We’ll start here: Don’t confuse Serbian combo guard and Phoenix Suns’ draft pick Bogdan Bogdanovic with Croatian forward and soon to be Brooklyn Nets rookie Bojan Bogdanovic. Good luck with that. Very different guys, different games, yet we’re all going to mix them up at some point. Today we’re talking about Bogdan.
The Suns drafted Bogdanovic with the No. 27 pick in the draft last June expecting to stash him overseas for a couple years then bring him to Phoenix. But for a lot of Suns fans the first real look they got at him was in the World Cup — and he’s looked good, scoring 11.3 points a game and shooting 39.3 percent from three for a team into the Final 8 (and facing Brazil Wednesday).
Don’t take my word for it. Ask Suns GM Ryan McDonough, which is what Paul Coro did for the Arizona Republic.“He was very efficient and got his spots and got the shots he wants to shoot,” said Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough, who attended the game in Madrid. “He scored on spot-up shots, off the dribble and going to the basket. I’m impressed with his playmaking. He’s got long arms. He’s strong and he has a feel for the game.
“He can make a lot of plays other guys can’t make.”
Bogdanovic is a tall guard (6’6” with 6’11” wingspan) who likely plays the two in the NBA but is versatile enough to take on some shot creation in the offense. He’s also gritty and plays tough.
It’s a lot to like, but Suns fans will not see him for a couple years.
Bogdanovic plays for Fenerbahce in the Turkish league and his buyout is pretty steep until 2016. That was the plan all along for the Suns — draft and stash, see if he develops. If so, bring him over, if not trade his rights as part of another deal (that could still happen anyway, depending on the trade).
Right now, from this World Cup, Bogdanovic looks like a keeper.