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Indiana Pacers: Complete 2017 offseason grades

By Adrian Lawhorn

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 07: President of basketball operations, Kevin Pritchard and Head Coach, Nate McMillan of the Indiana Pacers introduce Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis and Darren Collison during a press conference at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on July 7, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 07: President of basketball operations, Kevin Pritchard and Head Coach, Nate McMillan of the Indiana Pacers introduce Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis and Darren Collison during a press conference at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on July 7, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images /

Bojan Bogdanovic, SF

Acquired: Via free agency (Washington Wizards)

When it was announced that the Pacers had signed free agent small forward Bojan Bogdanovic, the move was almost universally hailed as a terrific signing for Indiana.

Bogdanovic has a reputation as a great shooter, and the Pacers needed both a starting-caliber small forward and more shooting ability in the lineup — thus the positive reaction from Pacers Nation.

We’re going to dig a little deeper into what Bogdanovic brings to the table, and what we reveal might temper your enthusiasm for the 6’8″ forward.

Bojan Bogdanovic is a career 37 percent 3-point shooter, and that number matches what he did during the 2016-17 season. By contrast, the man Bogdanovic is essentially replacing, C.J. Miles, hit 41 percent from beyond the arc last year.

Statistically, Bogdanovic is barely above-average as a 3-point shooter, so his reputation as a “great” shooter likely stems from his hot streaks that fans and media see through game highlights.

Bojan Bogdanovic is definitely a lights-out deep shooter at times, but his overall 3-point percentage tells us that he goes through plenty of cold spells as well.

However, the most disturbing thing about Bojan Bogdanovic’s game — and there’s really no nice way to say this — is his non-existent defense.

Advanced metrics such as NBA Defensive Real Plus-Minus analytics from ESPN indicate that Bogdanovic is simply one of the worst defenders in the NBA, ranking 466th out of 468 total players in the league last season.

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Bogdanovic’s effort is not in question, but his poor lateral movement and lack of athleticism have made him an easy mark as a defensive player.

On the plus side, Bogdanovic is probably underrated as an offensive player inside the arc; he is crafty at driving to the basket and/or finishing around the rim in traffic.

The contract Bogdanovic signed is worth $21 million over two years, with only $1.5 million guaranteed for 2018-19. If Bogdanovic fails his first-year audition with the Pacers, the team can move on from him quite easily.

Bojan Bogdanovic was a fairly low-risk acquisition for Indiana, and he should be able to add some offensive punch to the club. His deficiencies will be a problem, but his short-term contract makes this signing much more palatable.

Grade: C

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