Player Profiles: Sasha Vezenkov and Vasilije Micic

This article is part of our NBA Observations series.

Among the tougher-to-quantify players entering the 2023-24 season are Sasha Vezenkov and Vasilije Micic -- two established EuroLeague veterans. Joining the Kings and Thunder, respectively, they enter a hotly-contested, 11-team battle for eight playoff spots in the Western Conference. Let's evaluate how either player can step in to help.

Sasha Vezenkov

Vezenkov averaged 17.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.9 steals on 53.6/37.8/87.9 percent shooting for EuroLeague club Olympiacos last season.

Vezenkov's usage has been a trending topic throughout camp for the Kings. He's a true power forward with dead-eye shooting and a modern offensive game for his position. Despite Vezenkov's status as the reigning EuroLeague MVP, his defensive shortcomings must be prefaced. It's limiting his ability to crack the Kings' early-season rotation, as coach Mike Brown detailed.

There are real questions about his motor and energy. Additionally, Vezenkov, who comes in at 6-foot-9, 225 pounds, completely lacks twitchiness and lateral agility. It will be hard for Vezenkov to exceed 15-20 minutes per night if he can't keep tax opponents or keep them in front of him: 

Offensively, he compensates for the lack of shiftiness by cutting well and creating advantages for himself as a screener -- flaring out or finding lanes to the basket. He moves well without the ball and pairs excellently with Domantas Sabonis. His activity in the Kings' offense through preseason has looked smooth, yielding an acceptable 19 points, four rebounds and two assists over 33 minutes. 

His scoring instincts generate easy baskets, but the NBA degree of difficulty could expose his lack of athleticism and make such buckets harder to come by. Being a well-respected shooter opens up opportunities inside the arc, but it's hard to say how effective the 28-year-old can be in the paint. His size advantage is real (evident by shooting straight over the D'Angelo Russell contest above), and he certainly deserves a chance to acclimate to the league. 

I'd say that Trey Lyles has a distinct advantage over Vezenkov in the Kings' rotation to start the season. Lyles profiles as a better rebounder and an NBA-tested defender, and the Kings' offense doesn't necessarily need a boost after leading the league with 119.7 points per 100 possessions last season. Vezenkov being on the outskirts of the rotation, aligning with coach Brown's statements in the above article, seems logical -- at least to start the season.

Vasilije Micic

Micic averaged 16.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists on 43.5/35.7/87.0 percent shooting for Anadolu Efes of the EuroLeague last season.

Micic is a big-bodied combo guard, repping a functional and smooth handle with a solid finishing package. He's a very adept pick-and-roll distributor and decision-maker. Not a dynamic athlete, but he has some glide to the basket. The 29-year-old is accustomed to playing in lineups with multiple guards since he shared the floor with Shane Larkin and Elijah Bryant for stretches of last season.

At 6-foot-5, he's solid and attentive as a team defender, but he gets beaten by good first steps and doesn't have recovery skills. Overall, Micic is a subpar individual defender. Assessing his defense is important for determining what lineups the Thunder could deploy him in. If Chet Holmgren proves to be a quality rim protector, then OKC would have tons of flexibility. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams are plus-defenders, so Micic and Josh Giddey joining that trio as one of Oklahoma City's primary lineups is plausible. 

Micic has the upside to be a seamless addition to this team. I think there's an overblown perception around the basketball community that Oklahoma City is too guard-heavy. Josh Giddey essentially plays forward. Cason Wallace would need to show offensive strides to see the court substantially -- although his future is bright.

All in all, SGA, Giddey, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Joe are the only players locked into consistent roles. Micic providing more value than Tre Mann is likely. Settling into the top 8 of the Thunders' rotation is plausible. Micic connected on 40.0 percent of 402 three-point attempts last season, so he brings arguably the best three-point shooting of the bunch. The Thunder ranked 20th with a 33.2 percent clip from beyond the arc last season.