# How good is Bodiroga?



## Nikos (Jun 5, 2002)

This guy has gotten almost every possible accolade in Europe over his career, he has won an WBC 2002, the MVP and the Euro Championships at one point.

Hes basically the MJ/Larry Bird of Europe.

The question is though, how good was this guy at his best or better yet, how good is he right now?

Is he good enough to play in the NBA and help a good team become better? Perhaps make the Kings more solid with his clutch play, IQ and overall ability to pass on any level?

Perhaps he is a little slow footed to be dominate in the NBA -- but he is a guy who can score in the clutch with his post/slash style game, and make smart decisons.

So how good do you think this guy could have been or how good could he be if he went to the NBA on the correct team?

Perhaps as effective as Kukoc was a few years back? Would you say Bodiroga was on par with Kukoc?

Why didn't Bodiroga come to the NBA 3-4 years ago when the Kings got him in 1995 (maybe come a year or two later)?


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

I think lack of athleticism would prevent Dejan from making an impact on the NBA, he is too slow for pg, sg, or sf, so imo his defence would become non-existant, even in europe his defence is not shining. He got himself a name so refs are sometimes very permissive when it's about Dejan's fouls.
Imo Dejan should stay in europe, his inteligence in undoubtable- why losing another star to Nba?


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## MagnusPinus (Aug 27, 2003)

He seems slow even for European standards..... but he is tremendous... his talent on offense is somethin' incredible.. in the recent euroleague game vs Partizan they tripled teamed him!!! every time he took the BALL!!! This is the only way to stop him...
His handle is supreme... passing skills too...he is not a pure shoter... but he puts it in when it's needed.. .he is the no 1 cluch player.. I'm SURE, I say SURE that he can really play in the Nba..who cares about D?? With the zone he can be protected,and most of the teams in the Nba don't D at all 
I'm sure he can be a key player for a good team.. The perfect man to create points all alone..

he is absolutely slower that some years ago.. but he is still the strongest player in Europe..


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## AMR (Oct 5, 2003)

Mickael Pietrus plays there, Mike Batiste played there, Rodney Buford played there, Ratko Varda played there, Shane Heal plays there, so why can't DB#10 play in the NBA????

he should have gone to America in 1995 when they drafted him, he could have developed his athleticism and be a good starter


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## Zelena Hracka (Dec 16, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>A.Reynolds-Dean</b>!
> Mike Batiste played there, Rodney Buford played there, Ratko Varda played there, Shane Heal plays there,


 What do you mean by _there_? Yeah, they've all played in Greece..


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## JGKoblenz (Jul 19, 2002)

Greece=NBA


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

> Mickael Pietrus plays there, Mike Batiste played there, Rodney Buford played there, Ratko Varda played there, Shane Heal plays there...


And they are all like 10th option in their clubs!?
I didn't say Bodiroga can't play in Nba, he just wouldn't be as important factor as he is n europe... so why should he?
Money? as 2nd round pick he would get minimum salary.


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## Zalgirinis (Feb 18, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>MagnusPinus</b>!
> 
> he is absolutely slower that some years ago.. but he is still the strongest player in Europe..


I cant agree on that. If you have said one of best players in Europe I could agree, but you cant say just best, cause theres such guy Arvydas Macijauskas, who owned Bodiroga last weekend in their meeting. Macas finished with 38 points (10/17 FG, 4/5 3pt and 14/14 FT, 39 ranking points), while Bodiroga scored 23 with 22 ranking points. Of course you could say Barcelona won, but look at Tau's other players, none of them made double-digit and Macijauskas scored half of teams points (38 of 76) and was almost the only player who was scoring in last quarter for his team.

And thats ACB. In Euroleague he scored 40 points tonight in 30 minutes, making 10/13 FG, 6/6 3pt and again 14/14 FT. 50 ranking points, overall hes in second position in whole Euroleague behind other Lithuanian player Arvydas Sabonis, whos also better than Bodiroga and yea hes 39. 

Sure Bodiroga is a great player, but his earlier victories doesnt make him the best player right now in Europe. IMHO, hes one of 4 best in Europe (adding Nocioni to those 3 mentioned before).


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## JGKoblenz (Jul 19, 2002)

So it's, in no particulary order:

- Macijauskas 
- Nocioni
- Sabonis
- Bodiroga

Sabonis already did his thing in the NBA, of the remaining 3, who has the best chance to play in US?


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## s a b a s 11 (Dec 31, 2002)

*euro stardom = nba stardom?*

Like Sabonis (even after he went to the NBA) even if Bodiroga went to the NBA now, many would still wonder how he would have done had he come earlier. I say he should stay in Europe so we can have message board fodder when he retires, arguing about his greatness and whether it would have translated to NBA stardom.

Stuart


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

One thing that makes Bodiroga the best player in europe(we can all agree about that- behind Sabonis) are his championships.
I like Macijauskas style but he'll have to win some finalfour games just by himself (like Bodiroga did)to become "the best euro player" the way he is playing right now I believe that is possible.
(actually i'm not Bodiroga's fan, i don't really like him that much, but I've got to admit he has been the key factor in euroleague for the past 4 years- you can't argue about that)


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## s a b a s 11 (Dec 31, 2002)

*career stats, STAT!*

Anyone have his career stats?

STuart


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## EverGreen-13 (Sep 19, 2003)

Dejan is....God!

His career stas...most of them are under his name on www.euroleague.net.

Dejan has won everyhting in Europe there is too win several times. Majijauskas is fantastic but as a couple guys said...Majijauskas is titleless for the moment. we he wins what Dejan has won then you can start comparing.

Dejan is not only points, but makes his fellow players better players and is the greatest leader i've seen.


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## AMR (Oct 5, 2003)

> the greatest leader i've seen.


that's the point

as a Barça fan I won't forget last Euroleague Final Four ever... I don't live in Barcelona so I had to watch it on TV, but I was screaming also in front of my TV 'BO-DI-RO-GA!!!'


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## s a b a s 11 (Dec 31, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>EverGreen-13</b>!
> Dejan is....God!
> 
> His career stas...most of them are under his name on www.euroleague.net.


Thanks Evergreen... his percentages from the field are unbelievable... a career 60% FG shooter?! Thats unheard of.

STuart


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## Marco Mitis (Dec 17, 2002)

I was a regoular at Trieste arena when coach Bogdan Tanjevich , against all odds, decided to put the team in the hands of a 18 year old boy unhearded-of from Serbia.
I've loved Dejan.
He's the real human highlight show. Only in slow motion. 
I still remember when Dejan scored 51 points vs Viola, year 1993!


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## AMR (Oct 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Marco Mitis</b>!
> He's the real human highlight show. Only in slow motion.


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## JGKoblenz (Jul 19, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Marco Mitis</b>!
> 
> He's the real human highlight show. Only in slow motion.


That is so true, when I'm watching he out there he looks pretty slow, but he can get the job done, slow motion or not.


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## EverGreen-13 (Sep 19, 2003)

What can i say, where should I start from...

Dejan-Deki- Bodi...is the absolute player. It's a fact that all his team mates at any given time with the clubs he played for, had their best seasons.

For example..he made life so easy for Alvertis and Kutluay since they were always on their own waiting in the corners for the Dejan drive in- draw another 1 or 2 players and pass out! When you have shooters like Kutluay and Alvertis they shoot with 80% accuracy unmarked.

Even in Dejans bad days, he would play for the team driving and just looking for his unmarked team mate to make the pass. In oterh situations, when his shooting was bad he'd drive and just try to win fouls and shoot free throws.

I reme quite a few of his games being like

2points 1/7 3points 0/2 and 1point 12/14 with 5 assists!! And that was on a bad day!!!

Dejan is the heart and soul of every team he plays for and most importanly, he was loved by his team mates because he was the simplest guy round.

In many a game, Panathinaikos would be struggling and he would score 10-12 straight points, wake his team mates up and win the game. I rem a few years ago against Ulker, we were losing by 26 points with 10-12 mins to go and he scored 16 points in a row, euqualised the game only for PAO to lose by 2 points in the dying seconds.

With him in your team, no matter how bad a day the team was having, you always had a chance of turning a game.

In the green side of Athens, he has Hero status.

last year when Barca travelled to Athens, hundreds of Panathinaikos fans visited the Barcelona hotel and turned it into a shrine. Other went to offer him gifts, others to say thank you for the memmories and others to say "come back. But all said we love you.

When he made a press announcment that he will be leaving Panathinaikos, hundreds of Panathinaikos fans went to his house and bid him farewell. Flares were lit up, songs adoring him were sung. He joined the fans and they all cried together for the end of an Era.

Dejan Bo-di-roga oeoe-oe!!!!

ps I've never been so upset about a player leaving, until Dejan left and I don't think I'll ever be.


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## bender (Jul 15, 2002)

Dejan Bodiroga is a proven winner. He can lead a team and always steps up crunch time. There are few players in the history of this sport who were as clutch as Bodiroga. I bet, if he would have joined the Kings some years ago, they would have a title now. They desperately needed a like him in the Western Conference Finals '02. He would have won the series for them, I'm sure.


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