In their first game back after the NBA All-Star Break, the New York Knicks were able to secure a win over the Philadelphia 76ers in convincing fashion. One important takeaway was a great performance by one of their newly acquired players.
The Knicks went into the All-Star break limping both literally and figuratively, but they are finally starting to get a bit healthier. While the team does wait for the hopeful return of Julius Randle and OG Anunoby, they did get some reinforcements back against the 76ers. In the win, one of the top players for the Knicks was Bojan Bogdanovic.
Bogdanovic was one of the pieces the Knicks brought over before the trade deadline from the Detroit Pistons, as the veteran was having a great season with the struggling Pistons. While the Knicks won’t need to rely as heavily on Bogdanovic as the Pistons were, he is starting to establish his role with the team.
Against the 76ers, Bogdanovic had his best game as a Knick, as he totaled 22 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the field, which included going 6-for-6 from beyond the 3-point arc. Bogdanovic’s ability to stretch the floor has created a lot more spacing for New York, who now have multiple threats that can shoot the ball from the outside.
With Randle’s return very much in question for the regular season, we will likely see Bogdanovic playing minutes in the mid-20s, with a good chunk of that time being at the power forward position. With good rebounding centers and the positionless Josh Hart grabbing boards for the team, Bogdanovic’s lack of prowess in that area is easily covered up.
With Bogdanovic back healthy and on the court, the Knicks have yet another solid scoring option to help Jalen Brunson. Bogdanovic has shown that he can score 20 points a night in the league and that ability to put the ball in the basket is something the Knicks will need as long as Randle is out.
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