Filip Petrusev: I hope to be selected by a team that has a plan for me / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: AFP – Scanpix Credit AFP – Scanpix

After an extremely convincing sophomore season at Gonzaga, an already strong team, Serbian big Filip Petrusev made a rather surprise move last summer by withdrawing his name from the 2020 Draft and opting to play in Europe. Of all teams in his native Serbia, he chose Mega Soccerbet, a club renowned for getting players ready for the giant leap to the NBA.

There, he had a stunning season, averaging more than 20 points per game and clinching the title of the Adriatic League MVP. Regardless of the strides he made in a year, his stock ahead of the 2021 NBA Draft has not increased to the extent that he would have hoped for. Petrusev is still hoping to land a pick in the first round, but that seems quite far-fetched. At this point, most NBA mock drafts have him in the second round.

The 21-year-old center built on his body of work at college by adding a reliable jumper to his offensive arsenal, as he established himself as the best young player in the Adriatic League. Emerging as one of the top 2000-born prospects in Europe early in his career, Petrusev started high school in the United States back in 2016 while spending his summers competing for his native Serbia in FIBA youth competitions. By his sophomore year with the Zags, Petrusev was averaging 17.8 points per contest. He was named West Coast Conference Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award. With the college season abruptly ending in March 2020 due to the pandemic, Petrusev had the choice of putting his name in for the NBA Draft or returning for his junior year at Gonzaga, but he decided to sign with Serbian team Mega Soccerbet instead.

He caught on to pro basketball right away, averaging 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds a game and earning himself the ABA MVP award. He shot 42-percent on threes, a huge improvement from Gonzaga.

In June, Petrusev was the leading scorer for Serbia at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Italy beat Serbia in the final game in Belgrade. A few days before the FIBA Qualifiers and about 40 days before the NBA Draft, Petrusev talked to BasketNews.com about playing with the Serbian team, his hopes ahead of the draft, and how he managed to mature as a player.

Credit FIBA Media

It looks like you've been playing for the Serbian men's team for years because your performances so far resemble those of an experienced player. How is this to explain?

When you're around good players, it's easier to play. That's why I'm having success so far. I just want to keep it up. Every year I add something to my game. The last year or two has been mostly the outside shot and my perimeter game. I want to be able to play inside and outside because that's where modern basketball is going towards. I want to get better every year.

Is it true that at Gonzaga, you were discouraged from shooting three-pointers?

Yes, kind of. I just wasn't put in a situation to do that. I was under the basket most of the time, maybe as far as the free-throw line, no matter how we played. Even if I wanted to shoot, I wasn't able to.

You are 21, but your trajectory already includes Belgrade, Vitoria, Connecticut, Florida, Gonzaga, plus a season with Mega Soccerbet. What do you keep from each destination, and what's next for you?

Next is the NBA, of course. Let's see which organization will want me on their team. You never know. There are always surprises and unknowns. I hope that the team that selects me will have a plan for me to play right away if possible and have room to develop.

If you were to pick yourself the team to join, which one would it be?

(Laughs). Probably somewhere where the weather is nice, like Florida. But any team in the NBA would do. Those are the best teams in the world, so I don't really care which one it is.

Before you signed with Soccerbet, you said that you'd have a chance to showcase your skills and improve your draft stock. To what extent have you accomplished those goals?

A lot. All those mock drafts and projections have me in the first round, while last year - after Gonzaga - I wasn't anywhere. What Mega Soccerbet has done for me has been amazing, way above anything I expected.

European players face many difficulties working their way through the NBA. For veterans, maybe it's even harder because they have to adapt to a role they're not used to. What's your point of view on the role you'd like to be assigned to?

It depends. Guys like Luka Doncic adjusted right away, while others struggled. It has to do with the environment, the team, and yourself - if you're going to get an opportunity right away or not. It's mostly on you to adapt and react.

Credit FIBA Media

Did you have any offers from the EuroLeague teams?

Yeah, but I was focusing on the NBA Draft. Obviously, if it doesn't work out, I will turn to EuroLeague. But I haven't thought about it that much.

Witnessing the progress of many European - and especially Serbian - players in the NBA has made you more optimistic about your chances?

For sure. That's one of the reasons why I'm not thinking about the EuroLeague at the moment. I know I'm going to put in the work and that I will be ready to take the opportunity. I believe that my game is translatable to the NBA.

How did you transition to the men's level so easily?

It's been a progression. The biggest difference for me was when I went to Gonzaga and I played against some grown men, like Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke. That helped me a lot with physicality. Then, of course, I had a full professional year with Mega, which prepared me for what's next.

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