Park Bites
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Rodions Kurucs | 6-10 | SF/PF
1998-born | Barcelona (EuroLeague, ACB, LEB Gold)
Some solid moments for 6-10 Latvian forward Rodions Kurucs in LEB Gold last week with Barcelona II. It's been tough for him to find consistency this season but he reminded us of his talent against Lleida. Still only 19. pic.twitter.com/ob4RYnETub
- Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) January 19, 2018
Kurucs has been a man of mystery of sorts for the better part of this season, as Barcelona continually moves him between the top team and the second team, doing all it can to keep him from playing meaningful minutes in front of NBA scouts. The 6-10 Latvian forward, who was a highly-touted youth player, and his agent chose not to sign an extension with Barcelona, which ruffled the feathers of management.
We were expected to see Kurucs play with Barcelona's second team against Prat just outside of Barcelona during the L'Hospitalet Adidas Next Generation Tournament, which attracts scouts from almost every NBA team. This would have been an ideal time to showcase Kurucs' versatility as a 6-10 forward who can make a spot 3, attack a closeout and use his range to make plays off the ball defensively. With so many scouts in attendance, Barcelona decided to send Kurucs to Sevilla with the first team, where he played the final 45 seconds of a blowout and finished a breakaway dunk.
Kurucs eventually played with the second team on Jan. 12 at Llieda and had a nice game scoring 11 points (4-of-7 shooting) in 18 minutes. A few scouts were able to make it to the game, but most opted out when planning their schedules, as it's too much of a risk to roll the dice not knowing whether he will play or not until the day of the game. Kurucs reportedly traveled with the first team to Greece for its EuroLeague game against Panathinaikos on the night of Jan. 11. He returned around 5 a.m. on the 12th and was told last minute that he'd be traveling with the second team to play in Llieda that evening. This is a perfect example of the unpredictability of trying to chase down prospects developing in the Barcelona system. NBA scouts are becoming more and more frustrated with the situation, with some flat-out refusing to even try chasing the 19-year-old prospect around due to the unpredictability.
Kurucs has one more year left on his deal with a buyout estimated close to $4 million Euro, which is a hurdle in building his draft stock. Although he's a fringe first-round talent and arguably the second-best international prospect in the draft, he has played only 145 total minutes this season and hasn't been overly productive in LEB Gold, which isn't the most inspiring level. Kurucs is still developing through practice time, but the inconsistent in-game burn and the discourse with the organization has become a trend in Barcelona, with stubborn Croatian Mario Hezonja as the most recent example.
Although he didn't always help himself with his mentality, Hezonja was a highly touted, ultra-talented prospect at a young age who would have greatly benefited from playing consistent minutes at any level. The muddy situation in Barcelona, along with a series of lower extremity injuries and inconsistent play, has slowed draft momentum for Kurucs, who was viewed as a future surefire first-round pick when he was thriving as a youth player in 2014 and 2015.
Potential NBA role: Versatile combo forward
Although we weren't able to see Kurucs live on this swing, we dove into the film of his 18-minute game against Llieda and have seen him up close at different stages in the past. Physically, he has the size and agility to play minutes at either forward spot, with his best offensive minutes likely coming at the 4. However, he isn't the most durable guy, and he needs to get tougher on the glass and defensively to steal minutes as a small-ball 4. His value comes as an occasional spot-up shooter who can also attack in a straight line and operate out of the post a little bit against smaller wings. He's not the most sound one-on-one perimeter defender, as he lacks a degree of discipline and plays the game a little high on that end. With that said, his height, reach and instincts make him a factor off the ball. His shooting will be the key moving forward, especially given his limitations as an advanced ball-handler and shot creator. A lifetime 30.8 percent 3-point shooter on 250 attempts, ironing out his shooting stroke will be integral in his development. Players in his mold often find ways to hang around the NBA given their size, shooting potential and overall versatility.
Outlook: As it stands now, Kurucs and his camp have their eyes set on the 2019 draft, as he'll be a free agent and is expected to have a little more of a consistent role next season. All it takes to stay in the draft is for one team with an attractive situation to promise Kurucs, though, so we'll continue to track his progress as this year's annual prospect in hiding.
1998-born | Barcelona (EuroLeague, ACB, LEB Gold)
Some solid moments for 6-10 Latvian forward Rodions Kurucs in LEB Gold last week with Barcelona II. It's been tough for him to find consistency this season but he reminded us of his talent against Lleida. Still only 19. pic.twitter.com/ob4RYnETub
- Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) January 19, 2018
Kurucs has been a man of mystery of sorts for the better part of this season, as Barcelona continually moves him between the top team and the second team, doing all it can to keep him from playing meaningful minutes in front of NBA scouts. The 6-10 Latvian forward, who was a highly-touted youth player, and his agent chose not to sign an extension with Barcelona, which ruffled the feathers of management.
We were expected to see Kurucs play with Barcelona's second team against Prat just outside of Barcelona during the L'Hospitalet Adidas Next Generation Tournament, which attracts scouts from almost every NBA team. This would have been an ideal time to showcase Kurucs' versatility as a 6-10 forward who can make a spot 3, attack a closeout and use his range to make plays off the ball defensively. With so many scouts in attendance, Barcelona decided to send Kurucs to Sevilla with the first team, where he played the final 45 seconds of a blowout and finished a breakaway dunk.
Kurucs eventually played with the second team on Jan. 12 at Llieda and had a nice game scoring 11 points (4-of-7 shooting) in 18 minutes. A few scouts were able to make it to the game, but most opted out when planning their schedules, as it's too much of a risk to roll the dice not knowing whether he will play or not until the day of the game. Kurucs reportedly traveled with the first team to Greece for its EuroLeague game against Panathinaikos on the night of Jan. 11. He returned around 5 a.m. on the 12th and was told last minute that he'd be traveling with the second team to play in Llieda that evening. This is a perfect example of the unpredictability of trying to chase down prospects developing in the Barcelona system. NBA scouts are becoming more and more frustrated with the situation, with some flat-out refusing to even try chasing the 19-year-old prospect around due to the unpredictability.
Kurucs has one more year left on his deal with a buyout estimated close to $4 million Euro, which is a hurdle in building his draft stock. Although he's a fringe first-round talent and arguably the second-best international prospect in the draft, he has played only 145 total minutes this season and hasn't been overly productive in LEB Gold, which isn't the most inspiring level. Kurucs is still developing through practice time, but the inconsistent in-game burn and the discourse with the organization has become a trend in Barcelona, with stubborn Croatian Mario Hezonja as the most recent example.
Although he didn't always help himself with his mentality, Hezonja was a highly touted, ultra-talented prospect at a young age who would have greatly benefited from playing consistent minutes at any level. The muddy situation in Barcelona, along with a series of lower extremity injuries and inconsistent play, has slowed draft momentum for Kurucs, who was viewed as a future surefire first-round pick when he was thriving as a youth player in 2014 and 2015.
Potential NBA role: Versatile combo forward
Although we weren't able to see Kurucs live on this swing, we dove into the film of his 18-minute game against Llieda and have seen him up close at different stages in the past. Physically, he has the size and agility to play minutes at either forward spot, with his best offensive minutes likely coming at the 4. However, he isn't the most durable guy, and he needs to get tougher on the glass and defensively to steal minutes as a small-ball 4. His value comes as an occasional spot-up shooter who can also attack in a straight line and operate out of the post a little bit against smaller wings. He's not the most sound one-on-one perimeter defender, as he lacks a degree of discipline and plays the game a little high on that end. With that said, his height, reach and instincts make him a factor off the ball. His shooting will be the key moving forward, especially given his limitations as an advanced ball-handler and shot creator. A lifetime 30.8 percent 3-point shooter on 250 attempts, ironing out his shooting stroke will be integral in his development. Players in his mold often find ways to hang around the NBA given their size, shooting potential and overall versatility.
Outlook: As it stands now, Kurucs and his camp have their eyes set on the 2019 draft, as he'll be a free agent and is expected to have a little more of a consistent role next season. All it takes to stay in the draft is for one team with an attractive situation to promise Kurucs, though, so we'll continue to track his progress as this year's annual prospect in hiding.
