Krstic's stats declined this season, with other players like Ibaka and Harden taking on increased roles. If nothing else, then making sure he that he did his job and didn't become a liability had to be the Thunder's #1 priority. They also expected a basic level of rebounding and about 6-8 points a game.
While we saw Krstic have field days against teams like the Kings and Timberwolves because of their soft big man defense, most fans would have liked to see that against some teams that actually mattered. That being said, there were some expectations. Yeah, I'm using weasel words, but if you listened to the emotion of the arena or in a local sports bar, you could pretty much tell that Krstic was not the most liked player on this team. Most emotion directed towards Krstic would usually be for his lack of activity in the paint or his failure to hit a wide-open shot. At 28, his card has been marked as a center with decent skills and a nice shooting touch.īut in Oklahoma City, most people didn't really go for that type of player. Going into this season, Krstic had become accepted as a part of the team, but the average fan didn't really think he was going to develop a whole lot. I don't think many people held expectations for Nenad Krstic. He was a big part of the Thunder's 2010 playoff run, but he was eventually traded to the Boston Celtics in February of 2011, as he was not seen as tough enough to run with the more inside-oriented centers of the NBA. Upon arrival, he was seen as the teams answer to their problem as Center, and provided a significant boost to the team in the late season. But it was sufficient in impressing some NBA teams, most notably the Thunder, who signed him in December. He averaged 10 points a game while he played for Triumph Lyubertsy. He was not re-signed by the Nets, and left to Russia in order to hone his game. After he returned in 2007-2008, he ceased to be a rising star and became hopelessly average. However, disaster struck when he blew out his knee in the middle of the season. He continued to shine as a player through the 2006-2007 season, averaging 16 Points, 7 Rebounds, and 2 Assists. He averaged 10 points a game, was named to the All-Rookie team, and was one of the few bright spots in the playoffs for the Nets, scoring 27 points against the Heat in Game 2 of the first round. When the Nets began to decline, they brought Nenad Krstic over from Europe, and he was better than expected. They didn't have a overwhelming need for a rookie, so he stayed with KK Partizan for two more years, where he won two more national championships.
However, this was during the Kidd and K-Mart era of the Nets, which would peak in the following season when they contended with the Lakers for the title. NBA scouts took notice, and he was drafted in 2002 by the New Jersey Nets. He was a decent player in Europe, averaging good numbers on KK Partisan, and won three Serbian championships with the team. Nenad Krstic's early history is much like that of Serge Ibaka. Today, we take a look at Nenad Krstic, the man most famous for sinking jumpers and throwing a chair.