Dejan Vasiljevic – Not Your Average Rookie

Written by Matt McQuade for Kings Media 

 

The NBL21 campaign represents the 32^nd National Basketball League season for the Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings.

And over that time, the organization has produced a number of standout rookies.

In fact, no other club in NBL history has produced more winners of the league’s Rookie of the Year Award, and the margin between first and second place is considerable.

Nine Kings have won the award for the best non-restricted NBL player in his first professional season – the next best club is the Adelaide 36ers with five.

The first Sydney player to ever win the award was the man who would go on to become a Sydney Kings Legend and the greatest player ever to pull on a Kings jersey – one Matthew Nielsen, who garnered Rookie of the Year honors in 1997.

Since then, the other eight Kingsmen to have been named the NBL’s best rookie include some outstanding ballplayers like Mark Worthington, Ben Madgen, Angus Brandt and Isaac Humphries.

It’s an imposing legacy to be sure. And as the current season starts to ramp up in earnest, there is a young man wearing purple and gold who is looking to add his name to that honor roll of great Sydney Kings rookies – one Dejan Vasiljevic.

Recruited to the club out of the University of Miami by former coach Will Weaver, Dejan has been nothing short of a revelation in his opening eight games.

Currently third in the team in scoring at 17.6 points per game and shooting the ball at 38.6% from three-point range, the solidly built swingman has been brilliant on a nightly basis, filling the void left by the retirement of Kevin Lisch and providing much-needed offence for a roster that has been decimated by injury.

Even more impressively, Dejan is getting it done this season at an historical rate. He’s already dropped 28 points in a game against the 36ers in Adelaide, setting an all-time single game franchise scoring record for a Sydney Kings’ rookie. And with his 22 points against the 36ers in the opening game of the NBL Cup, he became the first Kings’ rookie ever to score in double figures in his opening eight games, breaking a tie held with AJ Ogilvy.

Not bad for a guy who wasn’t mentioned that much as a Rookie of the Year candidate – at least, not as much as more hyped guys like Adelaide’s Josh Giddey and Illawarra’s NBA draftee Justinian Jessup – despite his impressive pedigree, his history as a standout Australian junior and a career at Miami that saw him matched up often in the powerful Atlantic Coast Conference against NBA-level talent like Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles, Grayson Allen and Jerome Robinson.

“He’s a rookie, but he’s been very professional in how he’s managed himself with things like his recovery, his nutrition and how he handles himself in the gym,” Brydens Lawyers Sydney Kings Head Coach Adam Forde said of his prized recruit.

“His competitiveness isn’t limited to just the games; he brings it in practice. He has the kind of intensity we need, especially on the training floor.”

“He’s come in as a first-year pro, but what’s been remarkable about him has been his maturity – not just his emotional maturity, but also his game maturity, in the sense of being able to get out there and make some big plays for us.”

“He’s put some points on the board, which is exactly what we need.”

In many ways, the Kings have been lucky to secure Dejan’s services this season – had we not been in the middle of a world-wide pandemic, he may have headed to Europe or even the NBA. Thankfully for Kings’ fans, the NBL won out in the end.

“I think it was just the whole COVID-19 situation to start off with and obviously not knowing what was happening overseas,” Dejan said.

“I did have interest from the NBA and the G-League as a two-way guy, but just the uncertainty at that time and the fact the NBL was going to start and we were going to be able to play in front of crowds persuaded me.”

“Plus, my agent had a great discussion with Chris Pongrass and his staff, and Will Weaver and Adam Forde had plans for me in that first year where they said ‘this is what we think your role will be, this is how we’re going to play you, this is how we’re going to develop you’, obviously to help me make that jump to the NBA.”

“They did the same thing with Jae’Sean Tate, so that’s why I signed with the Kings.

Aside from his obvious strength as a perimeter shooter, one other trait Dejan has already demonstrated is great versatility. While he came in nominally as a shooting guard and the natural replacement for Kevin Lisch, he’s played a number of different positions and has started at the three spot with Coach Forde employing a dual point guard look featuring Casper Ware and Shaun Bruce.

But that’s nothing new for Vasiljevic, who played multiple roles in college.

“In college we were hit by a number of injuries and sometimes I’d play as a four man because I knew the offence and had to play that role,” Dejan said.

“But all of us guards are interchangeable. It doesn’t really make me think I’m a three man; I can play point guard or the two spot as well as the three.”

“It’s good though. I love challenges; I love the adversity our team is facing right now. I think we’re doing a good job.”

Indeed, few NBL teams have taken hits like the Sydney Kings this season, especially on the injury front, where so many key contributors have been lost for a significant period. But thanks in large part to Dejan’s production, the group has not only kept their heads above water, they have been super-competitive in every ballgame.

“We have this saying of next man up mentality,” Dejan said.

“Obviously with Jarell (Martin) going down some of our bigs are going to have to step up. I think a lot of our scoring punch will come from myself and Cas, but we need others like Craig Moller and Jordi Hunter to come in and do a great job, like we did in our game against Illawarra.”

“Even though we lost that game, I felt like we did a great job in fighting our way back and never giving up. That’s what the next man up mentality is.”

There’s little doubt that Vasiljevic is already an elite level scorer and shooter, and that’s how he’s made his bones in these opening eight games of the season. But what’s also been impressive about him is his obvious work ethic and desire to improve.

Dejan’s eventual goal is the NBA, and he has the talent to reach those rarefied heights. But he knows there is a lot of work to do if he is to get to the ultimate level of his sport – it’s a terrific attitude that will serve him well throughout what figures to be an outstanding professional career.

“I need to continue to work on every part of my game,” Vasiljevic said.

“I always want to be better than I was yesterday.”

“I watch a lot of film with Kevin Lisch and the coaching staff. Kevin has been a great mentor for me because he’s played in the NBL and for a long time professionally.”

“It’s just everything – defensively being able to stay in front of my man, rebounding, and obviously that playmaking ability. Everyone knows I can score, but I’m going to draw a lot of attention as a guy who can shoot and score so it’s being able to find my bigs and other guards in the right position.”

You can count Adam Forde as one man who sees Dejan’s enormous potential and is very impressed with his work to constantly improve his game on a daily basis – albeit he acknowledges the talented rookie still has a ways to go to fulfilling his tremendous promise.

“One thing that he’s aware of and something he’s already made improvements on is his ability to defend the ball,” Coach Forde said.

“Then it’s about his ability to create his own shot and work off screens. We’ve definitely given him the opportunity to be able to create off the pick and roll; he can make plays for himself but to be elite he needs to make plays for his teammates and make those passes.”

“These are things we are working on with him every week – the ability to create for others and defend down the other end are top on his list of priorities.”

Dejan’s adjustment to the NBL has looked fairly seamless, and there’s no doubt he’s handled the transition from the college game exceptionally well, but it hasn’t been without its challenges, especially with the extended minutes he’s had to play given his importance to a beaten-up squad.

It’s a lot to burden a youngster with, no matter how talented he is. But he’s dealt with the increased responsibility in a positive manner and as his head coach admits, he’ll be leaned on even further as this NBL21 season progresses.

‘Well, I’d like him to play 30 minutes and score 20 points a game,” Coach Forde joked.

“But that’s the reality of it. I’ve sat him down and told him I’m going to play him longer stretches, six or seven minutes straight which he’s not used to.”

“What I need from him is obviously to take the right shot, to make not just a good pass but a great pass, to read that guy in the corner and get the ball to him.”

“Right now, he’s doing what we need. He’s doing a great job picking up his role defensively and he’s ticking over the scoreboard for us. If we can ride that momentum of him getting better each week, we’re going to continue to go to the well with that.”

As you might have guessed, Dejan Vasiljevic is no ordinary NBL rookie trying to make his way.

Not even close.

He is a special talent who in a short space of time has become a vitally important part of the team.

He has the work ethic, confidence, and drive to not only succeed individually, but help his squad make a drive to the playoffs.

The NBA is his future. But his immediate focus is squarely on getting better and making his team better.

The organisation is lucky to have him, even if it is just for a short time.

And when all is said and done, don’t be surprised if Dejan Vasiljevic makes it ten Rookie of the Year awards for the Sydney Kings.

Rise With Us Sydney.