It’s Make-or-Break Time For Bojan Bogdanovic

When you are projected to be one of, if not the, worst teams in the entire league, the notion of a “make or break” year may come off as sounding ridiculous. This clearly isn’t the case at the macro-level for the Brooklyn Nets, but for one player in particular, Bojan Bogdanovic, the 2016–17 season may be a crucial one. The 27-year-old Croatian is entering his final season under contract, and has a chance to prove to the Nets that he’s a building block in their future.

Since arriving from Fenerbahce Ulker of the Turkish league, Brooklyn has become accustomed to the Jekyll and Hyde qualities of their Small Forward’s game. In his rookie season, he struggled mightily during the first half of the year as he adjusted to the NBA and life in America. Things finally seemed to click following the All-Star game, as over the second half of the season Bogdanovic upped his scoring output and shooting from 7.6 points per game (ppg) with a 41% field goal percentage to 11.6 ppg on 51.3%. Most impressively, it was his 28-point outburst in the final game of the regular season against Orlando that led the Nets to a comeback victory, clinching the Eastern Conference’s final playoff seed.

For whatever reason, the same cycle seemed to continue during his sophomore campaign, as Bogdanovic struggled out of the gate but turned his season around over the final 25 games. Prior to the All-Star break, the Nets’ forward averaged 9.4 points, a number that increased to 15.1 ppg while also shooting 40% from beyond the arc. It’s also worth noting that he averaged roughly 17 ppg in 14 games during the month of March as a starter, highlighted by a 44-point explosion against Philadelphia.

Aside from Brook Lopez and Jeremy Lin, the Nets start the upcoming season with a lot of question marks and unproven talent up and down the roster. With Thaddeus Young gone and the Nets unable to obtain guards Allen Crabbe and Tyler Johnson in free agency, Brooklyn must turn to Bogdanovic for some much-needed offense, especially on the perimeter. His ability to stretch the floor will be crucial for the style of play Kenny Atkinson hopes to execute.

Some fans have written him off, but Bogdanovic is still a player who has shown flashes of potential during his brief career in the NBA. In fact, he helped the Croatian national team qualify for the 2016 Olympics in this summer’s FIBA Qualifying Tournament by averaging 24.2 points and 4.8 rebounds. With a new head coach, offensive system and point guard, the upcoming season is a chance for Bogdanovic to tie it all together from day one and validate the hype he generated when many considered him a sneaky Euro-stash pick during the 2011 NBA Draft, where he was selected 31st overall.

For Nets general manager Sean Marks, this year is about building a sustainable culture in Brooklyn and developing young talent. With other young players on the roster — notably Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Chris McCullough, Isaiah Whitehead and Caris LeVert — Bogdanovic is entering this season somewhat under the radar, and perhaps that’s a positive. Sometimes good things come when you least expect them.