Nenad Krstic
From Hoopedia
| Nenad Krstic |
|---|
|
| Position Center |
| League NBA |
| Height 7 ft |
| Weight 240 lbs |
| Team New Jersey Nets |
| Born July 25, 1983 in Kraljevo, Yugoslavia 
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| Drafted 24th overall in 2002 by the New Jersey Nets |
| Pro Career 2002 - |
| Former Teams none |
Nenad Krstić (pronounced NE-nad KRIS-tich) (Serbian: Ненад Крстић) (born July 25, 1983 in Kraljevo, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (present-day Serbia)) is a Serbian professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Currently he is the starting center for the New Jersey Nets. His first professional team was Partizan Belgrade in the Serbia-Montenegro league, the Adriatic League and Euroleague. Krstić is officially listed as seven feet (2.13 m) tall and weighing 240 lb (109 kg).
He was drafted 24th overall in the 2002 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets. He went on to play the next two seasons with Partizan Belgrade. During the 2004-05 NBA season, Krstić logged an impressive rookie campaign for the New Jersey Nets, averaging 10.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 0.84 blocked shots per game. He was honored as part of the 2nd All-Rookie NBA team.
In his debut in the playoffs against the Miami Heat, Krstić averaged 18.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 1.5 turnovers per game; an exceptional performance for a rookie in the playoffs. This followed a greater trend where Krstić had consistently improved at a great pace as his rookie season progressed. He has a wide skill set for a big man, including refined post moves and fantastic shooting touch from eighteen feet.
Krstić, nicknamed Curly, was voted 3rd most eligible bachelor by Serbia's version of People magazine.
Throughout the 2005-06 season, Krstić's play had continued to rapidly improve. Three quarters of the way through the season, he averaged 13.4 points and 6.1 rebounds, and had become an integral part of the Nets offense. In the first round of the 2006 NBA playoffs against Indiana he averaged 18 points per game along with 7.1 rebounds.
In 2006-07 despite the rough Nets start, Nenad Krstić was averaging career highs in points (16.6), rebounds (6.8), and assists (1.8) before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament versus the Lakers at Continental Airlines Arena on December 22, 2006. He will be out for the rest of 2006-07 NBA season, but is expected to return by the start of training camp before the 2007-08 NBA season. Krstić's surgery was successful.
