3-on-3: Breaking down the Bojan Bogdanovic signing

Three of our writers breakdown the most stressful, flip-floppy signing in the history of basketball. Of course, I’m referring to the Bogdanovicdramamare. I mean, seriously, could this signing have been harder to keep up with? Will he? Won’t he? Finally, finally, it’s over. Bojan Bogdanovic is a Net. We can now move on with our lives.

Let’s see what the crew had to say…

1. Okay, so the Nets signed Bojan Bogdanovic. What’s your immediate reaction?

• Chris Hooker: Who knows? I remember the day the Nets signed Mirza Teletovic, I had no opinion whatsoever because I knew nothing about his game. People said he was good, so I guess I was happy. But it was just naive happiness. I feel the same way about this signing. Sure, I suppose it’s a decent signing, but I’ve seen 0.0000 minutes of this guy playing basketball. So how am I really supposed to feel? I hope it works out, but I have no expectations and there is my cop-out of an answer.
• Benjamin Nadeau: Yes! Excitement! It’ll be interesting to see if his game translates to the NBA level, as one wonders about any European who comes over, but for now: excitement! Bogdanovic will go a long way to helping out the range Brooklyn lost when Bogans and Watson left. Defensively, he may struggle initially, but it seems like Kidd is committed to playing the young kids early and often this year.
• William Rausch: Tempered excitement. Bogdanovic has been getting considerable hype since the Nets traded for the 31st overall pick on draft night in 2011. The Nets need shooting off the bench and Bogdanovic can stoke it from deep to the tune of 41.1 percent and 40.5 percent from 3-point range in the last two Euroleague seasons. But remember, Mirza Teletovic also came across the pond with some hype behind him and the perception that he filled a need. You never know with a Eurostash until he actually gets some time under his belt in the Association.

 


2. Where does Bogdanovic fit into this G/F rotation?

• Hooker: Man, I’m bad at this. I don’t really know. I guess he’ll be the primary back-up to Paul Pierce, but didn’t we say the same thing about Mirza in regards to Kris Humphries? I actually remember thinking at one point that Mirza would be the starting PF for the Nets. I am just so skeptical of these European players. So many have failed and so many have done nothing in this league. This guy was a second round pick, and while I understand he is supposed to be a very good player, I have a hard time getting excited over this.
  
  Okay, but back to the question at hand. Bogdanovic is supposedly an excellent shooter, so I imagine he’ll fill the Marshon Brooks-rookie year void that the Nets didn’t have last year. Watson and Bogans were good, yet inconsistent options. Same with Teletovic. I imagine if all goes to plan, Bogs will be a good shooting threat off the bench and someone who can create some noise as far as “instant offense” goes.
• Nadeau: I’m sure Bogdanovic will initially be slotted in behind Pierce at SF, playing spot minutes at SG when Terry struggles (And believe me, he will struggle for long stretches). I’d love for Bogdanovic to keep with Toko Shengelia for any remaining backup minutes, but it’s hard to tell where everyone will slot in for now. But without Stackhouse and other veterans clogging the way, he’ll get plenty of chances.
• Rausch: He should be penciled in as Paul Pierce’s backup and get considerable minutes at the three. But again, Mirza was supposed to come in and log substantial time at the four last year, and we all know how that went. Bogdanovic could see some time at the stretch four, though there is already a log jam at the power forward position on the Nets roster.

3. What do the Nets do next?

• Hooker: Vet minimum back-up point guard. CJ Watson was such a breath of fresh air last season because he was the last good back-up PG the Nets have had in a while. It’s a valuable position that I am not ready to put in the hands of the #41 pick in the draft. No offense to Tyshawn Taylor, I’m a huge Kansas fan and loved watching him play there, but the dude is, as beautifully stated by Jerry Seinfeld, a chucker.
• Nadeau: I’m sure the next move will be Shaun Livingston or Sebastian Telfair even though I’d rather they just Tyshawn Taylor the reins to the back-up PG spot. Other than that, I will be watching Summer League next week with my eyes peeled. Kidd, Tyshawn and Toko? Sign me up! This offseason is off to a hot start and the Summer League will be exciting.
• Rausch: We need a backup point guard, right? Jason Kidd can’t suit up because of the collective bargaining agreement, D-Will can’t play 48 minutes a night no matter how many platelet-enriched plasma shots he gets and Tyshawn Taylor isn’t exactly ready for primetime.