Indiana Pacers: 5 goals for Bojan Bogdanovic in 2017-18
By Randy Porga
4. Defense, defense and more defense
Indiana Pacers fans may want to close their eyes or overlook the most glaring flaw in Bogdanovic’s game, because it’s an awful one.
Last season, Bogdanovic was one of the worst defenders in the league. That’s no exaggeration, the numbers speak for themselves. According to ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus, he was ranked 466th of 468 players in defensive box plus/minus with -3.42 for 2016-17.
The Indiana Pacers finished 16th in the league in defensive rating last season at 108.8, and have now added one of the worst defenders in the league in Bogdanovic.
Bojan Bogdanovic must find a way to improve his underwhelming athletic ability, whether it becomes a matter of slimming down or finding more endurance in the gym. He is fairly heavy-footed and gets beat often by just about any player driving to the basket. If he fails to improve, his inability to play adequate defense may hold his starter minutes hostage until further notice.