Compared to the previous few seasons, the 2018 NBA Draft isn’t particularly loaded with international talent. Outside of Luka Doncic, who is one of the most anticipated international prospects of all time, every projected lottery pick was born and raised in the US. The first non-US based player that will likely get his name called out by Adam Silver after Doncic dons his new team hat is Dzanan Musa, a 19-year old Bosnian native.
While Musa is still relatively unknown to the general basketball audience in the US, he surely is an interesting prospect at the SG/SF position. This season, he was crowned as the Top Prospect of the Adriatic League and the EuroCup Rising Star. The former award was previously won by Dario Saric and Nikola Jokic, and the latter by Jonas Valanciunas and Kristaps Porzingis. Those accolades alone give Musa some respectable references heading into the draft on Thursday.
While there are some concerns with his slender frame and at times streaky shooting, he is primarily known as a self-confident scorer with crafty finishing around the rim and an NBA range from beyond the arc. In his final season before declaring for the NBA Draft, he averaged 14.2 points on 48/32/83 shooting splits in 23.2 minutes spent on the court in the Adriatic League.
At the busy start of his NBA journey, Musa has kindly accepted our request for an interview regarding his future plans, his NBA idols and comparisons, and other relevant topics.
ClutchPoints: Dzanan, you are coming off a fantastic season. You have won the fifth consecutive Croatian championship title with Cedevita Zagreb, and individually, you received both the Adriatic League Top Prospect and EuroCup Rising Star honors. Do you feel like you can translate that phenomenal form to the NBA courts and can we expect your debut “across the pond” as early as October?
Dzanan Musa: In my opinion, all these awards are a direct result of my hard work. I am always fully committed and in constant search for new opportunities. Concerning my future plans, I intend to join the team that picks me immediately after the draft.
ClutchPoints: Even though the season in Europe ended, you didn’t catch any rest. You attended the Global NBA Camp in Treviso, Italy, carried out interviews with 23 NBA scouts and then flew to the US where you’ll be participating in workouts with multiple teams. How has the process of adaptation to the American lifestyle and culture been for you, are you looking forward to new challenges?
Dzanan Musa: We’ve had a really long season; I think I’ve played in 82 games across all competitions. It took me a few days to get used to the time difference, but everything has been great so far. This is definitely the biggest challenge of my career, but I feel completely prepared for everything that lies ahead.
ClutchPoints: Did you manage to catch the NBA Finals series despite all the obligations during and after the season? What are your impressions?
Dzanan Musa: I usually watched the highlight reels the morning after since all the games started at 2:00 or 3:00 AM in Europe, though I did tune in for one of the halves live. Despite the Warriors sweeping the Cavs, the Finals are always something else, and I’m glad we got the opportunity to enjoy some of the best basketball in the world.
ClutchPoints: Most mock drafts have you listed as a first round pick and you are currently the second highest rated international prospect behind Luka Doncic. What can the NBA fans who are not acquainted with your career path expect from you and what would you highlight as your biggest strengths?
Dzanan Musa: My work ethic and persistence are what I consider my biggest strengths. I am always looking to raise the bar of my performance in every possible way. In terms of my presence on the court, my strongest points are slashing, attacking the rim, and my shot that I constantly work on.
ClutchPoints: Among the fanbases that would like to see you on their team, the San Antonio Spurs fanbase seems to be the loudest. Besides that, you have already confirmed that the Spurs were the first team that scheduled a workout with you. Do you think that the Spurs could, in case they eventually do select you with their 18th pick, get a player that could be a successor to Manu Ginobili?
Dzanan Musa: I still can’t say with a 100 percent certainty which team will pick me, but it’s true that the Spurs were the first to contact me for a tryout. Manu is, hands down, an all-time great and one of the best international players ever. You can definitely learn a lot just from watching him play.
Whichever team selects me, I want to become a part of a winning organization and contribute to outstanding team results over the course of my career.
ClutchPoints: Like the majority of players from the Balkan region, you rarely miss the chance to point out the late Drazen Petrovic as your idol. Besides Drazen, are there any current or former players from the NBA who you model your game after and whose signature moves you absorb?
Dzanan Musa: There is no doubt that Drazen will forever be remembered and admired, especially in the region where I grew up. He deserves our utmost respect because he truly was a special person and a player.
As I’ve mentioned, I think there’s so much to learn from all the aspects of Manu Ginobili’s style of play. Concerning players who are no longer active, I’ve been trying to replicate Kobe Bryant and his insane work ethic since my childhood. After all, you always look up to players who are the closest to the type of player you want to become.
ClutchPoints: An unparalleled number of players from former Yugoslavia currently play in the NBA, such as Nikola Jokic, Dario Saric and Jusuf Nurkic who is your fellow countryman. Did they contact you with any words of support, or did you maybe reach out to them asking for advice?
Dzanan Musa: I naturally talked a lot with Nurkic since we played together for the Bosnian national team.
I also have to mention Mirza Teletovic, who is a veteran of the Bosnian team. He gave me lots of good advice that will definitely make the start of my NBA journey much easier.
While he might have to face certain skepticism heading into the draft just like the majority of international prospects who aren’t well-known in the US, Dzanan Musa seems to have the correct mindset and the appropriate set of tools to make his NBA career a fruitful one.
Of course, a lot will depend on the situation he lands into on Thursday and the way his development continues, but the fans of the team that picks him can expect a young player with a high ceiling who will leave it all on the court.
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