Bojan Bogdanovic’s max-effort style will fit right in with Knicks

The first half of the newcomers, you know him, and it’s likely you remember him fondly. Alec Burks will always be a part of the 2020-21 Knicks who fell out of the sky and delivered their greatest season in almost a decade, a 41-31 stunner in which Julius Randle blossomed among a random scattering of players such as Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock. 

And Burks. Burks was a favorite of the Knicks faithful that year as they were slowly allowed back into Madison Square Garden, and he was a particular favorite of Tom Thibodeau. 

“He’s the kind of player, you can ask him to do a lot of things and he does them all quietly and efficiently,” Thibodeau said of Burks late in that 2021 season. “He’s the kind of player that his teammates, they always love when he’s on the floor with them because he’s a pro, he knows exactly where he’s supposed to be, where he’s supposed to go.” 

Still, in the Knicks’ best-case scenario this season, Burks’ impact would have a certain ceiling. With everyone healthy, he’s probably the 10th man of a 10-man rotation, called on to spell Jalen Brunson without the offense going completely to pieces, maybe given some more minutes if Brunson is in foul trouble or if Burks seems to be feeling it that night. 

Bojan Bogdanovic is 34 and he’s been around the NBA block a time or three. He was technically a member of three NBA teams his first day in the league (traded on draft night 2011 from the Heat to the Timberwolves to the Nets) and the Knicks will be the sixth team he suits up for when he makes his anticipated debut Saturday night against the Pacers — the team for which he blossomed from 2017-19. 

The fact that he’s been exiled to Detroit the last two years has been something of a basketball misdemeanor because he has been a key element of fine teams in both Indianapolis and Salt Lake City, praised by teammates, valued by coaches.