Draft Projection
1st Round - #3
Draft Eligible
2024
Nikola
Topić
DOB
Aug 11, 2005
Team
KK CRVENA ZVEZDA
Position
PG
Height
6'5.75
Wingspan
6'5.5
Weight
Hand
203 lbs.
RIGHT
Contact
Miško Ražnatović
Agent - BeoBasket
m.raznatovic@beobasket.net
Socials
Last Updated
Oct 28, 2025
Scouting Report
Strengths
Has a knack for getting to the rim, as a primary ball handler, seemingly whenever he wants by leveraging screens, angles, and his quick first step to create advantages.
Elite pick and roll playmaker at his size with crafty playmaking ability. He controls the pace of the court and has an acute awareness of where his teammates are, whether in the high, mid, or low pick and roll
Shot creating and making potential, inside of the paint, on both the catch and drive and off the dribble
Anticipates rebounds and action around the rim, while having a quick first step and athleticism to crash the glass, and grab sneaky rebounds at a high production for a guard.
Has a knack for getting to the rim, as a primary ball handler, seemingly whenever he wants by leveraging screens, angles, and his quick first step to create advantages.
Elite pick and roll playmaker at his size with crafty playmaking ability. He controls the pace of the court and has an acute awareness of where his teammates are, whether in the high, mid, or low pick and roll
Shot creating and making potential, inside of the paint, on both the catch and drive and off the dribble
Anticipates rebounds and action around the rim, while having a quick first step and athleticism to crash the glass, and grab sneaky rebounds at a high production for a guard.
Weaknesses
Topić has an inconsistent jump shoot as he went through cold streaks and hot streaks throughout the season. He has displayed flashes of making defenders who go under pay but not consistent enough yet.
He lacks strength and lateral quickness on the defensive end which severely hampers his ability to be a versatile defender, and to be in a true Point of Attack role.
His lack of strength, and slimmer frame, was often taken advantage of by opponents in preventing him from finishing through contact, despite his great touch.
Can be easy to box out, and be bullied out of restricted area, when battling for boards
Has a knack for getting to the rim, as a primary ball handler, seemingly whenever he wants by leveraging screens, angles, and his quick first step to create advantages.
Elite pick and roll playmaker at his size with crafty playmaking ability. He controls the pace of the court and has an acute awareness of where his teammates are, whether in the high, mid, or low pick and roll
Shot creating and making potential, inside of the paint, on both the catch and drive and off the dribble
Anticipates rebounds and action around the rim, while having a quick first step and athleticism to crash the glass, and grab sneaky rebounds at a high production for a guard.
Summary
Nikola Topic is a high IQ facilitator with many crucial skills needed in a primary ball handler such as his quick first step, change of pace, ability to score on all 3 levels, and seeing the play after the play. All these features blended together along with his 6’6” frame makes him a very intriguing prospect for teams looking for a young lead initiator. Some areas he needs to improve on are strength, lateral quickness, and more consistent scoring outputs, especially in his overall jumpshot. While he can be physically outplayed on both ends of the court, and has defensive question marks, the combination of size, floor general talent, and unique touch at the rim, make Topić a worthwhile project to develop upon.
Has a knack for getting to the rim, as a primary ball handler, seemingly whenever he wants by leveraging screens, angles, and his quick first step to create advantages.
Elite pick and roll playmaker at his size with crafty playmaking ability. He controls the pace of the court and has an acute awareness of where his teammates are, whether in the high, mid, or low pick and roll
Shot creating and making potential, inside of the paint, on both the catch and drive and off the dribble
Anticipates rebounds and action around the rim, while having a quick first step and athleticism to crash the glass, and grab sneaky rebounds at a high production for a guard.
Offers
Nikola Topić 2023/2024 Defensive Analysis
Defensive Switch Metric Appendix
Charting Sample Size - how many games were observed and charted
Total Active Possessions- total number of possessions where a player guarded the ball, forced a deflection or was involved in an off-ball action.
Total Switch Possessions- total number of possessions with a switch or cross-match where a wing player is guarding a lead ball handler or post player.
Total Shots Defended- number of shots where a player was the primary defender or directly contesting the opposing player’s shot.
Synergy Points Per Possession- points per possession for all defensive plays marked by Synergy.
Switch Points Per Possession- points per possession while a player was switched or cross-matched onto an opposing ball handler or big (post player).
Shot Contest Grade- rates a player’s shot contest on a scale of 1-4 under the following criteria
1. Wide Open- player was not within 8-10 feet of the scorer or no contest at all (1 Contest Point)
2. Open- hands down on a contest, within 8-10 feet of the shooter (2 Contest Points)
3. Light Contest- hands up on a contest and within 5-8 feet of a shooter (3 Contest Points)
4. Heavy Contest- close to the shooter and forcing an off-balance, fading, or double-clutch shot, or a light contest preceded by a non-fouling bump in the legal guarding position (4 Contest Points)
Switch Position Grade - rates a player’s positionality on a scale of 1-4 during the process of switching throughout a possession
Bad- out-of-control closeout, pinned in under the basket or fronting too far out from the basket on a post up, blow-by, or trailing heavily behind a play because of screen navigation, no ball pressure (1 SP Grade Point)
Neutral- on the side/slightly behind a player, flat-footed or with little ball pressure, not ready to move in a closeout situation, directly behind a post player on the block or on the side in a deny coverage (2 SP Grade Points)
Good- under control closeout and good on-ball defense, moderate ball pressure, close follow in trail position for a pick and roll or lock and trail scenario, fronting or keeping post player outside of the restricted area on a post-up (3 SP Grade Points)
Very Good- excellent closeout and on-ball defense, switching “into” a player with high ball pressure and intensity, strongly denying a post player in a post-up or pushing them out of the paint (4 SP Grade Points)
Stocks per 100 - steals and blocks per 100 active possessions
Blown Coverage- a missed closeout or rotation, blow by, reaching/gambling for steals with no
turnover forced, flopping, and any shooting foul
Total Switch Frequency- the percentage of total active possessions that a player is switched or cross-matched onto a ball handler or big overall
Guard Switch Frequency- the percentage of total switch possessions that a wing player is switched onto a lead guard
Big Switch Frequency - the percentage of total switch possessions that a wing player is
switched onto a post player
Coming Soon...
Honors
MVP U18 Euro Championship - 2023
All-Tournament Team U18 Euro Championship - 2023
U18 Euro Championship A Belgrade (NIJT) MVP - 2023
Belgrade (NIJT) All-Tournament Team - 2023
Basketball Without Borders Global Camp - 2023
Coming Soon...
Statistics
2023/2024 ABA (Serbia)
GP GS MIN FG% 3P% FT% OR DR REB AST BLK STL PF TO PTS
23 19 27.8 49.8 30.6 87.8 0.7 2.5 3.2 5.5 0.1 1.0 3.0 2.3 14.5
2023/2024 ABA (Serbia)
GP GS MIN FG% 3P% FT% OR DR REB AST BLK STL PF TO PTS
23 19 27.8 49.8 30.6 87.8 0.7 2.5 3.2 5.5 0.1 1.0 3.0 2.3 14.5