By Michael De Leon, Project Spurs.comThe last we heard of Davis Bertans (drafted by the Pacers in 2011 but his rights traded to the San Antonio Spurs as part of the George Hill-Kawhi Leonard deal) was that he signed a multi-year contract with KK Partizan in Serbia, committing to over three years nearly a year ago.
The Latvian sharpshooter is considered one of the top European prospects and has drawn comparisons to the likes of Dirk Nowitzki. Considering his young age, he was still very raw when drafted by the Spurs and one dimensional, but after watching some video of Bertans in action for Partizan, he is showing marked improvement in several areas.
While still displaying a high-quick release that will be tough to guard in the NBA, especially when taking his 6-10 frame into consideration, Bertans is looking less and less like a spot up shooter and is showing more mobility in taking a few steps into the lane for a jumper or driving inside for a layup. He also seems to be much more aware on the court and can be seen working within the offense to try to set up his teammates and get free for perimeter shots in a number of ways including quick slips on screens and picks.
Bertans still has some work to do on the defensive end, but his upside at this age is very high with potential to become much more than a spot-up outside shooter a la Kyle Korver.
Click
HERE for the video at Project Spurs.
