 |
Position: forward/center Height: 6-11 Weight: 272 College: None (Yugoslavia) Born: October 27, 1975, Bijelo Polje, Yugoslavia Opening day (2002) age: 27 Drafted: 1997, second round, pick 49, Washington NBA exerience: One year (one with Sonics) Hand: Right Acquired: Draft rights traded by Washington for draft rights to forward Bobby Simmons, June 27, 2001 Nickname: Peja, Drob Contract status: Signed through 2002-03 with a team option for the 2003-04 season |
2001-02 in Review: Four years after being drafted by the Washington Bullets with the 49th pick of the 1997 NBA Draft, Yugoslavian big man Predrag Drobnjak -- better known as Peja -- got his break when the now-Wizards traded his rights on Draft night to the Seattle Supersonics in exchange for the rights for the Sonics' 42nd pick, forward Bobby Simmons. The Sonics were interested in Drobnjak not only for his considerable ability -- he was considered one of the best centers in Europe while playing in the Turkish league -- but also to serve as a veteran mentor to their first-round selection, countryman Vladimir Radmanovic. After initial rumors that Drobnjak might be interested in taking most of the Sonics' remaining cap room, he came to terms in early September on a two-year deal for just under a million dollars with a team option for a third year. Drobnjak entered training camp projecting as the Sonics' top reserve big man, and had done nothing to change that before suffering a sprained ankle in mid-October that sidelined him at the open of the regular season. Drobnjak made a triumphant return and NBA debut on November 20 against Dallas, scoring 10 points. Subsequently, he found playing time difficult to come by despite injuries up front, and struggled with his shot. Drobnjak closed the year on a strong note, scoring 11 points and grabbing six rebounds against Toronto, but continued to struggle throughout January and early February. Things finally changed for the better when Vin Baker was injured on Valentine's Day. With increased playing time, Drobnjak's confidence -- and his shot -- came back. In the next three games, he totaled 45 points and was on his way to becoming a valuable part of the rotation. A game after scoring a career-high 18 points against the LA Clippers, he joined the starting lineup on March 19. In his first seven games as a starter, the Sonics went 6-1 as Drobnjak opened up the offense with his ability to play in the high post. Drobnjak's fine play extended through April, as he averaged just under 12 points per game in the month with his finest performance in the NBA, 19 points and nine boards against the Knicks. Come playoff time, however, Drobnjak's lack of footspeed rendered him unable to match up with a small San Antonio lineup defensively. He suffered the indignity of sitting out both of the Sonics' victories in the series because of coach's decision. Drobnjak finished the season with averages of 6.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
Previous Career: After two years with Partizan in his native Yugoslavia, Drobnjak moved on to the more prestigious Efes Pilsen squad in the Turkish league where he teamed with current NBAers Hidayet Turkoglu of the Sacramento Kings and Marc Jackson of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Drobnjak's stats were better than either of these two players, and he was generally considered one of Europe's best centers before coming to the NBA.
Shooting/Scoring: Though he is 6-11, Drobnjak's game is more akin to a much smaller
player. He is most comfortable operating in the high post, from where he can be lethal with his
flat-footed jumper. His range does not extend to the NBA three-point line, as he only attempted
two threes last season. Inside Drobnjak utilizes head fakes to his advantage, but is prone to being
stripped. Though a reputation for being a willing and frequent dunker preceded him, Drobnjak chose
to use the bank shot most frequently in close. On the fast break, he will often slide toward the
baseline for a 12-15 footer. Drobnjak's drives are not pretty, but they are often effective. He is a
good free-throw shooter, and improved in this regard through the course of the season.
Grade: B-
Floor Game: Drobnjak was one of the league's best distributors from the center position,
ending up with exactly as many assists as turnovers. He finds the open man well from the high
post, though he does not attempt many high-risk passes. At times, he does have the tendency
to telegraph his passes. As noted above, Drobnjak's ballhandling is ugly yet effective. Though fans
seem to have the impression that he is very turnover-prone, Drobnjak averaged less turnovers per
minute than any of the Sonics' other bigmen. He improved throughout the season his ability to
judge when it was appropriate to put the ball on the ground, and when to hang on to it. He is a fair
screen-setter, and can be very effective in a pick-and-fade where the defense has to honor his
shooting ability.
Grade: B
Rebounding: Drobnjak simply must do a better job on the glass next season. Despite his
size, he averaged less rebounds per minute than Seattle's small forward, Rashard Lewis, and
Radmanovic, who split time between the forward positions. Oddly, though he spends much of his
time on offense in the high post, he was adequate on the offensive glass. It was on defense that he
had more trouble.
Grade: D+
Defense: Drobnjak's foot speed is not very good for an NBA power forward, and average at
best for an NBA center. This gave him trouble defensively; during the first half of the season, he was
clearly the Sonics' worst defender. He improved with more playing time, but it was still because of
defensive concerns that the Sonics were unable to use him in the playoffs. In the post, Drobnjak
does a decent job and doesn't get shoved around. His weak-side help is poor, and he is not much
of a shot-blocking threat (though, it should be noted, he was better in this regard late in the
season).
Grade: C-
Intangibles: Self-confidence may be an issue for Drobnjak; he spoke through the media
about gaining it when he got the chance to play, but fans still noted that whenever he turned the
ball over or made a mistake, he had a tendency to head back downcourt with his head held low,
like a schoolboy who's been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Other than that, however, he
was no trouble and the team's plan to pair him and Radmanovic seemed to ease the rookie's
transition.
Grade: B+
Overall: Look at Drobnjak's numbers from the first and second halves of the season, and
two dramatically different pictures of his ability are painted. His first-half numbers (3.8 ppg and 2.2
rpg on 40% shooting) look like those of a player who is overmatched at the NBA level. His
second-half numbers (8.5 ppg and 4.1 rpg on 48% shooting) are excellent for a reserve big man --
as a whole, it's not a talented lot. The second-half Drobnjak seems clearly to be the real one, as
he finally made the adjustment to playing at the game's highest level and believed he could play
at this level. It's also possible that Drobnjak is simply not effective in short stints and needs a while
to get going. Either way, the second-half Drobnjak should be around next season, if not a still
better version. Drobnjak's lack of speed puts a low ceiling on his upside, and he's not likely to get
a whole let better than he is right now. What he is right now, however, is an average third big man
and an excellent fourth one. Especially given his excellent contract, that's a very valuable piece for
the Sonics. Expect Drobnjak to repeat his second-half numbers over the course of a full season
next year in 20-25 minutes a night off the bench.
Grade: B-