VCU’s Max Shulga brings play-making ability to NBA

For Max Shulga, it was always about basketball.

That’s why he left Kyiv for Spain as a child and later crossed the pond to enroll at Utah State University as a skinny 18-year-old. It took Shulga two seasons to earn regular minutes with the Aggies.

Before his breakout junior year, he put up a notable performance in the 2022 FIBA U20 with his offensive motor and lead-guard upside in full display. He has never looked back since then and won an Atlantic 10 Championship, a Conference Player of the Year award and a trip to the NCAA Tournament as super-senior with Virginia Commonwealth University while playing for head coach Ryan Odom.

Can Shulga go one step further and hear his name called in this week’s NBA Draft?

The Ukrainian’s archetype is an intriguing one. He is a do-it-all 6-foot-5 combo with a feel for the game and is equally productive on and off the ball. He will manipulate matchups and set the table for others as a classic point guard. He could turn into a two-way dynamo who makes his mark on defense. That’s a classic second-round steal in my book. Or a gem of an undrafted free agent at the very least.

Let’s get a closer look.

Scoring Versatility

Watching Shulga closely, you soon realize how much of a jack-of-all-trades he is in terms of offensive proficiency. Take for example his slashing ability and ball screen offense (69th percentile as a PNR Handler per Synergy).

Although Shulga has massively improved his handles since his freshman days, he’s far from an explosive athlete and still suffers in tight spaces or under pressure. He is strong of course, with broad shoulders and a powerful lower body to decelerate, stop on a dime and go. In addition, the Ukrainian understands his frame and how to keep defenders on his hip.

All the same, Shulga lacks some vertical pop and a dominant first step, but he can create separation with spin moves and crafty footwork and exploit handoffs and pick-and-roll advantages while finishing at the rim at a 59.8% clip. If anything, Shulga could use more of a floater game as a countermove when he drives among the trees.

Spot-ups are the other main scoring source for Shulga (23.5% of his offense), and he truly excels at it ranking in the 91st percentile per Synergy. He has a tremendously quick and polished jumper with a wide base and plenty of core strength.

When he plays off another guard Shulga turns into a versatile off-movement sniper with a whole bag of tricks at his disposal (pump fakes, jab step, step back…), and he’s certainly a more prolific shooter off the catch (43.5%) than off the dribble (30%). The Ukrainian worked on his midrange pull-ups this season too, and becoming a legitimate three-level scorer threat will only help his prospects.

Ultimately, you need to love all the other offensive bits that Shulga brings to the table, whether he runs the floor hard, takes on isolation plays, crashes the glass and gets to the free-throw line after drawing and absorbing contact on the back of his energy and raw muscle (82.5 FT% as a starter with VCU the last two seasons).

Playmaking Chops

Shulga’s biggest selling point in my view is how he helps to win games even if shots are not falling. At VCU, he switched between both guard spots at will and has made the secondary initiator role his own without needing the ball too much (22.5% usage per BartTorvik). The same slasher principles of body control, strength and balance apply when the Ukrainian steps into the lane and takes over as a playmaker. Add quick decision-making and some automatisms to the mix, and he will find angles and passing windows for you. In ball screens offense, for instance, Shulga usually goes for the easiest and most instinctive read without overcooking the play. That’s why he’s managed a 2.35 assist-to-turnover ratio this season, topped with a career-high four assists per night.

Shulga plays a team-first brand of basketball with his head up, and he can make every pass in the book. He can dish for the roll man, whip passes from the high post, find open shooters after defenses collapse all over him and act as a connector. The Ukrainian is most naturally gifted in the open floor and early offense, leveraging his physicality and instincts against defenses not fully settled.

Regardless of his improved ball security, Shulga will need to cut casual turnovers to make it in the NBA. The consistency and versatility of his deliveries (23.2% assists rate) and the ability to build exciting partnerships with athletic wing/forwards like Joseph Bamisile, Christian Fermin and Jack Clark are encouraging and translatable traits.

Defense: The glue that holds it together

Because of the offensive duties and the mentioned lack of prime athletic tools, you could think the defense will hold back Shulga among the pros. Nevertheless, NBA front offices have surely done their homework and know about the Ukrainian floor and ceiling on his own end. Shulga was at the heart of one of the most aggressive teams in the country, which ranked in the top 5 in defensive efficiency by TeamRankins.com. The Rams don’t play the Shaka Smart havoc these days, but they consistently run teams off the 3-point line (30.1% 3FG%) and force contested jump shots while relying on the exuberance of Fermin, Luke Bamgboye and Michael Belle to provide rim deterrence in spades.

Shulga fit like a glove in VCU’s maze of rotations and closeouts with his quick hands and light feet. He posted a team-high 1.8 steals per night for the season turning many of those into offense with ease. Moreover, Odom tweaked VCU’s D setup going for a full-court press where Shulga regularly put pressure on opposing ball handlers at point-of-attack and set the tone for the team. That’s another sign of a proper two-way guard in the making who deserves much more credit as a disruptive defender with his tenacity and determination.

Shulga is excellent at guarding spot-ups (91st percentile per Synergy) and putting his length to good use. He does a terrific job in handoffs and isolation plays at a lower volume. However, the Ukrainian allows 0.79 PPP in Pick-and-Roll D and there is some room for improving screen navigation and reaction time against swift changes of pace and direction. Anyhow, Shulga has the length and the grit to multiply the defensive impact, and he more than helps on the boards by being a truly impressive rebounder for his size and position as well as a constant grab-and-go threat.

Summary

Shulga celebrates his 23rd birthday on the first day of the Draft but he should aim for the second round on Thursday night. He can be a low-risk, high-value pick. He brings a ton of college experience and will be ready to produce from day one.

The Ukrainian missed the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament last April since he later got invited to the NBA Combine, but he didn’t shine in the Chicago-based event. After that experience, and besides guarding at his best and hitting open shots, it’s clear Shulga will need to limit mistakes on the ball and stay engaged off the ball to carve out minutes in the league.

I can picture Shulga in a similar role to Oklahoma City Thunder’s rookie and former mid-major star Ajay Mitchell, as Shulga himself stated in a recent interview. He can be an energetic combo-guard off the bench to tweak lineups and speed up or control the tempo. Shooting, motor and versatility are a must in the NBA, and Shulga has them all in abundance.

No matter what happens this week, the Summer League will be the next place to test and hone his skills.

Shulga’s legacy will be remembered for the support he got from teammates, coaches and the whole VCU community in such difficult times, when the sport became the one way forward for him.

It’s easy to root for a talented young man who chases a dream, gives his all to win a championship and never surrenders.