‘My English got better.’ That’s Bogdanovic’s silver lining as he waits and recovers

Bogdan Bogdanovic is aching to get back to action. The Kings aren’t quite ready to let him join in just yet.

“It’s tough to sit back and do nothing,” he said Monday at the team’s training facility. “I try sometimes to get onto the court but they kick me out. I just try to help with the passes, just to be around the team, but they didn’t want me to do that.

“It’s tough to not be able to work out with the guys and share the effort they’re putting in every day.”

The Kings’ second-year shooting guard is three weeks removed from a minor procedure on his left knee that was expected to sideline him between four and six weeks.

He’s not the only one among the Kings who want to see him back on the floor.

“I’m antsy about it, too,” coach Dave Joerger said. “He’s definitely a cog in what we’re trying to do and he gives us a lot more playmaking and increases our IQ. He helps us defensively (and) offensively. Gives us a lot more versatility and I think he settles us, too.”

Although Bogdanovic doesn’t have a set date to return, he’s targeting Nov. 7, when the Kings play the Toronto Raptors at Golden 1 Center. That would be just past the six-week mark and it’s the first home game after the team’s four-game eastern trip.

He said he’s not down about his situation and remains confident as he recovers.

“It’s just sad because I really wanted to start this season from the opening game,” he said. “That’s what really bothers me.”

During the downtime, he’s been able to work on a completely different skill that will prove valuable, both to the team and himself.

“My English got better,” the Serbian native said. “By the time I start playing games, I can be more vocal and share the experience I brought from overseas and try to help the young guys.”

Despite not being able to participate in full, point guard De’Aaron Fox said having a guy like Bogdanovic around is a great asset to the team.

“He knows what he’s talking about,” Fox said. “Even though he’s not playing, he’s always giving his input and letting us know what he sees.”

Bogdanovic – who averaged 11.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists as a rookie – had two procedures done to the same knee this offseason. He said the injuries are not the same, adding that he played most of last season with the first one, a slight tear of the medial meniscus in the same knee, that required what he called a “cleanup” procedure shortly after the season ended.

The recent injury came during FIBA World Cup qualifiers Sept. 17. He left early during a victory over Estonia after feeling some discomfort.

“I actually hurt myself during the game,” said Bogdanovic, who noticed his range of motion was affected. “I realized there’s something wrong with my knee. The next morning, I couldn’t walk normally.”

The second procedure was done in New York on Sept. 24, when the Kings held their media day. If the original timeline holds true, Bogdanovic is about halfway to returning, something Joerger is eager for.

“He’s a special dude, he loves to play and he’s just a really good person,” Joerger said. “He’s always the ultimate team guy. He reminds me a lot of Marc Gasol (who Joerger coached in Memphis): always about the team and those are the people you want to be around.”

This story was originally published October 15, 2018 at 6:56 PM.