The Indiana Pacers were fairly middle of the road in terms of 3-point accuracy last season. They finished 17th in 3-point percentage, and were able to eventually be competitive and advance in the playoffs because they found their collective 3-point stroke. After signing forward Chris Copeland last summer, they couldn't find a way to get the forward on the court because his defense and play inside the arc weren't very good.
They seem to be looking to fix that inconsistency with their latest move. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports is reporting the Pacers have reached a verbal agreement on a three-year deal with Croatian forward Damjan Rudez out of the Spanish league. Rudez last played for CAI Zaragoza.
European forward Damjan Rudez has reached agreement on a three-year deal with the Indiana Pacers, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
The Pacers, who are pursuing shooting on the free-agent market, will pay Rudez, 27, out of a portion of their mid-level exception.
Rudez's 3-point accuracy and versatility between both forward positions could be a nice option for them off the bench. He's 6'10" and could be a nice stretch-4 in the NBA. He shot the lights out last season in Spain with 44.1 percent on 4.5 3-point attempts per game in league play and 51.9 percent on 3.4 3-point attempts per game in Eurocup play. He's a decent passer for his position but a horrendous rebounder who was never around the boards.
He went undrafted in 2008.
