Nets' Bogdanovic downplays severity of ankle injury
The Brooklyn Nets may have dodged a bullet.
Swingman Bojan Bogdanovic left Croatia's exhibition game against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday after injuring his ankle. The 26-year-old was set to undergo tests as a precautionary measure, and while the results haven't been made public, Bogdanovic took to Twitter to downplay any concerns.
Thank you all for your support. My ankle is swollen, but I'm receiving treatment and it should be ok in a couple of days. #GoStrong
— Bojan Bogdanovic (@44Bojan) August 27, 2015
Croatia is set to open their EuroBasket 2015 schedule Sept. 5, giving Bogdanovic more than a week to return to full health. In Bogdanovic's stead on Thursday, Orlando Magic rookie Mario Hezonja stepped up in a major way, scoring 24 points.
The No. 12 ranked team in the world and eighth in the region by FIBA, Croatia could be in tough to earn a spot at the 2016 Olympics. Only the top two teams from EuroBasket earn a berth, with four more punching a ticket to next summer's last-chance qualifying tournament.
Bogdanovic is coming off of a strong rookie season for the Nets that saw him named to the NBA All-Rookie second team. A second-round pick in 2011, Bogdanovic has won championships in Turkey and Croatia, and his performance at last year's FIBA World Cup established him as a serious scoring threat, even against top competition.
In 78 games as a rookie, Bogdanovic averaged nine points and 2.7 rebounds, shooting 45.3 percent from the floor and 35.5 percent from long-range.