FanPost

Mario Hezonja will be 'very successful NBA player', says Peja Stojakovic

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Promoted to frontpage - ED.

Orlando Magic rookie Mario Hezonja has all the tools to emerge as the biggest star of his draft class, so says one of the NBA’s greatest European imports.

As a journalist in the Middle East, I had the pleasure of interviewing Serbian sharp-shooter Peja Stojakovic during his visit to Dubai in the summer. Naturally, as a Magic fan, I asked him about his fellow Eastern European gunner.

When my article was published to the NBA section of the site (shameless plug link), the Hezonja section remained on the cutting room floor, so here it is for the reading pleasure of OPP visitors.

Stojakovic knows plenty about the NBA wing position. He spent 13 seasons in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers and New Orleans Hornets before ending his career with the title-winning Dallas Mavericks in 2011. The 6ft 10in small forward remains one of history’s deadliest shooters. His 1,760 made three-pointers sits ninth on the all-time list.

And he thinks Croatian sensation Hezonja, the fifth pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, could eventually join him on the list of best Europeans to cross the Atlantic.

"I have seen Mario Hezonja and I am a big fan of his game," said Stojakovic at a summer camp for the UAE’s best young basketball stars.

"I really believe the NBA game really suits him. I think he is going to be a much better NBA player than he was in Europe. I think physically he is ready for the NBA. He is very athletic, has a great shot and he is a hard-working guy."

Hezonja heads to Orlando after three years with FC Barcelona Basquet, where, despite his obvious talent, he never broke out of a reserve role with the Spanish giants.

That didn’t stop the 20-year-old from surprising more than a few NBA analysts with his confidence prior to the draft, when he claimed he would have been taken first if he had attended a US college, according the Bleacher Report.

But according to Stojakovic, it is this self-assurance that could set apart Hezonja from others in his rookie class. He says Orlando could be the perfect launch-pad for the 6ft 8in swingman’s career.

"He has that good cockiness," said Stojakovic, a two-time NBA Three-Point Shootout champion.

"[Confidence] is a positive thing. He is a hard worker but he doesn’t back down and I really like that. He is very confident.

"I think Orlando is a perfect fit for him. They drafted the right guy and he went to the right team. He is going to have a lot of room to play and develop and [Magic coach Scott] Skiles is a great coach for the young guys. He can teach and he is very disciplinary and he will be great for Mario’s career.

"I met him [over] the last two years. I like his attitude, I like his mindset. He has all the right things to be a very successful NBA player."

Magic fans will be hoping Stojakovic’s eye for talent is as accurate as his three-point stroke. If it takes one to know one, as the saying goes, Hezonja could be a star NBA wing player for years to come.

This FanPost was made by a member of the Orlando Pinstriped Post community, and is to be treated as the opinions and views of its author, not that of the blogger or blog community as a whole.