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Background
2004-05:
Appeared in 37 games (two starts), averaging 1.8 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.50 blocks in 6.9 minutes per game…Played in nine playoff games, averaging 0.6 points and 0.4 rebounds in 2.3 minutes…Scored a playoff-high three points in four minutes during Game 5 of the second round vs. Indiana…Started his first career NBA game at Atlanta (4/19) and scored a career-high 16 points (7-11 FG, 2-4 FT) with five rebounds, two assists and a career-high three blocks in a career-high-tying 30 minutes…Made his second start against Charlotte a night later and scored nine points with three rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block in a career-high-tying 30 minutes…Played 10-plus minutes seven times, averaging 6.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 18.7 minutes per game…Shot 50% or better from the field in six games…Grabbed a career-high-tying six rebounds vs. Atlanta (12/10)…Missed three games (11/5 thru 11/8) with a sprained right ankle…Missed one game at Minnesota (1/24) with the flu…DNP-CD 41 times.
2003-04:
Appeared in 34 games, averaging 1.4 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.44 blocks in 4.6 minutes per game…Played in eight playoff games, averaging 0.1 points, 0.4 rebounds and 1.8 minutes per game…Became the youngest player ever to appear in an NBA Finals game (18 years/356 days)…Played a career-high 12 minutes twice (on 2/27/04 vs. Atlanta and on 4/10/04 at Orlando)…Scored a career-high six points twice (on 1/7/04 vs. Houston and on 2/25/04 at Chicago)…Grabbed a career-high six rebounds (career-high four defensive) at Orlando on 4/10/04…Blocked a career-high two shots three times including back-to-back games vs. Chicago on 3/10/04 and vs. Philadelphia on 3/14/04…Recorded seven blocks in 10 appearances during March…Scored his first NBA basket (1-1 FG) in four minutes vs. Seattle on 12/12/03…DNP-CD 48 times.
PRE-NBA:
A member of the Yugoslavian team that won the European Cadet Championships in 2001…Was a member of the Under-20 Championships in 2002, but coaches did not play him in the competition…Elevated to Yugoslavia’s top club team in 2001-02 just before his 16th birthday. 2002-03 (Hemofarm Vrsac): Through 20 games, he was playing 20 minutes per game, averaging 9.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks…Shot 49 percent from the field and 68 percent from the free throw line…Saw more playing time in the FIBA Cup, a competition against other top European clubs…In 10 games (team went 6-4), averaged 14.2 points and 7.0 rebounds…Scored 21 points in a victory over Greek power PAOK…Tallied 23 points vs. PAOK in the losing rematch…Scored a team-high 37 points in a victory over Skonto (Latvia).
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