Nikola Topić Scouting Report
2005 born Serbian guard is the best scorer from his generation
Nikola Topić
Team: Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)
Height/Position: 6’7” Point Guard
Nationality: Serbia
Birthdate: August 10, 2005
Level: High Major - NBA
Roles: Slasher, Ball Mover
Swing Skills: Shooting Consistency
Declared for 2024 NBA Draft
One of the younger prospects in this upcoming class, Topic will only be 18 years old on the night of the 2024 NBA Draft
At 6-foot-6, Topic is a big lead guard whose blend of pace, craft, basketball IQ, playmaking and scoring scream NBA appeal.
He’s a fantastic passer with a high assist rate and makes very advanced reads. With either hand, he makes some very difficult passes and sees things many others his age wouldn’t. His ability to beat his primary defender allows him to attract help defenders on drives, which he can exploit with drive-and-kick passes to open teammates.
Topic can also score when needed, and has shown the ability to do it efficiently. On multiple stages over the past few years, he’s been a high producer as a scorer on low volume. His combination of 6-foot-6 size, strong frame and speed with the ball in his hands makes him hard to stop in transition and allows him to create advantages nearly at will in the half-court with his quick first step. When he gets to the rim, he finishes well with both hands.
Topic is an absolute handful driving the lane. He can accelerate at the drop of a hat, blessed with a dynamic first step and a preternatural sense of when to press the turbo button. He can just as easily force defenders off-balance with jittery handles, working patiently to find the right angle to the rim.
Topic's ability to get both feet in the paint and collapse a defense has a ton of value. He is going to locate open shooters and use his gravity to locate cutters at the rim. He's a smart, savvy playmaker. When it comes to legitimate creator bets in the 2024 class, none can quite touch Topic.
He has been productive at the highest levels of professional basketball in Europe. He consistently performs against grown men, and there's innate value in his skill set as a creator — an advantage creator. This is the age of tall, arrhythmic ball-handlers.
Topic can hit runners and touch shots in the paint, but he generally needs to get to the rim to be effective
A very smart prospect, he tends to find himself in the right place at the right time. This is one of the reasons — along with his size for a guard — that he is an effective positional rebounder.
Weaknesses
Defensively, Topic has the IQ to make the right plays and uses his size well. He’s certainly not a lockdown defender, but has the tools to hold his own on that end moving forward.
Also... defense. Topic is not a good defender. There's not much to it. He's stiff in space, he doesn't supply consistent effort at the point of attack, and he lacks the strength to handle more physical scorers at 6-foot-6. He is going to be stuck between positions on defense at the next level. He needs to add muscle and work on fighting over screens. The basketball I.Q. is there, so not all hope is lost. But Topic is going to enter the NBA with an iffy jumper and a poor defensive profile, so there's plenty to overcome before he delivers on No. 1 hype.
He has been productive at the highest levels of professional basketball in Europe. He consistently performs against grown men, and there's innate value in his skill set as a creator — an advantage creator. This is the age of tall, arrhythmic ball-handlers.
Really what it comes down to for Topic is his ability to adjust to the NBA’s increased level of physicality, speed and athleticism. He has the tools to emerge as a really solid player at that level, but there’s certainly still improvement that needs to be made.
Strengths
Good positional size at 6’5
Big time scorer at European youth level
Aggressive downhill driver
Always looking to apply pressure at the rim
Efficient finisher around the basket
Good burst and speed - Fast in open floor
Loves to push the pace and play fast
Tough and competitive
Initiates and plays through contact
Good drive and kick/dump off vision
Solid reactionary passer
Draws fouls at a high rate
Respectable 3 point shooter off the catch and dribble
Looks to post up smaller guards
Finishes with both hands at the rim
Loves to drive to his left
Good pace and burst out of ball screens
Areas of Concern
Tendency to play out of control
Picks up charging fouls on wild drives to rim
Turnover prone due to aggressive nature
Capable but streaky shooter
Lacks vertical pop around the rim
Gambles a lot on defense
Single effort defender
2022-23 OKK Beograd Numbers
19 games
17 ppg 5.3 assists 3.7 rebounds
55/37/89 shooting splits
70% FG at the rim on 95 attempts
46.7% FG off the catch
Adidas Next Generation Belgrade
4 games
26.7 ppg 7.2 assists 3.7 rebounds 3.5 TOs
59/53/97 shooting splits
Adidas Next Generation Kaunas
3 games
30.6 ppg 6.3 assists 7.3 rebounds 5.6 turnovers
59/35/86 shooting splits
Serbia U18 European Championships
15.3 ppg 5.1 assists 3.7 rebounds 3.1 turnovers
47/9/75 shooting splits
Only shot 2-21 from 3