Croatians Around the NBA: Week 1

 Photo: EPA/John Corbis

A new feature to the website has been created in part of multiple Croatian players joining the NBA this off-season. Bojan Bogdanović and Damjan Rudež join Andrew Bogut as there are now three Croatians in the NBA. CroatianSports.com will follow all three athletes and write a weekly article similar to the Croatians around Europe soccer feature. It’s an exciting time to follow these players as all three are receiving valuable playing time and are a huge asset to their respected teams.

Andrew Bogut plays for the best team out of the three in Golden State and is the closest to a potential NBA title. The big Aussie remains as the biggest focal point, but there is a lot of optimism that Bogdanović can grow into becoming one of the biggest contributors in Brooklyn. This will be a weekly feature that will come out on either Wednesday or Thursday.

The Golden State Warriors are off to a roaring start this season as Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry have picked up the scoring load from David Lee’s absence. One of the other main key contributors has been Andrew Bogut. While many have questioned his health issues and actual role of the team, Andrew remains to be the enforcer on Golden State’s frontline.

The 29-year-old Australian international was in some foul trouble in the 95-77 opening night win over Sacramento, but played a crucial part in limiting star center DeMarcus Cousins. It took fourteen shots and eighteen free throw attempts for Cousins to eclipse the 20-point mark. Any time a big man shoots only 4 for 14 from the field, it contributes to excellent defense. Bogut finished with five rebounds and four blocks to go along with four points in only 18 minutes of action.

Bogut was a bit sloppy against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. Even though Golden State once again cruised in a 127-104 win, Andrew only shot three for ten and had five turnovers. He still reached the ten rebound mark, which is crucial for him to eclipse in Lee’s absence. It’s hard to always look into numbers, especially in a game featuring two completely different teams. Golden State will be a top five team in the West at minimum, while the Lakers will most likely have a top five pick in the upcoming draft. Players tend to play more loosely against an inferior opponent.

 Bogut put up good numbers against the Lakers on Saturday

We saw a more disciplined game from him against a talented Portland team on Sunday night. Bogut has proven to be valuable at the top of the key. He sets strong picks to free up elite shooters such as Thompson and Curry on a consistent basis. Steve Kerr is adamant on letting Bogut play at the top of the key to set picks or to create assists. Bogut has always been a creative passer and it showed through his three assists on the night. Thompson and Harrison Barnes have praised his passing in the past, which is why they run many cuts to the basket in their offensive game plan.

Robin Lopez puts Bogut on a poster

Bogut continues to be a defensive enforcer by adding another two blocks. Despite Robin Lopez putting him on a highlight reel through a nasty dunk, Bogut got the better of him in a huge 95-90 win at Portland. Andrew had a double double through 11 points and 12 rebounds. He continues to play intelligent in knowing his role and not taking unnecessary shots. You’ll see him make proper cuts to the hoop on pick and rolls with Curry. Then you’ll see him active on the offensive glass for put back opportunities. When playing with the best backcourt in the league, Bogut realizes that they need to get the ball. Three points on any possession is obviously a critical part in trying to win. That’s what gives Golden State a distinct advantage over many teams because of their lights out shooting.

Another west coast showdown awaits Bogut on the national stage tonight. A trip to Los Angeles to play the Clippers will be another great test for this Warriors team. We’ve seen in the past on how chippy these games can be. Bogut has gotten into it with DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul in past games. This is a must watch game for any basketball fan. It’s simply two of the top teams in the conference facing off for the first time, following their epic seven game series from last season. Bogut should be extra fired up, considering he wasn’t able to play in that playoff series due to a fractured rib.

Photo: AP Photo/John Minchillo

It has been a tough transition for Bojan Bogdanović in the early stages of his NBA career. His debut featured a one-sided 121-105 beating from the Boston Celtics. It was strange, considering that Boston isn’t expected to compete for a playoff spot this year. While star center Brook Lopez is missing, Brooklyn was expected to fare much better against a below average opponent. The 25-year-old forward had a decent game shooting three for six, including one for two from three point range. A seven point, two assist, and one block stat sheet in 25 minutes isn’t necessarily a poor start.

Oklahoma City didn’t have an answer for Bojan Bogdanović

The tough transition mostly comes from the win over Detroit on Saturday night. Despite Joe Johnson exploding for 34 points in an impressive comeback against Detroit on the road, Bogdanović was mostly an afterthought in the game. He shot one for seven from the field, including missing all four of his three-point attempts. There was one moment, where he missed a wide open three that seemed to rock his confidence. On the next possession, Bojan made a poor pass without much pressure.

Bojan Bogdanović talks about Dražen Petrović

Another knock on Bogdanović has been his struggles defensively. According to Mike Mazzeo from ESPN New York, the Nets are allowing 129 points per 100 possessions defensively with Bogdanović on the court. Lionel Hollins has remained supportive by telling him to be more aggressive. Confidence is the key for any NBA rookie. As one of the top scorers in Europe, staying aggressive and confident will be crucial for Bogdanović in being a success. The Croatian international stated in a recent interview that he didn’t expect the adjustment to the NBA to be so difficult. Growing pains are bound to happen for most international players in the early stage of their respective career.

Bogdanović had his best game to date against an injury-rattled Oklahoma City team on Monday night in Brooklyn. In a 31-point win, Bojan finished five for ten from the field and a couple of assists, rebounds and steals. Brooklyn continues their home stretch in playing Minnesota tonight, followed by New York and Orlando in the upcoming week.

 Photo: AP/Brent Smith

Nobody had major expectations for Damjan Rudež when he signed with the Indiana Pacers last summer. The Zagreb born forward joined one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference that lost their top scorer(Paul George) from last season. In the early stages of the pre-season, Damjan shot 14 percent from the field. Many Indiana fans wondered if he was going to make any positive impact in the rotation. The Pacers are desperate for scorers, especially with David West being injured for multiple weeks. The shooting woes continued for Rudež, as he missed both of his three point attempts in 15 minutes of action in a 101-94 win over Philadelphia.

Damjan Rudež’ talks about his love for pop-tarts

The struggles went away on Friday, as Damjan broke out with three straight three pointers against Memphis. Indiana’s fast paced offense allowed him to be alone in the corner and he finally found his shooting touch. It was a major confidence booster for him to earn more minutes, as he played 20 minutes. While his offensive role seems to be mainly from three-point range, Rudež needs to look to use his six foot ten frame down low on the block. However, Pacers coach Frank Vogel has remained adamant on playing him as a small forward, due to his lanky frame and likely being a defensive liability against legit power forwards.

Unfortunately for Rudež, he failed to score in a 102-92 loss to Atlanta from Saturday. In just eleven minutes of action, Damjan missed the two three point shots that he attempted. It seems to be that Indiana has a distinctive approach with Rudež. If he’s hitting shots, they’ll give a slight boost to his minutes. If he isn’t capitalizing on good looks in the corner, Damjan will be fazed out of the second half rotation. He did receive a slight boost in minutes against Milwaukee, but failed to contribute in any significant manner. Rudež was one for three in 19 minutes of action in an 87-81 loss to the Bucks last night. It didn’t help that he missed both of his three point attempts as well.

Damjan Rudež’ 2nd career NBA game

We’ll have to use a wait and see approach for the Croatian international. On a team that is looking to find players for the future, the opportunity is there for him to contribute. Damjan simply needs to make the most of his opportunities. Indiana goes on a road trip to face Washington and Boston over the next few days. You can watch him against Washington tonight on ESPN, before Bogut goes at it against the Clippers. Indiana returns back home on the weekend to play Washington and Utah.

~Written by Allen Strk

Twitter: @Allen_Strk