Damjan Rudez Has Been the NBA’s Best 3-Point Shooters Since January 25

Damjan Rudez was a mostly unknown quantity coming into the season. Even most hardcore basketball fans had only seen him play with Croatia in the FIBA World Cup.

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The Indiana Pacers hoped he would become a 3-point shooting specialist when they signed him to their roster. And for good reason: In the last three seasons of his European career, he shot over 40% from 3-point range.

But after he came to the NBA, he struggled to adjust to the defense and pace through the first few months of this season.

Then it finally clicked.

Now he is seemingly making everything. In fact, since January 25, Rudez has been the best 3-point shooter in the entire NBA.

"Rudež, a 28-year-old rookie, is shooting .410 following Friday’s display. That’s best among all NBA rookies. He’s hit .505 percent of his attempts (43-of-85) since that Jan. 25 turning point, after shooting just .309 up to that point. Friday, he passed Oklahoma City’s Anthony Morrow into first place among 3-point shooters since Jan. 25.There was nothing magical about what happened in Orlando. That game just happens to be the dividing line between his stuttering start and his sprint toward the season’s finish line. From a 31 percent shooter to a 50.5 percent shooter, who’s hit seven of his last eight attempts beyond the line over the last four games."

According to Pacers.com, Frank Vogel asked Rudež to be perfect from beyond the arc.

While no one will ever be that good, he has hit more than half his attempts since the end of January.

"“I just said, ‘Look, come in the game and make all your shots,'” Vogel recalled. “Then you’re doing your job.“His response was, ‘That’s what I do.’”"

Rudez is still getting up to speed with the NBA, but his shot has started to catch-up with where it should be in the league. He is a rookie, and he looked like one until January 25.

But while his defense still needs a lot of work, he has found his stride his shooting has helped Indiana’s second unit outplay the starters at times.

Rudez’s 3-Point Shooting Since Jan. 25

Rudez’s contract (a bit more than $1.1 million this season and for the next two) isn’t a burden on Indiana’s books, which is a plus as he continues to grow as a player and they look to build a contender once again. And if he keeps shooting like this, he could become one of the best bargains in the NBA.

Rudez looks like he’s developing into a high-level shooter in the NBA, and while he hasn’t been a spectacular defender by any means he’s not a liability anymore. If he can find a role on a more stable bench unit, then those weaknesses will be muted. Like many of Indiana’s players this year it has been hard to figure out exactly how good or bad he can be with the team’s massive swings between the two.

If Rudez can continue to get closer to perfection and improve his defense, he can be a reliable part of the Indiana Pacers’ bench in the future.

Next: Paul George is Back

Rudez’s 3-Point Shooting Since Jan. 25

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