Filip Petrušev enters the NBA Draft with a rare combination of experience. He has spent time with an elite college program but has also played professionally overseas.
Petrušev was at Gonzaga for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 college basketball seasons. In his Sophomore campaign, he started 33 games and averaged 17.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Gonzaga went 31-2 that season before the NCAA tournament was eventually canceled.
After that, Petrušev went back to his hometown of Belgrade, Serbia to begin playing professionally. That decision was made because he felt it was best for his path to the NBA. Looking at how things have played out since that decision, it seems like he made the right decision. In Serbia he was able to display more of his skill set and he had a monster season for Mega Soccerbet. Petrušev averaged 23.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game last year.
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Player Bio
Name: Filip Petrušev
Position: Power Forward
School: Mega Soccerbet, Serbia
Age: 21
Height: 6’11”
Weight: 230 lbs
Prototype: Floor Spacing Big
Shooting (11.5/15)
Petrušev improved his NBA Draft stock in a massive way by going back to Serbia. Specifically, he demonstrated an outside shooting ability that NBA scouts had yet to see from him. Perimeter shooting went from a weakness on his scouting report to a strength after he connected on 41.9 percent of his three-point attempts this past season. Petrušev is very comfortable in catch-and-shoot situations. He displays good footwork to keep himself ready for an eventual pass and has an understanding of where he needs to be in order to have enough space to get his shot up.
His shot does start low mechanically, which is something he will likely look to tweak early on. Still, he has good form and a smooth shooting stroke that is ideal for a big man.
Rebounding (9/15)
Petrušev is a solid rebounder but he needs to improve on the glass as he enters the NBA. At times he shows the instincts and awareness to clean the glass efficiently but those moments are to rare to make up for what he lacks in strength. Needs to add some lower body strength in order to hold his own against NBA bigs or he could be limited to the power forward spot alongside an excellent rebounding center.
PnR Roll Man (10/15)
One of the most noticeable things when watching Petrušev play is he has a very good feel as the roll man in the pick and roll. He finds the open spot on the floor and is good at timing his run to the rim correctly so that he can catch a pass and finish at the rim. That helps him make up for some of the strength he lacks if contested at the rim by opposing big men.
Post Offense (5.5/10)
Certainly has a strong arsenal of moves in the post for a player that is just 21 years old. Much of those moves were displayed against smaller and less athletic players than he will be up against in the NBA, though. Adding strength will be important in making the most of his skills in the low post. Doesn’t have the strength or athleticism to create separation with his post moves that is needed in order to capitalize on his shooting touch from the low to mid-post.
Post Defense (2.5/10)
Once again, strength and athleticism are the issues that hold Petrušev back here. He will get bullied when defending offensive-minded bigs in the post at the NBA level. Not only that but the more explosive big men will be an issue for him when they face the basket. Doesn’t seem likely to improve enough in this area to become anything better than a liability for his team.
Rim Protection (4/10)
Has enough size to come over and make plays as a help defender at the rim. Those plays will often be when the offensive player doesn’t see or feel him. Unsuspecting opponents and players that lack explosiveness are the players Petrušev can stop at the basket. It’s not a terrible reality as long as he is playing the four, which his other weaknesses assure he will be doing.
Athleticism (4.5/10)
Not a terrible athlete but by no means is he a good athlete. Doesn’t have much explosiveness or burst in addition to having troubles moving his feet laterally on the defensive end of the court. He does run well in transition just don’t expect him to be leading the break or beating players down the court on a consistent basis.
Hands (5/5)
Petrušev has very good hands. He is great at catching passes from all angles inside which helps him as the roller in the pick and roll. He also shows his soft hands in catch-and-shoot situations. Possesses passes very well for a player his size and shows a pretty nice touch when finishing from just outside the restricted area.
Passing (3.5/5)
Willing and capable passer. Pretty good at finding the open man even if he is in the middle of making a move on his defender toward the rim. Won’t be making defenses help as he did in Serbia at the NBA level, so passing and vision aren’t as valuable as they were overseas.
Awareness (2.5/5)
Overall Petrušev seems to have a pretty good feel for the game. His variety of moves that he shows offensively and his ability to make occasional plays on both ends of the court suggest a fairly high basketball IQ. That would make sense due to the experience he has already gained at such a young age.
Motor needs to run at a high level far more consistently for this grade to go up. Sometimes he hurts himself by not attacking aggressively both on offense and on the glass. Needs to be more assertive to make an impact.
Player Summary
Filip Petrušev is an interesting NBA prospect, to say the least. He took massive steps forward as a shooter which helped him get on the radar of NBA scouts. He has the potential to be a stretch four in the same way that Ryan Anderson was for a number of years in the NBA. Petrušev can rebound the ball much better and help his team defensively much more than Anderson ever could, though.
That is why landing spot and early development will play a crucial role in what Petrušev becomes in the NBA. If he can add a few things to his arsenal and play with more confidence he could be a very nice role player in the league as a stretch big.
Final Grade (58/100): Mid Second Round Draft Pick
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