Draft Prospect: Ajdin Penava

With the 25th pick in the first round as well as a 2nd round pick, the Lakers have a few options they could go in the draft. They could draft a prospect who isn't "NBA-ready" and has boom or bust potential or one who can help immediately but has a limited ceiling. They could go for a freak athlete still developing his skills or a skilled player that's lower on the athletic side. One guy that should be considered is Ajdin Penava, a 6'9" junior from Bosnia and Herzegonia who played his college ball at Marshall under Dan D'Antoni (Mike D'Antoni's older brother). Without further ado, let's go over what makes him stand out.

Strengths:

• Shot blocking potential: This is one area where Penava has a huge advantage over most late round bigs in this draft. He led the NCAA in blocks and had a 11 BLK%, right up there with Robert Williams. Penava has long arms, good timing, and a quick second jump. Hustles back in transition to get chasedown blocks. Recovers after getting beat off the dribble and challenges shots from behind. While not strong enough to defend post players yet, has the length to challenge and blocks shots when in position. Rotates over to block layups and dunk attempts.
• Ball Handling and Playmaking Potential: Another area where Penava shines compared to most bigs is his handle and passing. Penava can grab rebounds and push the ball in transition (and regularly did this at Marshall). He's fluid with the ball in his hands and can change speeds and directions. With some work, he could be dangerous at this aspect in the NBA. Penava has good vision on the move and can find shooters and cutters (12.5 AST). Solid decision-maker (66 assists to 67 turnovers; 0.99 AST/TO) and had 3 games with 5+ assists.
• Capable shooter: Shot 75.3% from the line this year on 4.5 FTA/game (116/154 total and a solid FTr of .453). 34% from 3 on 2.9 3PA/game (33/97 total and a good 3PAr of .285). Needs a bit of work on his jumper (has to lower his release point) but has the potential to be a solid shooter from NBA 3. Shot 42.6% on 2 point jumpers according to hoop-math.
• Good finisher: Penava shot 65% on 2 point FGs. 73.7% on shots at the rim according to hoop-math. He's a good finisher on pick and rolls, where his long arms makes him a threat for lobs. He's not an above the rim threat most of the time, but he compensates by having good touch on layups and floaters. Can take contact and finish the play. Can drive in the half court and get all the way to the rim.
• NBA/Team Fit: A big man that can shoot the 3, handle and pass the ball, finish at the rim and block shots is pretty much tailor-made for the modern NBA. Not only does he fit what the NBA is looking for, he'd also be a good fit for our team. His ability to roll and pop on picks could give defenses fits and make life easier for the ball handlers. His shooting opens up driving lanes and his ability to attack off the dribble and pass could get some easy looks in the half court. His shot blocking could allow us to play him alongside Randle and Kuzma in small ball lineups and give us offensive flexibility while preventing easy layup opportunities defensively.

Areas of Improvement:

• Physical strength: Penava weighs 215 pounds. He can get moved by bigger post players and this also hurts him on the glass at times.
• Foul trouble: Penava was in foul trouble much of his college career. While he's made massive strides in this area from year to year (12.8 fouls/40 in freshman year, 9.3 fouls/40 last year, 4.8 fouls/40 this year), he has a long way to go before he can possibly be seen as a rim protector/defensive anchor. Part of the reason for his foul trouble was his reluctance at using his off hand to block shots.
• Perimeter defense: Like many bigs, Penava had times where he struggled to stay in front of quick guards on the perimeter. In the NBA against quicker players, this could be a major problem if he doesn't work to correct it. Has decent lateral quickness so isn't a lost cause.
• Screening: Penava isn't a good screener. Doesn't always put a body on guys and his base is too narrow. If he doesn't improve this, it dramatically lowers his offensive ceiling. Could get better at this once he adds some weight.

Final thoughts: Penava needs about 10-20 pounds in order to effectively play PF in the NBA. With a good strength program, that can happen and make the rest of his game that much better. He's a young junior (just turned 21 in March) and has a really well rounded game for a big man. At best, he could become a young Andrei Kirilenko and really help us in the future. His versatility could cause him to get minutes right away but he'll probably start off in the G-League.