Utah Jazz: Previewing Jazzmen at the Tokyo Olympics

Will a Utah Jazz player return to Salt Lake City with a gold medal in hand?

The Utah Jazz season ended earlier than many fans had hoped, as the Los Angeles Clippers bounced the No. 1 seed out of the conference semifinals in six games. Luckily for Jazz fans anxious to see what next year’s team will look like, several Jazzmen have been competing at the international level this summer.

Here’s a glance at what they’ve each been up to, beginning with the one whose country came up just a bit short of a ticket to the Olympics:

Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic

Jazz starting forward Bojan Bogdanovic represented Croatia a few weeks ago as they vied for a spot in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. During his country’s first two games, the 32-year-old looked worn from the NBA season, scoring 16 points in a loss to Brazil and then only 14 points on 28.6 percent shooting from the field in a win against Tunisia.

Croatia’s 1-1 record in the group stage was enough to secure a spot in the knockout round versus Germany. There, Bogdanovic was finally able to get hot, scoring 38 points on an efficient 11-for-19 shooting from the field.

Despite his hot hand, they weren’t able to get past the German squad, falling 86-76. While “Bogey” will surely be disappointed in not making it to Tokyo, the extra time to rest should ultimately benefit the Jazz next season.