SB Nation Mock Draft: The San Antonio Spurs select Nikola Milutinov

With the 26th pick of the NBA draft, the San Antonio Spurs select Nikola Milutinov of Partizan Belgrade in the Basketball League of Serbia.

From Pounding the Rock: He's huge and moves well for a seven footer. Can catch and finish. In a couple of years he could become a decent low usage, high efficiency guy who can play solid defense.

Tyler Zeller is a good comparison. A poor man´s Mozgov is the best case scenario. He's big but not too strong, skilled but not a go-to guy on offense or an anchor on defense. Probably tops out at third big but if he adds muscle, he could be a very good reserve, think Kosta Koufos.

Taylor: Of course they do.

Kevin: This is such a Spurs type pick.  I didn’t have him in my top 50 for draft picks mostly because I thought he’d be a year or two out from joining whatever team drafted him in the NBA.  He’s got a nose for the ball in the rebounding area of the gym.  He’s also very smooth for a man his size.  He flows like a guard and can handle the ball decently well for a big.

He doesn’t need plays run from him and he has a nose for being in the right position at the right time. He’s got a high basketball IQ and I’m sure that Pop will turn him into a star eventually, no Tim Duncan, but something… okay he’s not going to be one of the five best players ever.  Maybe top 500?

Dontae: The Spurs are going to do what the Spurs are going to do. This is a solid draft-and-stash prospect. Milutinov has the look of a solid NBA big man. He’s good at rolling to the rim and finishing, possess the foundations of a respectable low post game, and he knows how to use his strength and position to be effective on the offensive and defensive boards (he averaged a video game like 5.8 offensive rebounds per-40 minutes pace adjusted, in the Adriatic League this past season).

He’s still raw on the defensive end, and needs to fill out more, but he has the makings of the perfect developmental draft pick the Spurs excel at plucking from around the world. The Spurs going to Spur.

Lucas: Milutinov certainly seems to be an NBA athlete, as he is able to run the floor remarkably fast for his size as a seven footer. He is also very comfortable playing above the rim, as he catches lobs and dump off passes with ease, (i’m sure it will be refreshing for Spurs fans to watch a seven footer dunk the ball with ease after watching Tiago Splitter struggle to convert dunks the last two seasons.) He is a decent post up threat, though it still remains to be seen if he will be able to pass well enough to gain the trust of Popovich, as their offense thrives on having big men who can pass. Milutinov doesn’t protect the rim very well for his size, as he only averages 1.3 block per game, and also needs to put on some serious weight before he can be big enough to bang in the post, as he is currently 220 pounds. Still, Milutinov is a promising prospect, and should develop nicely in the Spurs system.