The Brooklyn Nets are entering a bit of a transitional year after agreeing to a buyout with former franchise player Deron Williams. The Nets still have a few guys that can carry a team, namely Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson, but in general the roster is filled with a lot of question marks. If the Nets want to make the playoffs for the fourth straight year they are going to need some role players to really take a step up. One guy that owner Mikhail Prokhorov reportedly has high expectations for is Bojan Bogdanovic according to Anthony Puccio of SB Nation.
Bogdanovic was the first pick of the second round in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat before the Nets acquired him in a draft day deal. He was stashed in Europe until last season when he finally made his NBA debut. Bogdanovic had an uneven start to his rookie year but ended up being an important player for the Nets and finished with very respectable numbers. In 78 games (28 starts) Bogdanovic averaged 9 points in 23.8 minutes per game while making 45 percent of his field goals and 36 percent of his threes.
Bogdanovic didn't have a great year on the defensive side of the ball as a rookie but he was a weapon on offense with his shooting stroke and ability to score. Bogdanovic struggled a little bit early on with the transition from European basketball to NBA style basketball but by the end of the season he seemed pretty comfortable in his new league which is a solid sign that he will improve in year two.
The Nets would love for the 26 year old Bosnian to have shooting percentages similar to last season as 45/36/82 is very good for a shooting guard but they would like him to improve on his all-around game. Bogdanovic took more than half of his shot attempts from three point range last season and while he is a good shooter, Brooklyn would like to see him expand his game and use his 6 foot-7 frame to do some work inside as well.
Bogdanovic will get an opportunity to be the Nets starter at shooting guard this year, and while it may be his spot to lose he still has to earn it. He will have to compete with second year man Markel Brown and new signee Wayne Ellington for that spot. Regardless of whether he starts or comes off the bench, Bogdanovic will likely be a key factor in deciding whether the Nets are relevant in the East next season.
