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Sacramento Kings: Bogdanovic and Bjelica Play In Exhibition Tournament

By Gurjus Singh

SACRAMENTO, CA - FEBRUARY 26: Bogdan Bogdanovic #8 of the Sacramento Kings faces off against Nemanja Bjelica #8 of the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 26, 2018 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - FEBRUARY 26: Bogdan Bogdanovic #8 of the Sacramento Kings faces off against Nemanja Bjelica #8 of the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 26, 2018 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Over the weekend, Sacramento Kings Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nemanja Bjelica participated in the Acropolis International Basketball Tournament for Serbia.

This tournament was an exhibition which Serbia participated in prior to the FIBA World Cup. The tournament took place in Athens, Greece at the Olympic Indoor Hall.

Serbia vs Turkey

Bogdanovic’s and Bjelica’s first game was against the country of Turkey. Serbia beat Turkey by a margin of 15 points with a score of 87-72. Bogdanovic had 17 pts in the first game on 33.3% three-point shooting while Bjelica only had 7 pts with one three-pointer.

Serbia vs Italy

Bogdanovic and Bjelica both played against former King Marco Bellinelli, and Serbia defeated Italy by a whopping score of 96-64. Bogdanovic was less efficient in this game, scoring 15 points on 3 of 11 from beyond the arc, but Nemanja stepped it up with 13 pts with 38% 3 point shooting.

Serbia vs Greece

The Serbian team was looking to go undefeated in their final game against none other than Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece. Bogdanovic scored 28 pts on an efficient 55.9% three-point clip, while Bjelica also chimed in with 18 pts on 50% from three.  Serbian fans went home happy when the Serbian team defeated Greece 85-80 in Overtime.

Analysis of Bogdan Bogdanovic

Based on highlights from the tournament, Bogdanovic showed his true potential, scoring at will against the opposition. He was able to utilize the dribble, then use the stepback to drill a heavily contested three. He nailed corner shots set up by teammates and came off off-ball screens to make shots. He also moved well without the ball and cut to the basket one of the plays against Italy.

Analysis of Nemanja Bjelica

Nemanja Bjelica showed that he could be a very good stretch 4 or 5 once again. Several of his plays were basically open shots coming off his teammates. He made a few inside plays showing off his size, and in a play against Greece, he showed a little versatility making a right-handed layup off the dribble. He also displayed his beautiful passing versus Italy, going inside and kicking it back out to an open teammate.

Summary

Serbia’s first game of the FIBA Basketball World Cup is on August 31st against Angola. Bogdanovic and Bjelica have been exciting to watch because of their pure-shooting abilities.

Next. Three Kings To Watch In FIBA World Cup. dark

The FIBA tournament is a great way to fulfill fans desire for basketball during the slow off-season months. For the players, it is a good opportunity to continue to get ready for the NBA season. The Sacramento Kings expect Bogdanovic and Bjelica to be ready for training camp and come into the season strong.

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