Will Marko Simonović be the next Jokic?
With the 44th pick in the 2020 NBA draft, the Bulls chose Marko Simonović, a stretch big man from Montenegro.
We all know one of the most impressive feats for Artūras Karniśovas was that he scouted Nikola Jokic back in 2014 with the Denver Nuggets in the second round. What enabled Simonović to grab Karniśovas’ attention, you may ask?
Outside of Karniśovas’ natural eye for talented underrated centers in the Euro league, Simonovic displayed above average shooting skills for his size with a nice touch but he lacked consistency. Marko Simonović is a lengthy 6-foot-11 player with length and athleticism.
Expect Simonović to be a work-in-progress with this Bulls team as Immediately after the draft it was reported by K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago that Karniśovas doesn’t expect him to see the floor anytime soon.
At the end of the day, you have to really trust Karniśovas’ decision with this one because he is the master at finding hidden gems from over seas. During the 2020–21 FIBA season he averaged 16.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks a game, so he might’ve just been overlooked.
