puis dans la liste qui s’affiche, cliquez sur AdBlock
Par Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Journaliste sportif
While the Conference Finals have just begun, the pre-Draft process is in full swing in the NBA. Already under scrutiny for many months in the United States, one international prospect recently took the opportunity to evaluate himself against Rudy Gobert.
After focusing on Oklahoma City on Tuesday, fans are now turning their attention to New York. Most franchise executives, meanwhile, have been focusing their attention on Chicago for the past few days. It has to be said that, in parallel with the playoffs, the Draft Combine has plenty to fascinate NBA scouts just a month before the big ceremony. It’s the perfect opportunity to discover and study some of the lesser-known players.
The young center who dreams of following in Rudy Gobert’s footsteps
While the main prospects of the 2025 crop are known to everyone in the league, the others remain shrouded in a certain amount of obscurity, which the current period is shedding light on. This is particularly true of Rocco Zikarsky, an 18-year-old center from Australia who has already been the subject of comparisons with Rudy Gobert in recent months. Comparisons he validated with Cyro Asseo of Choch for HoopsHype :
Rocco Zikarsky: If I had to draw up a self-comparison, I’d do it with Rudy Gobert. I bring the same defensive energy and circle protection as he does when I’m on the court.
Primarily known as a hoop protector on NBL floors, Zikarsky nevertheless hopes not to be reduced to this image in the USA. He continues:
Rocco Zikarsky: I want to show more on offense, be able to shoot 3-pointers, spread the defense and play a bigger role offensively. (…) I think my offensive game – especially my ability to shoot 3-pointers and bring spacing – is an area in which I still need to improve and show more. I take pride when I defend well, but I want to prove that I can do more than that.
As you can imagine, the young Australian big man wants to dominate defensively like Gobert, while contributing more offensively than the latter. His sources of inspiration within the league are therefore quite diverse:
Rocco Zikarsky: During this pre-Draft process, I’ve been watching a lot of videos of Kristaps Porzingis for his offensive game and shooting, especially coming off the pick-and-roll. I’m also studying Myles Turner, both offensively and defensively, Evan Mobley for his defense, and Rudy Gobert for his circle protection and defensive presence.
It’s worth noting that Zikarsky only ranks 46th in ESPN’s latest projections, proof that his profile isn’t as much of a dream as Gobert’s was in 2013.
