NBA scouts are always on the move to find the next best talent. If not for the best, they would look for perfect role players. And, the recently concluded 2024 Paris Olympics turned into a gold mine with a plethora of talent across the globe. Notably, Serbia, which almost upset Team USA, has a lot of eyeballs on them, especially on the veteran guard, Aleksa Avramović. While a report claimed that the 29-year-old could team up with his captain, Bogdan Bogdanovic, it also stated that the Clippers could play spoilsport.

The 6’3 Serbian guard had standout performances through the Paris Olympics, averaging 10.5 points with 1.7 steals per game. Avramović also shot at an impressive field goal accuracy of 53.3% and under 40% from deep. He also has earned himself a nickname for his defensive abilities, which is ‘Serbian Gary Payton’, especially for his nagging perimeter defense. Before going into the details, let’s get back to the Serbian reunion and its status.

The Real GM’s latest update stated that the Atlanta Hawks have shown interest in recruiting Aleksa Avramović. The 29-year-old is currently under a contract with CSKA Moscow and it would require $850,000 as a buyout to fly him to the US. This move will ultimately enable the breakout player’s reunion with Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is already playing for the Hawks. However, there is a twist. The same report stated that James Harden’s employers have also shown interest in roping in the point guard.

The Los Angeles Clippers has lost two of their superstars in the off-season: Paul George and Russell Westbrook. James Harden, who focused more on orchestrating plays and dishing out assists in the previous season, could focus more on scoring to compensate for PG’s departure. On the other hand, Aleksa Avramović could replace Russ as a second-unit point guard or maybe even in the starting lineup. Thus, the Clippers and Steve Ballmer might be motivated enough to move the needle and ruin the Serbian reunion in Atlanta.

The Gary Payton effect

Gary Payton Sr. ended his long illustrious career in 2007 as one of the best defenders in the NBA world. He made the All-NBA Defensive team 9 times and ranks 4th in the all-time steals. More importantly, he was the only point guard to win a Defense Player of the Year award, until Marcus Smart in 2022. All this was possible because of Payton’s intelligent defensive technique, which also fetched him the nickname The Glove.

Payton is known for his lockdown wide stance outside the perimeter, guarding the player and keeping his body low. This pesky approach to defense fetched a lot of steals. Ultimately, he has passed it on to his son, Gary Payton II, who has proved himself as a defensive mastermind at the Golden State Warriors.

Similar talent was spotted abroad because the Serbian guard, Aleksa Avramović, also has a similar defensive technique from the perimeter. Joe Viray, a renowned NBA writer, analyzed the Serbian’s defensive abilities and called him the ‘Serbian Gary Payton’. Above all, Viray stated that Avramović made the headlines during the Paris Olympics for watching 2 days of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s footage and ultimately locked him up with just 15 points. So, if given a chance, the NBA could witness another mastery in defense.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.