BACKGROUND & FIBAU17
Jovan Kljajic arrive on Gran Canaria two seasons ago and next season will be his third on the island. After doing a trial with F.C. Barcelona he just decided to sign with Granca. In his first season he played for u’16 (where he was the best player) and u’18 team (where he had an important role coming from the bench). Last year he consolidated his role as main player in U’18 and he also played some minutes in the EBA team. However, where he started to make a name was at U’16 European Championship 2017. He lead Montenegro to reach the finals and get the silver medal.
As a result of that success, Montenegro has played last U’17 World Championship at Rosario this summer. Jovan’s tournament was a rollercoaster: he combined amazing games with the worst performances he could ever do. By the way, it makes sense because he his only a 16 year old kid. His best moment was against Egypt. He scored a buzzer beater to match the game and he lead his team in overtime to win the game.
Kljajic is a player with a lot of personality and charisma on the court. Sometiemes it lets him to get the next level, but sometimes he just loses his nerves and he has some disconections from the game. He has had bad percentages at shooting (only 36%) and he also scored to his line almost 4 turnovers per game. On the other hand, he was one of the top scorers of the tournament and he also showed how versatile he could be grabbing 6.1rpg and giving 4.9 apg.
OFFENSE
Kljajic is enssentially an scorer, a very good one. Every time he gets the ball in his hands he thinks only about putting the ball in the net. His best attribute is shooting. In spite of his percentage at the World Cup. He has a great touch from long and mid range. He knows how to run the screens, he knows how to put his feet when he shoots, his mechanic is fluid… But he has a problem with his shot selection. He shots from three every time he thinks he has a good option and this isn’t always true.
Kljajic also likes to get to the rim. He has a very good handling, He just knows how to use a lot of fakes, dribbles, crossovers, etc. However, as he does with his shooting ability, he tends to force situations and now he is not able to make some shots that he tries
Nevertheless, Jovan Kljajic is not only a scorer. He is a very versatile player. His handling lets him run moves and make him a sort of point guard. He has very good instincts to pass the ball and a great feel for the game. Sometimes he is not a sfocused as he should and he turns off the ball. He has a great motor and he plays with a lot of energy and because of that he is a excellent rebounder playing as a guard. He grabbed 6.1 rebounds (3rd in guards) last tournament.
DEFENSE & BODY TYPE
On the defensive end, Kljajic is always focused on defend passing lanes to get some steals. He tries to do a physical defense because his body is more mature than his rivals. He has some problems reading P&R defense and use to make bad choices in that defensive move.
He has a strong first step and he is build enough to take charges. As an athlete he is average, but he has worked on his body. He also grew an inch last year and now he is listed as 6-6.
