Age: 28
Years Pro: 1
Status: Under contract through next season, with an option for 2016-17.
Key Stats: Appeared in 68 games, averaging 4.8 points in 15.4 minutes. Led all rookies in 3-point percentage, shooting 40.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Damjan Rudež didn't have delusions of grandeur when he signed his rookie contract with the Pacers.
Despite establishing himself as one of the best shooters in Europe, the 28-year-old Croatian forward knew that minutes would be hard to come by in his first season in Indiana. Not only did he have to adjust to the NBA game, he also found himself on a roster stocked with several proven capable players at the wing positions.
"Signing my contract here, I didn't think I was going to play as much," Rudež admitted after end of the season.
Of course, Rudež couldn't have predicted then the injuries that would besiege the Pacers roster. Those injuries created an opportunity for Rudež, who slowly but surely proved himself as a surefire sharpshooter and capable rotation player.
PHOTO GALLERY: Damjan Rudež's 2014-15 Season »
Injuries to Paul George, George Hill, and C.J. Watson allowed Rudež to crack the rotation on Opening Night (the latter two injuries forcing combo guard Rodney Stuckey to play the majority of his minutes at point guard). The 6-10 rookie failed to score in 15 minutes against Philadelphia, but had 11 points two nights later against Memphis, going 3-for-4 from 3-point range.
Though his playing time fluctuated, Rudež saw the floor in all but one of the Pacers first 28 games. He scored in double figures on three occasions, but had plenty of growing pains. Rudež's outside shot was inconsistent in the early part of the season and it took him a while to look fully comfortable in the team's system.
Rudež was just 5-for-20 from beyond the arc in the month of December when he picked up an upper respiratory infection just before Christmas that sidelined him for three games. That illness temporarily cost him a spot in the rotation, as Rudež wound up not playing in 10 straight contests.
But with Chris Copeland also struggling to find his shot, head coach Frank Vogel inserted Rudež back into the rotation in mid-January. The rookie responded, making five of his first 10 attempts from 3-point range, but subsequently connected on just one of his next 13 as the Blue & Gold dropped seven consecutive contests.
That brings us to the defining moment of Rudež's — and possibly the entire team's — season.
On the evening of January 25, the Pacers were just 15-30 on the year and trailed by nine points heading into the fourth quarter in Orlando. The game appeared to be following a familiar script, and the team seemed on their way to an eighth straight loss. But Rudež caught fire in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 points in the period and draining four 3-pointers, as Indiana rallied to win by seven.
After that night, both Rudež and the Pacers showed significant improvement over the remainder of the year. Counting the win in Orlando, Indiana went 23-14 to close the season, remaining in contention for a playoff berth right up until the final day of the regular season.
As for Rudež, his fourth quarter performance against the Magic carried over. After shooting just 30.9 percent from 3-point range through Jan. 15, the Croatian sensation knocked down 49.4 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc over the remainder of the season. That improvement was a testament to both increased confidence and Rudež's exceptional work ethic — he and Stuckey were usually the last players to leave the gym after practice, staying late with associate head coach Nate McMillan to work on their shots.
With his shot falling, Rudež gained more and more trust from Vogel, who didn't hesitate to play the rookie in key situations. For instance, in a game against Sacramento on Jan. 31, Vogel gave Rudež the opportunity to guard Rudy Gay, the Kings' dynamic perimeter scorer. Rudež held his own, and Vogel stuck with him for much of the rest of the night.
Thanks to his strong finish, Rudež finished the year with a 3-point percentage of .406, nearly four full percentage points better than any other rookie. In fact, Rudež would have had the 12th-best 3-point percentage in the entire NBA if he qualified (the league requires that players make 82 or more 3-pointers to register among the official statistical leaders; Rudež made 69 triples on the season).
"It's something that I'm definitely happy with, finishing the season above 40 percent (from 3-point range)," Rudež said after the season. "Especially because it (was) a rough start and for my first year here, I really didn't know how I (was) going to adjust to the 3-point line."
Looking forward to next year, Rudež will once again have to compete for minutes on the wing as a healthy Paul George returns to the rotation. George and C.J. Miles will likely start and Solomon Hill, who started 78 games this season due to George's injury, figures to play a big role. Still, Rudež should only be more comfortable with one season already under his belt.
"Second year, you already know your spots, you know your role, you know the guys, you know the system," Rudež said. "So everything should go way smoother. That period of adaptation transitioning from European style of basketball to the NBA style is behind me."
Ever the competitor, Rudež was very disappointed to see the Pacers season end earlier than he and his teammates had hoped. Used to playing into the middle of June in European leagues, he joked, "I've never had this much time on my hands in my life." That longer offseason should allow Rudež plenty of time to continue working on his game as he prepares for his sophomore season in the NBA. He expects to play for the Croatian national team in the FIBA EuroBasket 2015 championships in September before returning to Indiana in time for training camp.
Damjan Rudež exceeded even his own expectations in his rookie season. Knowing his work ethic, it wouldn't be a surprise to see more of the same in 2015-16.