The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz: Most intriguing individual matchups series – Pacific Division

By Jared Woodcox

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 25: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball against Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz on March 25, 2019 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 25: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball against Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz on March 25, 2019 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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SACRAMENTO, CA – MARCH 29: Bojan Bogdanovic #44 of the Indiana Pacers faces off against Bogdan Bogdanovic #8 of the Sacramento Kings on March 29, 2018 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA – MARCH 29: Bojan Bogdanovic #44 of the Indiana Pacers faces off against Bogdan Bogdanovic #8 of the Sacramento Kings on March 29, 2018 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Sacramento Kings: Bogdan Bogdanovic vs. Bojan Bogdanovic

Forget the fact that these two have such confusingly similar names (OK, don’t forget it, it’s part of what makes this matchup so great), beyond that both are prolific shooting small forwards that will be looking to torch the nets as crucially important scorers for their respective teams.

Despite the identical surnames, Bogdan Bogdanovic of Sacramento actually hails from Serbia while Bojan Bogdanovic of the Jazz is from Croatia. Bogdan is also 27 years old and entering his third year in the NBA while Bojan is 30 and suiting up for his sixth season in the Association.

And while Utah’s Bogdanovic is certainly the more proven scorer and shooter, both are dynamic and dangerous in their own right. Each is known as a three-point threat, but both are also far more capable of exploding beyond the skill that they’re most reputed for.

Sacramento’s Bogdanovic is coming off an incredible FIBA showing where he was the tournament’s second-leading scorer at 22.9 points per game on 55.6 percent shooting from the field and 53 percent from deep. If that performance was any indication, he’s set for a major breakout in year three.

Meanwhile, Utah’s Bogdanovic had the best NBA season of his career last year which was punctuated by a 42.5 percent three-point clip for the year, far better than Bogdan’s 36 percent mark from a year ago.

Despite that shooting advantage that leans Bojan’s way, I expect that Bogdan will improve this season, and that when Utah and Sacramento meet on the hardwood, the small forward battle between these two will be an intriguing one. Both can catch fire and serve as prolific offensive weapons for their teams, and whichever one manages to do the most damage could very well lead his team to victory over the other when all is said and done.

Scheduled Contests:

  • 10/26 Sacramento at Utah
  • 11/1 Utah at Sacramento
  • 1/18 Sacramento at Utah
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