Milos Teodosic is one of the best and most exciting basketball players in the world, who doesn't play in the NBA. He's a legend in the European ranks. He's been an MVP, a champion, and now a silver medalist in the Olympics. But he's also been resistant to making his way over to the NBA despite being so well respected. He had so little interest in playing in the NBA that he went undrafted in the 2009 draft because nobody believed he'd ever make his way over to the United States. That may all be changing now.
He's now interested in playing for an NBA team, but he doesn't want to just be some random backup getting spot minutes here and there. He wants a team to know his game and utilize him properly. His game is quite impressive with him being a fantastic playmaker and a fearless scorer -- although the NBA will likely want him to play more defense than he has a reputation for playing. If he can get a commitment from a team to really want him to be a big part of their organization, he wants to finally play in the NBA.
Yes to the NBA, if I continue to enjoy basketball
In the past I felt that playing in the NBA was not something really close to me. Now, I think about it. I want to travel to the States, play in the NBA and compete against the best players in the world. Maybe now I am more ready mentally and also on the court. I know what I can do it, I believe in myself and I have no doubts or second thoughts.
I am in the best phase of my career, I play for the Euroleague champs and I enjoy the most important thing for me since I was a kid, playing on open courts. I enjoy basketball. I will not risk losing that, because this is the only thing that I really need.
I need a team with a plan and high goals
I want to feel that an NBA team knows my game, has a plan for me and can use me in a unit with real chemistry, while having high goals and being competitive. I want to win, to be motivated and to feel that the coaches and the organization trust me. It's important when you play to have high goals. That's what I've been doing since I was a kid, I was chasing championship titles.
I want to go to the NBA and I know that I can establish myself there and really contribute. I will not sign anywhere just to be able to say that I played in the NBA. I need the whole package that will excite me. So it depends on what offers I get as a free agent and the way the teams approach and talk to me.
Ιf I end up in the NBA, I just want to be able to be myself. The spaces on the court are bigger compared to Europe, traps on defense and hedge outs to guards are rare, while there are many great shooters and big men who can finish the pick and roll. I think that those are keys for my game, I could adjust easily and produce high quality basketball. I don't care about my numbers, that's not the point. The point is to play the basketball that I can and really influence the game of my team, help it be more effective.
Juan Carlos Navarro was a European legend, who came over to the NBA when he was 27. As a 27-year old rookie with the Memphis Grizzlies, he proved that he belonged right away and set the record for most 3-pointers by an NBA rookie. He played 25.8 minutes per game and averaged 10.9 points. He struggled to shoot from the field at 40.2 percent but his 3-point percentage of 36.2 was pretty good. But after just one year in the NBA, Navarro decided he wanted to go back to Europe where he was much higher regarded and a bigger star.
There's some concern that Teodosic would end up having the same type of flirtation. Is he good enough to be a starting point guard in the NBA? Absolutely. He has the talent to pick apart defenses with his passing and shooting. He has good size at around 6-foot-5 and is a good enough athlete to get into spaces where he can do damage. But the defense has been very bad and that could prevent him from getting the long leash in the NBA that he has for CSKA Moscow right now.
NBA teams won't cater to him, but they would be willing to give him a chance to compete for real time on the court. Is that going to be good enough for Teodosic? Probably not, but we're still hoping he'll give it a go. After all, we could use some of his passing in the NBA.
Wouldn't that be fun?
