October 18, 2019 - Croatian basketball player Mario Hezonja was the Portland Trail Blazers' top scorer in a 104-110 defeat to the Denver Nuggets in the last preseason game before the regular NBA season begins.

Gol.hr writes that Hezonja scored 18 points in 28 minutes on the court with 6/11 shots in play and 3/4 for three-pointers. He also achieved five rebounds, six assists, and one block. The best for Denver was Will Barton and Paul Millsap, who each scored 13 points. This is Portland's third defeat in five preseason games.

This is the most graceful and 1 we've ever seen. @mariohezonja | #RipCity pic.twitter.com/FRNt6ZJ47n

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) October 18, 2019

''I'm by no means happy with the team's defensive reaction. Hezonja taught us a lesson,” Denver coach Mike Malone said after the game.

In the five preseason games, Hezonja averaged 10.8 points and 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists with a shooting percentage of 50%. However, most important is that he’s made his role clear on the team and guaranteed minutes in the rotation.

Ivica Zubac and Dragan Bender also hit the NBA court on Thursday night. In the LA Clippers defeat to the Dallas Mavericks (87-102), Zubac booked 16 minutes on the court, scored two points (shots in play 1/3 shot), and recorded three rebounds and one assist.

The Clippers' top scorer was Montrezl Harell with 14 points, while Dallas was led by Kristaps Porzingis and Justin Jackson with 18 points. Luka Doncic added 15. In the NBA preseason, the Clippers have two wins and three losses. 

Dragan Bender had a weak night in the Milwaukee Bucks' 118-96 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the three minutes he spent on the court, he only registered one block. Giannis Antetokounmpo, with 26 points, was the best for the Bucks, who had five wins in five preseason games.

Croatian basketball player Bojan Bogdanovic had a tough shooting night in the 118-126 home defeat of the Utah Jazz against the Portland Trail Blazers in their last preseason game on Wednesday.  Bogdanovic started the game in Utah's top five and was on the court for 25 minutes, where he missed all nine shots in play (0-4 for two-pointers, 0-5 for three-pointers), hitting just one free throw with one assist.

The regular NBA season begins on October 22, 2019. 

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October 9, 2019 - Dario Saric and Mario Hezonja made their Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers debut in the NBA preseason on Tuesday evening. Bojan Bogdanovic made his Utah Jazz break on October 5.

Gol.hr reports that Dario Saric hit the court in a new NBA jersey on Tuesday - the jersey of the Phoenix Suns. In his debut, Saric received 17 and a half minutes on the court against his former team Minnesota Timberwolves. The game ended 111:106 for the Suns, and Saric contributed four points, seven rebounds, and one assist.

Ahead of the meeting, Phoenix coach Monty Williams said he would give his major players between 17 and 20 minutes on the court. As we know, Saric received 17 and a half, while DeAndre Ayton and Devin Booker each booked 21 minutes and Ricky Rubio 20.

The Croatia national team representative had a poor shooting night in which he hit just one of five attempts in the game. He scored one of two from the free-throw line, though he did catch seven rebounds, six of which were in the defense.

Mario Hezonja debuted for the Portland Trail Blazers in a 105:94 defeat to the Denver Nuggets and was the team's top scorer with 12 points in 20 minutes (3/5 for two-pointers, 0/2 for three-pointers), adding six rebounds and two assists. Hezonja also entered the game from the bench. 

ITSA HE-A MARIO pic.twitter.com/JKewzjJuPK

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) October 9, 2019

Luka Samanic did not get a chance to play in the San Antonio Spurs defeat to Miami Heat 108:89.

Recall, a few days before on Saturday, Bojan Bogdanovic debuted for the Utah Jazz. Namely, the Jazz was convincing against the Australian Adelaide 36ers (133:81), and the Croatia captain scored 10 points with four rebounds and assists in 20 minutes on the court. 

The Utah Jazz was led by Tony Bradley with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Jeff Green added 16. Bogdanovic was one of seven players to hit double-digits on the winning team.

Bojan 3
Jeff 3
Nigel 3 pic.twitter.com/jPYPjPagQ6

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 6, 2019

The regular NBA season will begin on October 22, 2019.

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August 16, 2019 - Bojan Bogdanović has been intensely preparing for yet another NBA challenge - a new season with new Utah Jazz. 

Croatia national basketball team player Bojan Bogdanović has spent much of his holiday in Dubrovnik, a city he fell in love with as a kid. But this summer, the popular ‘Babo’ worked harder than ever on his game to justify the big paycheck given to him by new NBA team Utah Jazz, reports T.portal on August 16, 2019.

At the beginning of July, the 30-year-old Mostar-born Bogdanović accepted an offer from the Utah Jazz, who, after great games in the Indiana Pacers jersey, offered him a four-year, $73 million contract.

Thus, Bogdanović, who arrived in the NBA in 2014 when he played for Brooklyn, earned a reputation as one of the league's best scorers after five seasons. After all, he averaged 18 points a game last season, 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists with three-pointers at a brilliant 42.5 percent. After the best season of his career, he also received the contract of his life.

To better fit into the system of coach Quin Snyder, assistant coach Zach Guthrie arrived in Dubrovnik for ten days, who, despite the high heat and thousands of tourists, worked daily at the Gospino Polje hall in the non-air-conditioned gym with the new Jazzer player. The move surprised Bogdanović a bit, but it also showed him just how much everyone at the club cared. Especially head coach Snyder, who sees Bogdanović as a player in the first five who will return the favor with points and good defense.

“I am convinced that Bojan will fit in perfectly with our game, and we could hardly find a better shooter on the market. We could really have a killer five when it comes to three-pointers," said a sympathetic Guthrie briefly, who showed details of the actions Bogdanović would be a part of. 

“We did really well all summer and I'm very pleased. Coach Danijel Lutz has been with me the whole time and is someone I’ve worked with for years. The arrival of Jazz's assistant from the US is a testament to the attention to detail in my new team,” Bogdanović told T.portal, who found his second home in Dubrovnik as he's already purchased several properties in the famous Croatian city.

“I loved Dubrovnik as a child when I would come with my parents and sisters to this beautiful city. Well, I said earlier that I was overjoyed that I could fulfill my childhood wish and that I bought a nice house on Stradun, in the very center of the old town,” said Bogdanović with a smile. The basketballer can often be seen walking Stradun in the company of friends or girlfriends.

Bogdanović determined that he would be actively resting until the Assumption of Mary, after which he would begin working a bit harder in Zagreb, in the Dražen Petrović hall. He plans to train in Zagreb until early September when he will head to his new destination - Salt Lake City, Utah.

Bojan will arrive in the US fully prepared and eager for new challenges. 

“Honestly, I wish I had spent the summer preparing for the World Cup with the Croatia national team, but it is what it is. As for Utah Jazz, I expect a good season and I think the club leaders have put together a very good team, although it will take time for us to play. We all envision a fight for the top of the Western Conference, and what is certain is that, in my opinion, this will be the most uncertain and tense NBA season after a long time. It's hard to predict who could reach the finals. Well, just look at the West - I think that out of 15 teams, maybe 2-3 are not counting on being at the top of the table and there will be a big fight for a spot in the playoffs,” added Bogdanović.

To be in top form for another NBA season, Bogdanović always calls coach Danijel Lutz, his trainer since he arrived from Real Madrid to Cibona.

“It is true that we have been cooperating for a very long time and what is most important for Bojan at this stage of his career is refining the segments in his game that he is always performing very well. Of course, we also worked on some of the details that he will need with the Utah Jazz, which was done in collaboration with the assistant coach Zach Guthrie, who he enjoyed working here in Dubrovnik,” Lutz said, adding:

“Bojan is a complete professional and the way he has worked hard all summer, during his vacation, confirms that. Of course, that is expected of someone who has the status Bojan currently has in the NBA.”

Translated from T.portal.

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Croatia’s NBA players will be joined by yet another colleague next season. Namely, 19-year-old Luka Šamanić was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs to be the seventh Croat in the NBA this season. And better yet, the 210-centimeter power forward was the great wish of legendary coach Gregg Popovich.

Gol.hr reports on July 31, 2019, that the promising basketballer went to Barcelona three years ago and spent the last season at Olimpija in Slovenia. But after a brief experience in European basketball, Luka is on his way to the pot of gold - the NBA and the San Antonio Spurs.

"I had just that one season at Olimpija. I played a lot of minutes because we had three competitions after that season - there were both good and bad times. I spoke with my family and I think I'm ready, mentally ready to go there (NBA), to work and try to fight out there,” Luka Šamanić told Nova TV.

The young Croatia national team player was the great desire of legendary coach Gregg Popovich - and just how badly Popovich wanted him is proven by the fact that he was elected as the 19th pick. 

"Before the draft, I spoke to an agent who told me between 16 and 35. They told me you could be 16, and you could be 35, that the draft is always unpredictable, and you never know what's going to happen. I was ready for anything, and I secretly wanted San Antonio because they have some history with Europe and when I heard that I was 19, I was overjoyed,” explained the Croatian basketball player.

Tim Duncan is an assistant to Popovich this season, and Luka has already met the legend of the NBA league and American basketball.

"I was at the pre-draft workout, before the draft, and we went to dinner. I didn't even know that he was going to be there. I thought there would only be people from San Antonio. When I saw him and saw Gregg, that is something that does not happen every day. And we didn't talk at all about basketball, it was all about how I was doing in school, how many languages I speak, things to fit into their San Antonio family,” said Šamanić.

In the tests leading up to the draft, Luka was brilliant. As a European, he was a complete stranger to the media who are used to tracking future NBA stars through college.

"And then when you jump a meter high, all of a sudden everybody wonders what, how, who. It was all a joke before, but I knew it and just waited to go there and show them, and it paid off," said the promising player.

Šamanić has chosen the number 19, which is full of symbolism, and the expectations from his debut season are looking to be realistic.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

Croatia's second NBA Summer League game against the Brooklyn Nets ended 58:74, though the result isn't entirely reflective of Croatia, who, similarly to the first match against Detroit, managed to hold their own, reports Sportske Novosti on July 8, 2019. 

Croatia even seemed better at times than two days ago, like at the start of the second half after Antonio Vranković scored for 39:37. Although the Nets had good rhythm, Croatia figured out their flow by halftime and found a solution for the aggressive Gray and Kurucs.

The entire third quarter, unlike against Detroit, was equal, though the problems began at the beginning of the last quarter. The Nets used their speed, which Croatia was unable to follow. But even with their high intensity, Croatia looked better on the court than they did on Friday. The Nets are also competing with two players who had serious playing time in the NBA last season -  Jarrett Allen and the Latvian Rodions Kurucs. The team also features Džanan Musa, who scored 15 points.

Željko Šakić achieved a double-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and one assist.

“It was the same as in the first game, we did well, but we had a black hole at the beginning of the last quarter. I think we are presenting ourselves in a good light here and playing well. This is a challenge, we have young players, but in these two games, a lot was good. As far as I'm concerned, I do not feel too much of a difference except in physical strength, because I have never played a physically demanding game, but I am grateful to the coach that I'm here, I’m living the dream,” said Željko Šakić, the oldest in the team and the captain of Croatia in Las Vegas. 

Croatia's top scorer on Sunday was Antonio Vranković, who scored 12 points, and collected eight rebounds, assist and two blocks.

“We went into the game worse, but we woke and were better. The coach set up a zone, and we did our job. We were much better than in the first game; we looked better as a team, we were able to handle the game more energetically. I hope we get at least one victory here,” said Antonio Vranković.

“The attack was better on Friday, but we showed a lot of good things now. In the last 35 minutes, they only scored 56 points. We are showing from game to game that we can match up with these guys and that deserves a positive rating,” said coach Veljko Mršić.

Ermal Kuqo, a scout for the Clippers, concluded.

“The arrival of Croatia in Las Vegas is the best thing that could happen for Croatian basketball. Just look at how the players are cheering for each other, jumping from the bench. This did not happen in your team before.”

Ivica Zubac and his girlfriend Kristina could also be seen in the crowd against the Nets. Recall, Zubac just signed a $28 million contract with the LA Clippers.

“I am surprised, I watched the first game on TV, and after watching it live the guys are really holding their own.”

Croatia will play their third match of the NBA Summer League on Tuesday at 9:30 pm against Oklahoma City. According to what both teams have shown so far, this could be the first real opportunity for Croatia to get an NBA win. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

The Croatia basketball team kicked off the first day of the NBA Summer League against the Detroit Pistons. While Croatia held their own for a mostly equal match and even managed to lead by 8 points, it was Detroit to win in the end, reports HKS on July 6, 2019.

Three minutes until the end of the third quarter, coach Veljko Mršić's squad still held their own at 55:55, but the Detroit club slowly pushed their way ahead in the last quarter as Croatia grew weaker to achieve a final score of 96:80.

In any case, Croatia showed their potential and played a solid game with a strong defense. Croatia’s next game is already on July 7 at 22:00 Croatia time against the Brooklyn Nets.

The best Croatia player was Željko Šakić with 17 points and 5 rebounds. Luka Babić scored 10 points with 4 assists, Roko Badžim 9 (with 2 rebounds and 2 assists), and Marjan Čakarun and Domagoj Vuković each secured 8 points.

The most famous Detroit player and former Cedevita player Will Cherry received 13 minutes on the court,  though he did not score a single point and only managed one steal.

"It was really great, given that this was our first game here and that this league is really good. I personally thought it would be worse, but I think the first half was great. In the second half, we fell a bit, but that's the glamour and charm of all this,” Željko Šakić said immediately after the end of the game.

Coach Veljko Mršić was also pleased: "The first game after 15 days of training is behind us. In the first half, we seemed strong. Two minutes until the end of the fourth quarter, it was still equal, but after that, it was hard to maintain their better physical abilities and athleticism. However, since this was the first match and I noticed a few things during this game, I think the score is satisfactory. This is a school tour where we will see which players can respond to this game and hope that everyone will profit and in the future be better players."

Recall the NBA Summer League features all 30 NBA teams along with the national teams of Croatia and China. The preliminary round runs from July 5-11, after which the top eight teams play in a single-elimination tournament from July 13-15. The remaining 24 teams will play a consolation game on July 12 or 13. All games are held in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Luka Šamanić left a positive impression in the San Antonio Spurs jersey at the start of the NBA Summer League. The young Croatian basketball player scored 11 points and seven rebounds to win against the Cleveland Cavaliers 97:89, reports Gol.hr on July 2, 2019.

In his first match after the draft, Luka Šamanić showed skills that confirmed why the San Antonio Spurs had chosen him as the 19th pick.

"I was nervous," said Croatian basketball player, who originally hails from Zagreb.

“It was my first NBA match. I was excited but nervous... it just took some time,” he added.

After his nerves calmed, the 19-year-old player showed his promising potential. He managed 4/7 shots in play, including a key three-pointer and dunk in the last two minutes.

"At first everything went very fast and I was trying to focus on where I was going, who is my shooter, who isn’t, and help defend. Then in the second half, it was a lot better,”  said Šamanić for the US media.

Šamanić was also praised by Blake Ahearn, the coach of San Antonio in the Summer League.

“The man can jump - it surprised me. I like that he is aggressive,” said Ahearn.

The most effective for the Spurs was Lonnie Walker, last year’s draft pick, who scored 20 points and achieved 8/12 shots in play. 

Walker even praised Luka: "Luka has shown that every time he goes to the hoop he wants to dunk, and that's great."

Šamanić’s jumping skills didn’t just surprise Ahearn and Walker: "I think a lot of people don’t expect that of me,” added the young Croatian player.

"At this level, you have to be top-rated, and all three of our novices managed in their own way. If you want to survive in this league, you have to do that," Ahearn added.

Recall, Šamanić was selected by the Spurs in this year's draft as the 19th pick, and immediately joined the team in the Summer League. In Las Vegas, the Croatian national team will play in their first match on Friday against the Detroit Piston.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

Croatian basketball player Bojan Bogdanović has allegedly agreed to join Utah Jazz for the next NBA season, with a contract worth 73 million USD, reports HRT on July 1, 2019.

This would be Bogdanovć’s fourth NBA team after the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers. Media reports claim that Bogdanović will sign a contract with Utah for four years. 

Recall, Bogdanović’s career in the NBA began with three years in Brooklyn, from 2014 to February 2017, followed by a move to Washington. In July of 2017, he signed a two-year contract with the Indiana Pacers.

Utah could be dangerous next season ?

Bojan Bogdanovic has agreed to a $4-year, $73M deal with the Jazz, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/GXNKpVQNyZ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 30, 2019

In 399 games played in the NBA, Bogdanović has an average of 13.3 points and 3.4 rebounds. Last season, the Croatian representative played 81 games and reached an average of 18 points per game, 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists, while his average for three-pointers was 42.5 percent.

In other NBA transfer news, Mario Hezonja has allegedly agreed on a move from the New York Knicks to the Portland Trail Blazers where he should sign a two-year contract. After the first season, the 24-year-old Dubrovnik native can terminate the agreement, ESPN said. Hezonja’s contract is worth over a million dollars per season, as it is the minimum NBA wage for players with four years of experience in the highest-quality basketball league in the world.

Mario Hezonja has agreed to a 1-year, minimum deal with the Blazers, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/ycSxDffZhX

— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) July 1, 2019

After spending four seasons in the Eastern Conference, where he played for the Orlando Magic for the first three years and moved to the New York Knicks for the 2018/19 season, Hezonja will head to the West and join the team that made it to the conference finals last year, though they lost all four games to the Golden State Warriors.

Last year, Hezonja played 58 games for the Knicks, 24 of which he started in the top five and spent 20.8 minutes on average on the court. In that time, he averaged 8.8 points, with 41.2 percent of shots in play, out of which three-pointers accounted for 27.6 percent. He also averaged 3.0 rebounds with 1.3 assists.

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Dario Šarić is joining his third NBA club, though his arrival to the young and powerful Phoenix Suns dims the hopes of another Croat in the Phoenix ranks, Dragan Bender,  reports 24 Sata on June 21, 2019.

Dario Šarić is a new member of the Phoenix Suns! The Croatian representative was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves hours before the draft for the sixth selection in the first round. The Minnesota Timberwolves traded Šarić, the No. 11 NBA draft pick, for the No. 6 pick in the draft. 

Thus, our Croatian basketball star will defend the colors of his third NBA club next season, after bouts at the Philadelphia 76ers and the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 25-year-old Šibenik-native arrives at the Phoenix Suns to a young and powerful team where the main stars are Devin Booker (22) and last year’s first draft pick Deandre Ayton (20). The Phoenix Suns thanked T.J. Warren for his time with the Suns before his trade to join Bojan Bogdanović at the Indiana Pacers, thus opening a sport for Šarić in the starting five.

The Phoenix Suns have a number of young but quality players like Kelly Oubre (23), Mikal Bridges (22) or Josh Jackson (22), and there is still the experienced 39-year-old Jamal Crawford. The arrival of Dario Šarić has unfortunately dimmed the hopes for another Croat in Phoenix, Dragan Bender, who had a somewhat modest season. 

The Phoenix Suns were the weakest team in the Western Conference for the last three seasons, with only 64 victories in 246 matches. However, the team is young and is still under construction, and with good picks, they could catch the playoffs in a year or two. But for now, this seems like an impossible mission.

Recall, Šarić was transferred to Minnesota in November as part of a trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers. He didn’t lock in the best season with Minnesota, averaging only 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds throughout his 68 games with the Wolves. 

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April 16, 2019 - In an exclusive interview for Dnevnik Nova TV on Monday, Croatian basketballer Dario Šarić spoke about the NBA season behind him and the collapse of the Croatia national team.