Though NBA scouts only had the opportunity to watch him for a few hours, there's no question that
Dzanan Musa left a lasting impression on those in attendance. Born in Bihac, Bosnia, but currently playing at the junior level for Croatian power Cedevita Zagreb, Musa is a 6'8 small forward with tremendous all around skills and potential. Leading the 2014 FIBA U16 European Championships in scoring at 22 points per game, despite being one of the youngest players in attendance, Musa poured in 23 points as the adidas Next Generation squad defeated the Benetton U17 team in an extremely competitive and entertaining game.
Already possessing good size and length for the small forward position, Musa looked to assert himself early and often in this game. Flashing a complete offensive game, the smooth, skilled swingman knocked down a number of pull-up jump shots, used his quick first step to get to the rim, and even made some plays on the pick and roll. Finishing the game shooting 6-7 from inside the arc, 1-3 from deep, and 8-8 from the line, Musa was simply outstanding, even showing a willingness to get other players involved despite his success scoring on his own. He has excellent court vision, particularly on the pick and roll, and an advanced understanding of the game for a player so young. Though his catch and shoot jump shooting still has some room to improve, his floor game and shot making ability are extremely impressive for a player who can't even declare for the draft until 2018. He came into this camp with a reputation for being the top talent in the 1999 generation, and did nothing to dispel that notion in Treviso.
As good as Musa was offensively, he was also quite impressive defensively, leading the game in rebounding while playing aggressive perimeter defensive, getting in a low stance, and effectively contesting a number of shots.
An exceptionally mature and polished player despite having never stepped on the floor at the senior level, Musa is a player we'll no doubt be hearing from again down the road. Already carrying himself like an NBA player, he has a degree of confidence (some would say arrogance) which makes him an absolute monster in settings like these against players his own age.
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