Okay, so I got thinking about this whole “who’s the next Bogdanović?” thing the other day. It wasn’t like some big assignment, just something rattling around in my head after watching some games. I really dig how Bojan (yeah, Bojan, the older one, the scorer) just gets buckets. Smooth shot, finds ways to score, just a reliable offensive guy. You see a player like that and think, man, who’s got that kind of game coming up?
So, I kinda went down a rabbit hole with this. My own little scouting project, you know? Just for kicks. Started off pretty basic. I pulled up some college stats websites. Thought I could just filter by points per game and three-point percentage. Easy, right? Wrong. You get a list of names, sure, but stats sheets don’t show you the how. Is this guy just launching shots on a bad team? Is he a purely catch-and-shoot dude? Bogdanović creates his own look sometimes, moves off the ball well. Stats don’t show you that grit.
Diving Deeper (Sort Of)
Alright, stats weren’t cutting it. So, my next brilliant move was hitting up YouTube. Started searching for highlights of top college scorers, guys playing overseas. Watched hours of clips, man. Trying to see beyond the flashy dunks or the wide-open threes. I was looking for that specific feel, that crafty scoring ability. How they move without the ball, how they read the defense, if they had that quick, high release.
It got complicated fast.
- You see a guy hit a few tough shots, you think, “Maybe this is him!”
- Then you watch another clip, and he looks completely lost on defense or can’t make a simple pass.
- Or they look great against weaker competition, but you wonder how they’d handle NBA length and speed.
Talked about it with a buddy who follows college hoops way closer than I do. He threw out a few names. We went back and forth. “Nah, he’s too slow.” “Yeah, but look at his footwork.” “He doesn’t have the size.” It just showed me how tough actual scouting must be. You’re projecting so much.
So, Who Is It Then?
Honestly? After all that watching and thinking? I didn’t find the guy. Didn’t have that eureka moment. Found some players who had bits of his game. A good shooter here, a crafty scorer there. But that complete package? That reliable, efficient scoring punch that Bojan brings? It’s rare.
Maybe the point wasn’t even finding an exact clone. Maybe it’s about finding guys who can fill that role – the dedicated scorer, the floor spacer, the guy who can take pressure off your stars. They might look different, play a bit different, but they serve that same kind of purpose.
It was a fun exercise, though. Made me appreciate Bojan’s game even more, how consistent he’s been. And it definitely made me realize I’m better off just watching the games than trying to predict the future. The search kinda continues in the back of my mind whenever I watch prospects, but I’m not losing sleep over it anymore. Just gotta wait and see who pops up.
