Dzanan Musa with the pass? Nets rookie thinks he can play the point

It was something that didn’t get attention at the time, Dzanan Musa telling reporters back in June that he sees himself as a “guard” and believes he can play the 1, 2, or 3 in the NBA.

“I can handle the ball like a lot,” Musa told reporters the day after the Draft. “So, point guard, shooting guard, three, whatever. I’m ready to do it.”

The 1? Point guard? At 6’9”? Really?

The Nets really don’t need any more PG’s. D’Angelo Russell,Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, Shabazz Napier, even Theo Pinson can all play the 1. (Of course, we wrote a variation of this the last two summers.)

And of course, Musa is the second youngest Net ... ever. Only Derrick Favors was younger and we all know how long his tenure lasted. Musa needs strength. He’s said that. And he’s more crafty than athletic.

Still, the prospect of a 6’9” point guard is intriguing. Draft Express called him a “capable passer” in their video assessment of the Bosnian, but also said his decision-making need a lot of work and that he had a reputation for being selfish when younger. How good is his passing? Here’s a few highlights, courtesy of Tobias Berger...

There’s not whiz-bang, how’d-he-do-that court vision like you see from DLo, but there is —as there is with his whole (offensive) game— a confidence. He’s not afraid to make the pass and his long, transition passes are the sort of thing that would fit neatly into the Nets offense. He also likes finding big men inside. Jarrett Allen and pick-and-roll master Ed Davis would appreciate that.

Our own Nick LeTourneau furnished some passing highlights in his (prophetic) Twitter Moment on Musa back in early June.

Sean Marks didn’t talk much (or at all) about Musa’s passing skills after drafting him, mainly pointing out “He’s very dynamic. His offensive skills are pretty special.” That said, the Nets liked Musa in large part because of his versatility, that ability and confidence to play multiple positions, guard skills and power forward height. As we know, Kenny Atkinson likes his point guards tall.

Of course, we don’t expect Musa to get much, if any time, at the point, but as a secondary playmaker at the 2 or 3? Sure. That fits with the Nets system. And the Nets have plenty of time to make things work. Musa is on a four-year rookie deal, the end of which he’ll be 23 years old. He can learn a lot about a lot in that time. And who knows, he may still be growing.