with the ball in his hands. If Topic is not a threat to overtake him in this role, then it will take someone with a clear vision of their compatibility to make Topic the pick at #5. If he succeeds, the Pistons would be blessed with tremendous size and playmaking. in their backcourt for the next generation while also showcasing the athleticism of Jaden Ivey and the pure scoring instincts of Marcus Sasser.
RESULT: Since the extent of Topic’s knee injury was only recently known, lottery pick teams will be reviewing his medical reports over the coming weeks to determine what threat exists to his long-term prospects , if applicable. Not all teams selected in the lottery will face pressure to demand an immediate return of their June 26 selection. A team that has the luxury of patience on its side could greatly benefit from others’ hesitation to sign an injured player. Denver took advantage in 2018 when Michael Porter Jr., widely considered a top-three talent, slipped all the way to 14th.th overcome concerns about the condition of his back. If the Pistons believe in Topic’s talent and see the fit with Cunningham, then they could be the team to welcome the player considered the best point guard in the class.
