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Kings: Bogdanovic Should Have Won FIBA World Cup MVP

By Anthony Cardenas

BEIJING, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 14: #7 Bogdan Bogdanovic of Serbia in action during the games 5-6 of 2019 FIBA World Cup between Serbia and Czech Republic at Beijing Wukesong Sport Arena on September 14, 2019 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Xinyu Cui/Getty Images)
BEIJING, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 14: #7 Bogdan Bogdanovic of Serbia in action during the games 5-6 of 2019 FIBA World Cup between Serbia and Czech Republic at Beijing Wukesong Sport Arena on September 14, 2019 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Xinyu Cui/Getty Images) /
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Bogdan Bogdanovic of the Sacramento Kings put on an outstanding performance in the 2019 FIBA World Cup. Even better than tournament MVP Ricky Rubio.

As is the case in most sports and contests, the MVP award that is presented at the conclusion of the FIBA World Cup is typically given to a player on the winning team.

This year was no different, as Ricky Rubio was named the MVP of the tournament after his Spanish team beat Argentina in the final round. Rubio is the second Spaniard to win the award after Pau Gasol took home the honors in 2006.

But was Rubio the best player in the tournament? Or was the Sacramento Kings own Bogdan Bogdanovic the player that was most valuable to his team?

Serbia suffered a disappointing loss in the quarterfinals to the surprising Argentinians, essentially eliminating Bogdanovic from MVP contention. Based on his numbers and how they compare to Rubio’s, Bogdanovic should have been the first MVP from a losing team since Dirk Nowitzki in 2002.

He averaged 22.9 points per game in eight contest, second-best behind Ra Gun-ah of Korea, who averaged 23 points and played eight minutes more per game than Bogdanovic did. His 35 three-pointers were 11 more than any other player had, and he shot 53% from beyond the arc. His accuracy even earned him the nickname “Mr. Automatic” for the tournament.

Bogdanovic scored the most total points, putting up 31 on two separate occasions. His best game came in the second round of group play, scoring 26 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 6 assists against eventual champion Spain.

So how do those numbers compare to Rubio’s? The point guard averaged 16.4 points per game, as well as 6 assists and 4.6 rebounds. His highest scoring game was 20, but was a model of consistency, putting up 19 points three times and 17 points twice.

Compared to Bogdanovic’s numbers, Rubio’s production is pedestrian. The players averaged roughly the same amount of playing time, yet Bogdanovic’s play was far superior.

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Bogdanovic did not need to win the MVP award to prove his worth to Sacramento. Kings fans are chomping at the bit for the regular season to start, having been given yet another reason to be excited about the product on the floor at the Golden 1 Center. Bogdanovic will be the centerpiece of the second unit, and will be used as a versatile fill-in for the starting lineup if called upon.

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