Bogdanovic showed his worth in Indy before coming to Utah

Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic (44) and the rest of the team celebrate after Bogdanovic scored the game-winning basket in the final second of regulation play in the second half of an NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 8, 2019. | Colter Peterson, Deseret News

INDIANAPOLIS — Since signing to play with the Utah Jazz this summer, forward Bojan Bogdanovic has made himself an invaluable piece of the team’s plan to become a legitimate title contender in the National Basketball Association. Always known as a dangerous shooter, the Croatian native has proven himself to be a versatile player with a broad skillset that has helped Utah become a team to watch in the league’s Western Conference.

Bogdanovic made his first return to Indiana Wednesday to go against the team he played for the past two seasons. When asked about Bogdanovic’s impact on the court, his former coach noted how consistent and hard he played game after game.

“He’s a pro, he’s going to be ready to play, comes to play every single day. He can put the ball in the basket,” said Pacers’ head coach Nate McMillan. “Now he’s doing pretty much what he was doing here (in Utah).”

“They’re giving him the ball. He’s playing with it (in his hands) a lot. He’s playing off of pick and rolls and pin downs,” McMillan said.

A pin down occurs when an offensive player angles his screen toward the baseline to “pin” a defender, creating separation for a teammate to spring open toward the ball. By pinning the defender as close to the basket as possible, the screener frees his teammate closer to the rim.

“He has the ability to score and a number of different ways. He’s shooting I think 45% from the three so he’s playing in a very similar to the way he’s playing here, very aggressive,” McMillan added. “He’s putting the ball in the basket and having a good year for them.”

While with the Pacers last season, Bogdanovic become the team’s primary scoring option when leading scorer guard Victor Oladipo went down with an injury. McMillan said he knew Bogdanovic was up to the increased workload based on his growth and improvement as a player beforehand.

“From the time we got him, each year he got better. He started to do more things. We could do more things with him. When Victor went down, he became really the number one option for us and teams started to really focus on him,” he said. “I enjoyed the time that he was here. (He) just gave us consistent play. Every night you knew what you’re going to get from him and I thought he really improved on both ends of the floor working to defend as well as become a scorer.”

McMillan praised Bogdanovic as player and a presence in the locker room.

“He’s (always) going to be ready to play. It takes a lot to keep him out. He missed very few things with us as far as practices and games,” McMillan said. “Every day he comes ready to go and you don’t have to worry about him. You know when that ball is tossed and the lights on, you know he’ll be ready to go.”

Jazz head coach Quin Snyder credited McMillan and the Pacers organization for helping to develop Bogdanovic’s game.

“The thing that you heard about him early in his career in the league was he could shoot the ball and as you’re around him, you realize he can score and his ability to drive and make plays not just for himself at the rim, but his willingness to be unselfish and create for his teammates when that’s appropriate,” Snyder said. “There’s a versatility to him offensively, whether it be the post coming off screens playing some pick and roll that he’s able to attack in a lot of different ways.”

“I think we knew that (but) anytime you’re around somebody, you feel it even more because you see it more,” he added.

He noted that Bogdanovic’s play was a major reason why the Pacers trounced the Jazz 121-94 last season on Nov. 19, 2018 in Indianapolis as he led his team with 21 points.

“Indiana had their way with us last year and he was a big part of that. So, we were aware of what we had. He also takes great pride in defending and that’s a credit to the Pacers and also the organization and their commitment to defense and then his willingness to embrace that,” Snyder said. “We’ve been pleased with how he’s guarded, as well. Just a complete player now and maybe first and foremost, he’s a competitor.”

from Deseret News https://ift.tt/2Dmnppv