Bogdanovic To Face NBA Level Talent, Pressure in London Games This Week

The London International Basketball Invitational opens Tuesday at the new Basketball Arena on the Olympic Park, where the 2012 Olympics will be held a year from now.  The tournament, a so-called "friendly" event, will provide challenges for Nets draft pick Bojan Bogdanovic, the same kind he'll  face in the NBA.

First the schedule: Team Croatia will play five games in six nights, with Friday being the only off-day. Although they're all at one venue, the start times vary daily, with games at 3:30, 6. and 8:30. Bogdanovic will also be going up against NBA talent: Luol Deng of Great Britain, Boris Diaw and Nicolas Batum of France plus two ex-Net big men, Nenad Krstic of Serbia and Yi Jianlian of China, and All-Star Tony Parker.

Croatia, which lost to Serbia in the Ex-Yugo Tournament in Slovenia, plays the "Blues" again Tuesday at 1 p.m. EDT.  The games are not listed on the FIBA TV streaming video schedule.

• Croatian NT to take part in London Tournament - CroHoops
• London International Basketball Invitational - London Prepares