Sacramento Kings: 5 goals for Bogdan Bogdanovic in 2017-18

2. Earn the starting shooting guard role

Bogdan Bogdanovic is certainly looking to make a huge impact on the Sacramento Kings from day one. He has spent three seasons since being drafted developing into a better player than the rising star he was back then. Now he has the chance to surprise anyone that hasn’t paid much mind to European hoops.

Bogdanovic’s main competition at the shooting guard will be Buddy Hield. Hield arrived in Sacramento from the New Orleans Pelicans this past February He was one piece of the blockbuster trade that brought an end to the mercurial DeMarcus Cousins era.

Team owner Vivek Ranadive thinks very highly of Hield, feeling that he has the potential to become the next Stephen Curry. In Hield’s defense, he turned down that comparison shortly thereafter.

Still, Bogdanovic should aim to change Ranadive’s mind with his own play on the floor. He’s no Steph Curry, either, but his abilities as a passer and defender are more advanced than Hield’s.

Hield, however, holds the advantage as a scorer. In his 25 games as a King, he was given the green light. He averaged 15.1 points per game in that span, shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 42.8 percent from three. Chances are Hield begins the season as the starting 2-guard.

But over time, Bogdanovic’s all-around game could end up impressing Dave Joerger. If he is able to fight through the NBA learning curve and produce like he did in Europe, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Bogdanovic starting for the Kings sometime in 2017-18.