Bojan Bogdanović Will Shine for the Brooklyn Nets

By Joseph Martinez @JMartinezNBA on September 29, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Brooklyn Nets finally reached an agreement this offseason to bring over their 2011 first-round draft pick, Bojan Bogdanović. For the last three years, Bogdanović has been playing in the Euroleague as a member of Fenerbahçe Ülker. Brooklyn thought they had reached an agreement with his Euro club last offseason on a buyout, but the negotiations fell through. However, the Nets finally have their man.

Bogdanović was the 31st overall pick of 2011 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat, who eventually traded his draft rights to the then New Jersey Nets. When the Nets lost Paul Pierce this offseason, it was a no-brainer to bring over the big 6-foot-8 shooting guard that gives the Nets a lot of versatility. Allowing them to possibly play Bogdanović at the 2, 3 or 4 position. He has the size.

Bogdanović was a productive scorer with Fenerbahçe; averaging around 14 points per contest. What sets him apart is his great shooting. A lot of Euroleague players are one-dimensional. Take for example Nets forward Mirza Teletović, who is actually from the same place as Bogdanović; but Teletović came to the Nets as mainly just a three-point shooter. He was very one-dimensional. He has developed, but Bogdanović has already developed before even coming to the NBA.

Each of his three seasons with Fenerbahçe, Bogdanović recorded a shooting percentage of at least 46 percent or higher. He’s a dead-on shooter, but can do a lot more than just shoot. He can defend. Being 6-foot-8 as a shooting guard will create a lot of mismatches for opposing teams, so the Nets will have that advantage this season.

This gives the Nets another former Euro stud that should be a key part of the rotation along with Teletović and Andrei Kirilenko. Head coach Lionel Hollins has already said that Joe Johnson will start at small forward and that the shooting guard position is up for grabs with two leading candidates being Bogdanović and Alan Anderson. Of course, Bogdanović still needs to adapt to the NBA game, which is very different from the Euroleague. I expect his transition to be very smooth and quicker than most people might think.

I think ultimately Anderson will start the season at shooting guard and eventually Bogdanović will be the starter once he’s fully adapted to the NBA game. There have been plenty of successful players from overseas, including four-time NBA champion Manu Ginobli of the San Antionio Spurs. Bogdanović would love to follow in Ginobli’s footsteps.

If Bogdanović quickly adapts to the NBA game, he could be a crucial piece to a Nets team that needs depth. The young shooting guard could quickly provide that, be it off the bench or starting. He has all the necessary skills to be a very good player in this league for a long time. I expect him to have a great first year in the NBA and shock a lot of people who knew nothing about him. Mark my words, Bojan Bogdanović will be an x-factor for the Brooklyn Nets this season.

Also, Bojan Bogdanović is not to be confused with the Phoenix Suns 2014 first round draft pick, Bogdan Bogdanović who ironically is currently a member of Fenerbahçe Ülker.

Joseph Martinez is a Brooklyn Nets/NBA writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BKN_Martinez08, find him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.