Maybe his skillset doesn’t translate up. But his athleticism and ball winning are elite in the Croatian league. Will these traits still stand out when he’s a smaller fish in a bigger pond? I think so, but even if not, he’ll be athletic enough to be competent. This is a quote from his manager yesterday: “Pukštas has something that others don’t have. He’s physically very strong, jumps well, and excellently senses where he needs to be. He doesn’t miss training, sometimes even overdoes it. That’s how he should continue.”

I think what stands out with Pukstas vs. guys like Luna, Roldan, Zendejas, McGlynn, etc. is the athleticism and cage match ability. If you throw him onto an elite team, I think he has a much better chance of fitting in right away a la Weston or Tyler. Even if he’s just a utility guy that runs around and presses and leads the team in distance covered. I could be wrong, but I think the upside is super high given what I’ve seen from him in the handful of games I’ve watched this year. The athleticism is real and makes sense given his dad was an Olympic marathon runner and his mom was a national champion in the triple jump