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Bojan Bogdanovic: "I think I can help the team immediately"

By Net Income
Brooklyn Nets

Bojan Bogdanovic was introduced Monday, given the No. 44 jersey that another three-point specialist wore, and said although he expects a transition from Europe to the NBA, he believes he can make a contribution ... "immediately."

"It’s not gonna be easy," Bogdanovic told reporters Monday at the team’s practice facility. "I have to make some adjustments -- especially because there’s a lot of games, a lot more than in Europe. But I am ready, and I think I can help the team immediately."

The 6'8" Croatian swingman seemed relaxed during the press conference, which lasted less than five minutes. He talked about his tour of Barclays Center with Billy King -- "It’s one of the best gyms in the world, and I was very excited" -- and his dinner Saturday with Lionel Hollins -- "I will fight for my minutes, but like I told him, I think I can help immediately." He added, "I am glad and very proud to come over and play for Brooklyn."

The Nets hope the 25-year-old can add some youth and scoring to the team, with Hollins suggesting he is primarily a small forward who can also play shooting guard. Drafted in 2011 with a pick purchased for $1.5 million from the Timberwolves. He has been compared with Peja Stojakovic both in Europe and the Nets front office.

"His main strength is his outside shot but he’ll prove to be a better athlete than people think," said Fran Fraschilla, ESPN’s top European talent evaluator. "His ability to stretch the floor with his shooting gives him a chance to play early in his time in Brooklyn. I think he’s got the potential to be a solid NBA rotation guy on a good team."

Bogdanovic admitted that he thought he was going to stay in Turkey with Fenerbahce, but things changed.

"I spent three years there, so I was planning to stay, but then Brooklyn called and now I’m finally here," he said without noting that until Shaun Livingston went west to Golden State, the Nets didn't have the mini-MLE to offer him. In that secenario, he would have had to settle for the rookie minimum of $507,000, a big paycut. With the mini-MLE freed up by Livingston's departure, the Nets were able to offer him $3.2 million this season --the equal of what the fourth player in the NBA Draft will make -- and $10.3 million over three.

Bogdanovic, who will be playing for Croatia in the FIBA World Cup this summer, said he knows Mirza Teletovic, who like him was born in the small Bosnian city of Mostar.  In fact, the city of 114,000 has now produced three Nets, Bogdanovic, Teletovic and former Net Zoran Planinic.

"I hope there are other players from Mostar who will come to Brooklyn," he joked.

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