Miikka Muurinen's NBA dream faces maturity questions

Muurinen played sparingly during the ABA league games when Obradovic was still coaching, but once Joan Penarroya took over, his minutes completely evaporated.

“Along the way I lost the chance to play under Zeljko,” Muurinen told HoopsHype about the situation. “It really bothered me when Zeljko left. He was absolutely my favorite. Favorite coach.”

As Muurinen admitted, his experience in Belgrade completely changed for the worse after the coaching change. One media member at Partizan told HoopsHype that Muurinen was the first guy out of the locker room after every game, and they did not often see him interact with his teammates.

“Different culture,” Muurinen said when asked about struggles he had in his time in Serbia. “Different culture. It's not really anything beyond that.”

Yet, when speaking to people around Partizan, the cultural differences did not begin to describe the difficulties he had there.

“Miikka has the potential to be a top player, but that is not enough,” Penarroya said to Mondo. “You won't become a player based on 'highlights' alone… He does not know the tactical level of the game, which is normal, because he is young and comes from a different type of basketball… He is not currently adequate to play in a team like ours. There is a part of basketball that he does not understand at the moment."

One media member around Partizan told HoopsHype that coaches within the organization described Muurinen's basketball IQ and fundamental knowledge as comparable to that of a player no older than 13 or 14, and his attention to detail and work ethic during practice leave much to be desired.

Remember, Muurinen is still just 19 years old. He has been navigating life around basketball mostly on his own.

The common perception seems to be that Serbians - and Europeans at large - do not understand why the hype surrounding the teenager remains at an all-time high, with some projecting him as a potential lottery pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. However, the disconnect stems from a fundamental philosophical difference in how the game is evaluated on each side of the Atlantic. Europeans prioritize fundamental, coachability amd basketball IQ as the building blocks towards a long professional career. Meanwhile, the NBA is infatuated with upside and the ceiling of potential players, often willing to overlook work ethic issues, personality traits, and simple basketball IQ.

The gamble does not always work out. For every one player who capitalizes on the hype surrounding his ceiling, there are dozens who flame out.

The friction between what scouts see in glimpses and what coaches experience daily is at the center of the Muurinen conversation. The NBA and NCAA see a 6-foot-8 wing with above-the-rim athleticism and a rare skill set. Europeans who have been around him enough see something else entirely.

As of now, there is still chatter about Muurinen being considered by high-major colleges, and NBA scouts and executives at the Nike Hoop Summit were tantalized with his skill set.

Only time will tell what Muurinen could look like in a couple of years. People who have been around him say he personally recognizes his own talent, but, in a way, he treats basketball as a means to an end rather than something he is truly excited about.

And with momentum building around the budding opportunities he will get in the United States, it really is up to him.

The NBA will almost certainly come calling for Muurinen. But getting to the league and staying in the league are two very different things.

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: The ceiling of Miikka Muurinen is undeniable but he has bigger problems first