http://aol.nba.com/nets/news/OffSeason_Roll_Call_Bostjan_Nachbar.html Boki Had His Breakthrough By Matt McQueeny, NJNets.com Everything came together for Bostjan Nachbar in the 2006-07 Season. He earned and got his legitimate chance, stayed healthy, and yielded fruit. He also, very importantly, did this while contributing to a winning team that closed the season 10-3 and made it to the second-round of the playoffs. Nachbar took a near clean sweep of career-highs in all categories last season, including points (9.2), rebounds (3.3), three-pointers made (112), field-goal percentage (.457), three-point percentage (.423) and minutes per game (20.2) in 76 games. Oh, and if the statistic were kept, probably the highest personal total of dings and bruises. “A season like that leaves a mark,” said the 6’9” forward. “Especially the way I had been trying to play this year, trying to be aggressive and stuff, you get bumps and bruises along the way. I just needed to take some time off after the season to heal.” “I got a couple of weeks off after the season, just rested a little bit. I was home, saw family and friends. Then, after a while, I started working out and I decided to come back here.” The four-year pro out of Slovenia said he was hoping to get the chance to start playing golf this summer, but that did not happen. All the same, with the grind of the NBA season, it is important for a NBA player to step back from the game, even just a little, in the off-season. “Once the season’s over you try – you don’t always succeed – but you try to get your mind off basketball – at least, for a little bit,” said Nachbar. “It just means a lot to go home and have that time off, but quickly I started thinking of basketball again. Because I decided not to play for my National Team, I wanted to take full advantage of this summer to just, for the first time for seven or eight years, to invest in me and have time for myself to work on things that I needed to get better.” While he could have stayed in that comfort zone overseas right up until training camp in October, he was kind of itching to get back to New Jersey and really start working out again. “In my case, I wouldn’t have to be here if I didn’t want to; I could easily be at home back in Europe watching TV or laying in the sun…That’s not something I want to do. To be totally honest, I kind of got bored back home and kind of wanted to come in and start working out again because that’s my life and once you get used to it, it’s hard to live without it.” Boki’s been back at the Net training facility lifting weights, shooting, and working on becoming a more complete player. “Just been working on my body strength. Not necessarily gaining weight but just trying to get stronger. Obviously, shooting is one of the things that I want to keep improving on and just stay as sharp as I was this season. And then just working on my game, different positions. Whether it was low-post game, whether it was outside at three, mid-range game.” Nachbar likes what has been added to the team so far; he thinks the team has most notably gotten tougher underneath the basket. His career actually intersected with newly-signed Net Jamaal Magloire’s in 2004-05 with the Hornets. Magloire broke his right ring finger that year – keeping him out of 51 games - but Nachbar did get to play with and know the big man a little bit. “We did play a few games together; he’s good, he plays hard, he cares,” said Boki. “When it comes down to being tough, he’s one of the toughest guys I ever played with and that’s what I think we were maybe lacking a little bit last year. So, hopefully, he is going to bring that toughness and that energy that we need. There is no doubt in my mind that he will help us; I think he is going to be a big thing for us.” Boki has found his niche with this team, playing the role of the energy guy off the bench, the outside shooter off of drive-and-kicks, and even the emphatic finisher. He hopes to maintain the role and provide the bench boost again in 2007-08. The next season will also be the last of his current contract. To Nachbar, he is not worrying about that and said that it will all work itself out. “I’m just going to let it play out. Like I said before: my personal goal is just to have a similar season to last season. I want to keep on being part of the rotation and coming in and being aggressive. I think if I do that things are going to fall into place; so I’m not really worried about that.” What is he worried about? …Being defined as a winner. He got that taste, and as a major player, last year and he looks to build it on it going forward. “Obviously, this last season with the Nets was by far the most successful (personally) because we also did good things as a team. And I played a lot in the playoffs which is going to mean a lot in the future and I was a big part of it.” “When I look back after I’m done playing basketball, I just don’t want to be a player in the NBA, I want to be a player actually who won something. Hopefully I can do that with the Nets.”
Ironic's more like it. But hell, this is the east we're talking about. Tracy, Yao, and Stevie would've been more than enough to get to the Finals.
Sad but true ...... But some players do insist on playing for their countries regardless of the prospective results.
Boki was my favorite play when he was with us. I like him more than Yao, Steve, McGrady, anyone. Nachbar has a ton of potential that is just starting to come through. He is a big time slasher who can shoot as well. He is a typical SF for the league and I really hope he does better than expected.
Then you need to get off your couch and go outside (out of your country) and see the real world. Because it's funny that when everytime some people don't behave as you'd expect, you say that they're brainwashed. You know what's it like being brainwashed? Being brainwashed is when you hear that someone's views are different from yours, the first automatic reaction (without going through your brain first) is to dismiss him as being brainwashed.
Boki has a nice ~$20MM contract awaiting him next summer if he stays healthy next season. Playing with Jason Kidd does wonders.
while true, in this case I dont feel one can overlook the change in on-court attitude he showed this past year. That was something that was always missing before. It seems he finally realized that he was gonna have to work harder to find his place inthe NBA, and I applaud him for that, but unless he continues to improve noticeably next year folks will continue to write him off as a major player due to the "Kidd-factor". Woudlnt it be a hoot if after the end of his current contract, the ROckets managed to bring him back? I know, unlikely, but the skillset he showed last year would be most usefull here.
