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Sacramento Kings: Bogdanovic Listed In ESPN’s Top 100 Rankings

By Anthony Cardenas

PORTLAND, OR - APRIL 10: Bogdan Bogdanovic #8 of the Sacramento Kings dribbles against Jake Layman #10 of the Portland Trail Blazers in the third quarter during their game at Moda Center on April 10, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. 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 License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - APRIL 10: Bogdan Bogdanovic #8 of the Sacramento Kings dribbles against Jake Layman #10 of the Portland Trail Blazers in the third quarter during their game at Moda Center on April 10, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. 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 License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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Even the largest national sports media outlets are beginning to show the Kings respect, something that has been missing in Sacramento for a long time.

ESPN released numbers 100-51 of their NBA Top 100 rankings on Monday, and Bogdan Bogdanovic is one of three Sacramento Kings to make the list.

Bogdanovic comes in ranked at number 74, and he can thank his performance at the 2019 FIBA World Cup for his ascent in reputation. His 23 points per game average garnered the attention of the basketball world as well as the NBA fanbase. He was named to the all-tournament team and was considered by many to be the best player in this year’s contest.

Is The Ranking Correct?

Bogdanovic’s ranking comes as a pleasant surprise. If ESPN’s list had been released before his stellar performance on the world stage, Bogdanovic would likely be left off. Instead, he has a higher ranking than guys like Steven Adams, Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyle Kuzma, and Brook Lopez. He trails both Dejounte Murray and Gary Harris by just a couple of spots, and his teammate Marvin Bagley who comes in at number 69.

If Bogdanovic can live up to his ranking and the sudden-expectations from Kings fans, then the Kings will have a wonderful problem on their hands. Barring any changes in training camp, Bogdanovic is expected to come off the bench. He would be the undisputed leader of a second unit that is suddenly deep and talented.

But if he is a better option for starting small forward than Harrison Barnes, then Sacramento could be forced to relegate their 85 million dollar man to bench duty. Should this happen, head coach Luke Walton would need to do some serious tinkering with minutes and lineups for his team.

How Reliable Is ESPN’s List?

ESPN’s rankings, and most rankings like it, should be taken with a grain of salt. There is certainly time and effort that goes in to creating these lists, but a handful of questionable decisions are likely made on purpose in order to reap clicks and views. Controversy sells in these situations, and Bogdanovic’s generous ranking may be exactly that.

As mentioned previously, Marvin Bagley begins his second NBA season as the 69th ranked player, and Buddy Hield seems somewhat undervalued at number 59.

Next. How Harry Giles Became A Fan Favorite. dark

De’Aaron Fox will surely be in the top 50 when the rest of the rankings are released over the next week. There is a noticeable absence of Harrison Barnes in the 100-51 rankings, and he is extremely unlikely to crack the top 50. If he miraculously does, chalk it up to ESPN attempting to rake in their clicks via controversy.

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