BOSTON — Bojan Bogdanovic is getting more comfortable, improving his offense in playing time and solidifying his spot in the playoff rotation.
After struggling to start with the Knicks, Bogdanovic has scored at least 12 points in six of his past 10 games, including an effective 14 points in Thursday’s win over the Celtics. It is.
He said confidence has never been an issue since being traded by the Pistons in February, but it took time to adjust to his new role and bench.
“Despite going through a lot of ups and downs during my time with the Knicks, I’ve gained confidence,” Bogdanovic said. “I feel more comfortable in my role now. It’s not quite the same so I’ll adjust a little bit. I’ve been playing as a starter for 10 years, but heading into the playoffs, I’m starting to play better and get to my level. I hope we can keep it that way.”
This is a great sign for the Knicks. The Knicks are one win away from finishing third or higher in the East and need to improve their scoring ability to complement Jalen Brunson’s playing time.
“Trades are tough things to go through,” OG Anunoby said. “every day [Bogdanovic] He’s getting more comfortable doing what he’s doing. ”
Alec Burks, who was traded from Detroit in the same package as Bogdanovic, is a different story.
Burks recorded his third consecutive healthy DNP on Thursday.
Mikal Bridges continues his flirtation with the Knicks.
Brooklyn’s best player will have to watch his former Villanova teammate make the playoffs while the Nets head to the draft lottery (without their own pick) along with Josh Hart as part of a promotion with Chipotle I took a lie detector test.
Hart asked, “Would you be interested in having me as a teammate again?” to which Bridges enthusiastically responded, “Yes.”
It would have been an innocuous comment, except that Hart recently beat Bridges’ chops by saying he’s sad he can’t play for the Knicks.
Hart, Bridges, Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo won the NCAA Championship with the Wildcats in 2016.
Despite all the innuendos and flirtations, it’s hard to imagine the Nets would enjoy trading Bridges to a crosstown rival. The forward is under contract until the 2025-26 season.
The Knicks have two Most Valuable Player candidates.
Brunson, who finished third in that category last year, entered Thursday with an increase in points (24 to 28.4) and assists (6.2 to 6.7) per game.
But perhaps more valuable is DiVincenzo, who made three-point shots in the East. Although his minutes have only increased by about two games since last season with the Warriors, his scoring has jumped from 9.4 points per game to 15.4 points per game, and his shooting percentage has also improved.
DiVincenzo added 17 more points on Thursday.
