The Indiana Pacers were pioneers when it comes to international players, with Rik Smits and Detlef Schrempf being two of the earliest success stories. But aside from Ian Mahinmi, the team hasn’t had any foreigners in some time.
Enter Damjan Rudez, a 3-point-shooting big man who may be able to help space the floor for an offense that will need all the space and firepower it can find to put points on the board.
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The preseason returns have not been impressive, so it remains to be seen whether he will be good enough to earn playing time. Additionally, the 6’10” Rudez looks like a natural stretch four in the modern NBA, but coach Frank Vogel has said he plans to play the Croatian at small forward.
It looks like Rudez would struggle to stay in front of many power forwards, so it’s hard to believe he will be able to defend the 3 spot. Can he be competent enough on defense to even get on the court?
He wasn’t brought over for defense, however, so such questions are of lesser importance.
The Pacers needs points, and if all goes ideally this season then 3-point shooting could become a strength for the team. So that is what will define whether or not he is successful: Can he knock down 3s?
Last season, not even that was enough to get Chris Copeland minutes. But Vogel will be grasping at straws to find offense this year, so if Rudez can shoot 40% or better from deep, expect him to at least find his way into the rotation at times this season.
If not, well, he will at least get to spend the season learning about race cars, corn, and all the other Indiana traditions.
– Jared Wade (@8pts9secs)
Relevant GIF
If you plan to follow the 2014-15 Indiana Pacers, you’ll need a sense of humor. Laugh so you don’t cry. And what’s funnier than Archer? Nothing. Nothing is the answer.
Key 2013-14 Stats
- n/a
One Key Question
What is Damjan Rudez’s position?
The Situation: Although preseason can often be misleading, Damjan Rudez hasn’t shown the ability to adequately guard any position on the court yet and his acclaimed shooting touch has yet to appear.
Best-case Scenario: Rudez competes every practice, at whatever position he’s asked, until the Pacers coaching staff finds where he belongs. Frank Vogel carves out a role for him to get 20 minutes per night, and he stretches the floor with 40% shooting from deep.
Worst-case Scenario: Rudez doesn’t have a position he can defend in the NBA, lacking the strength for PF and the quickness for SF. He doesn’t adjust to the new league and both he and Pacers fans are longing for him to head back to Croatia.
Prediction: Rudez goes the route of Chris Copeland last year, seeing the floor in desperate situations and blowouts. Vogel takes the year to figure out where Rudez belongs, and we don’t see much of him until next year.
– William Furr (follow @William_Furr)
How He Scores
Damjan Rudez is a rookie, so we have no charts or data about how he has scored in the association of national basketballing. But we do know what he does: Shoot 3s. That is his bread and butter and the only reason he is now in the NBA. Presumably, if the team can get him open looks, he will knock those down.