Since new Arizona point guard signee Kerr Kriisa is not someone I have had the opportunity to see in person I decided to look back at some of his games over the last few years to get a better feel for the player the Wildcats are getting in the Estonian prospect.
I picked a game from his time playing for Estonia against Italy in the FIBA U16 European Championship tournament back in the summer of 2017 when Kriisa had an opportunity to go up against Nico Mannion. They played against each other a couple times, but the game I've highlighted featured a better performance for Kriisa since he was held scoreless in the second meeting with Mannion in that tournament.
I also picked a game from last year when Kriisa was with his Zalgiris squad taking part in the adidas Next Generation Junior Tournament where he eventually earned the MVP of the event. In this game the future UA guard showcased his all-around game highlighted by his ability to score.
Here is a closer look at what I was able to take away from watching the games, which you can see in their entirety at the bottom of the post.
Strengths
For starters, it is clear that Kriisa's greatest strength is his ability to be a playmaker because of his passing and vision. That is certainly a big part of his game and while it can lead to turnovers at moments when he is locked in the 6-foot-2 guard is capable of creating shots for himself and his teammates. He has a good command of the point guard position and understands spacing and where his teammates will be so that he can find them in position to score.
When it comes to the offensive end of the floor one thing that stands out is his ability to mix up his scoring. Yes, his ability to hit 3-point shots is probably his greatest strength as a scorer but he is also capable of hitting floaters and mid-range jumps shots as well.
He also has good body control that has improved in the time between the two games I've selected. It shows development and an ability to improve over time and that is going to be big as he continues his career at the college level.
Overall, he carries himself well and shows a strong competitive edge that should serve him well when he arrives to the US to begin playing with the Wildcats.
Weaknesses
Kriisa's size is something that jumps out right away about his game. He isn't the biggest player at a position that is trending toward bigger players. At 6-foot-2, he absolutely has solid enough height to handle position with no problem, but he is going to have to bulk up to deal with the rigors of a college season and for his aspirations of moving on beyond the college level. The fact that he has been able to hold his own at a high level in Europe is proof, however, that it is not a huge red flag when it comes to Kriisa as a player.
There are moments when he does get careless with the ball and that is something that Miller will not stand for, so Kriisa is going to have to clean up that part of his game and improve his overall ball-handling ability. There has certainly been improvement in the 18 months separating the two clips but there are still moments when his ball handling is not as crisp as you would like to see especially at the point guard position.
Tightening that up will be a big part of the next step in his development as he continues to move into the next phase of his career.
In addition to that he is not as explosive or quick on tape as you see with top-end players at the position. There are moments when he is able to build up some steam and get down the floor in a hurry in transition, but in half-court situations his quickness is not on par with the top point guard prospects in the class.
My final thoughts
Kriisa is an intriguing player and someone who has the skills to help Arizona right away, but there is enough room for development that it is going to take some time for him to reach his full potential. That is not something the Wildcats are going to shy away from right now and it will actually be a welcome change for the coaching staff to have a player at that position that they can mold into what they want him to be over the next few years.
Ever since first seeing his film Kriisa strikes me as a lite version of Nico Mannion, and after watching him in a couple different games – including one that had him matched up against Mannion – only reaffirmed my belief. He is not quite as polished as Mannion in certain areas and not nearly as quick, but he has similar size and certainly the type of floor presence that can command a team at the point guard spot.
His offensive game can certainly end up being similar in the coming seasons and Kriisa could end up being a more productive outside shooter at Arizona than Mannion.
It's clear to see that the talent is there and it will be interesting to watch him develop and see just how good Kriisa can become during his time with the Wildcats.
U18 Zalgiris Kaunas vs U18 CFBB Paris – Euroleague Basketball adidas Next Generation Junior Tournament (Feb. 9, 2019)
Stats: 21 points (8-17 FGs, 2-8 3 FGs), 3-3 FTs, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 foul, 6 TOs
Estona vs Italy – FIBA U16 European Championship (Aug. 12, 2017)
Stats: 11 points (2-13 FGs, 2-6 3 FGs), 5-6 FTs, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 fouls, 5 TOs, 1 steal
I picked a game from his time playing for Estonia against Italy in the FIBA U16 European Championship tournament back in the summer of 2017 when Kriisa had an opportunity to go up against Nico Mannion. They played against each other a couple times, but the game I've highlighted featured a better performance for Kriisa since he was held scoreless in the second meeting with Mannion in that tournament.
I also picked a game from last year when Kriisa was with his Zalgiris squad taking part in the adidas Next Generation Junior Tournament where he eventually earned the MVP of the event. In this game the future UA guard showcased his all-around game highlighted by his ability to score.
Here is a closer look at what I was able to take away from watching the games, which you can see in their entirety at the bottom of the post.
Strengths
For starters, it is clear that Kriisa's greatest strength is his ability to be a playmaker because of his passing and vision. That is certainly a big part of his game and while it can lead to turnovers at moments when he is locked in the 6-foot-2 guard is capable of creating shots for himself and his teammates. He has a good command of the point guard position and understands spacing and where his teammates will be so that he can find them in position to score.
When it comes to the offensive end of the floor one thing that stands out is his ability to mix up his scoring. Yes, his ability to hit 3-point shots is probably his greatest strength as a scorer but he is also capable of hitting floaters and mid-range jumps shots as well.
He also has good body control that has improved in the time between the two games I've selected. It shows development and an ability to improve over time and that is going to be big as he continues his career at the college level.
Overall, he carries himself well and shows a strong competitive edge that should serve him well when he arrives to the US to begin playing with the Wildcats.
Weaknesses
Kriisa's size is something that jumps out right away about his game. He isn't the biggest player at a position that is trending toward bigger players. At 6-foot-2, he absolutely has solid enough height to handle position with no problem, but he is going to have to bulk up to deal with the rigors of a college season and for his aspirations of moving on beyond the college level. The fact that he has been able to hold his own at a high level in Europe is proof, however, that it is not a huge red flag when it comes to Kriisa as a player.
There are moments when he does get careless with the ball and that is something that Miller will not stand for, so Kriisa is going to have to clean up that part of his game and improve his overall ball-handling ability. There has certainly been improvement in the 18 months separating the two clips but there are still moments when his ball handling is not as crisp as you would like to see especially at the point guard position.
Tightening that up will be a big part of the next step in his development as he continues to move into the next phase of his career.
In addition to that he is not as explosive or quick on tape as you see with top-end players at the position. There are moments when he is able to build up some steam and get down the floor in a hurry in transition, but in half-court situations his quickness is not on par with the top point guard prospects in the class.
My final thoughts
Kriisa is an intriguing player and someone who has the skills to help Arizona right away, but there is enough room for development that it is going to take some time for him to reach his full potential. That is not something the Wildcats are going to shy away from right now and it will actually be a welcome change for the coaching staff to have a player at that position that they can mold into what they want him to be over the next few years.
Ever since first seeing his film Kriisa strikes me as a lite version of Nico Mannion, and after watching him in a couple different games – including one that had him matched up against Mannion – only reaffirmed my belief. He is not quite as polished as Mannion in certain areas and not nearly as quick, but he has similar size and certainly the type of floor presence that can command a team at the point guard spot.
His offensive game can certainly end up being similar in the coming seasons and Kriisa could end up being a more productive outside shooter at Arizona than Mannion.
It's clear to see that the talent is there and it will be interesting to watch him develop and see just how good Kriisa can become during his time with the Wildcats.
U18 Zalgiris Kaunas vs U18 CFBB Paris – Euroleague Basketball adidas Next Generation Junior Tournament (Feb. 9, 2019)
Stats: 21 points (8-17 FGs, 2-8 3 FGs), 3-3 FTs, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 foul, 6 TOs
Estona vs Italy – FIBA U16 European Championship (Aug. 12, 2017)
Stats: 11 points (2-13 FGs, 2-6 3 FGs), 5-6 FTs, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 fouls, 5 TOs, 1 steal
