Pressure? The NBA playoffs? It’s a walk in the park compared to what Nenad Krstic has been through.
“In Serbia, we had a lot of pressure to win,” said Krstic, the Nets’ second-year center. “I learned to play under pressure.”
Try playing on one of those European National Teams. Now that’s pressure. Lose, and you disgrace a country. Still, that pales in comparison to another situation Krstic faced before coming to the NBA. As a teenager in Kraljevo, in what was then Yugoslavia, Krstic sought refuge playing basketball in basement gyms as bombs rained down on his war-torn land.
“Basketball meant everything. I just played. I was not thinking about making the NBA or anything,” said the 22-year-old, whose development has meant so much to the Nets and whose middle presence will play a huge role in their playoff quest that starts tomorrow against the Pacers at the Meadowlands.
“Basketball helped me get through that [war]. I played and was able not to think about the air raids,” Krstic continued. “At first I was scared. The first time, very scared, but I got used to it. The bombing only lasted three months.”
So Krstic just shrugs when he’s asked if he feels the playoff weight on his shoulders. It is, after all, still a game, although Krstic has made it his life’s work and in two seasons has emerged as a legitimate NBA force.
“Through [their] run, we talk about the Big Three [Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson], but I think it’s been more Krstic to me who has really turned it on,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “Now you have a fourth threat on the floor.”
Keeping Krstic on the floor is imperative for the Nets. It wasn’t always easy staying in the game for Krstic, who delivered 13 double-doubles this season, seven of them in the last 13 games. He’s young and European, both prime ingredients for foul trouble.
“Critical,” said team president Rod Thorn when asked about the importance of Krstic to the Nets’ aspirations. “He gives us another scorer who’s capable of 20 points on any given night. He gives us another shooter in the half-court, a guy who can make a shot up to 18, 20 feet. I don’t care who you are, you’re going to have a bad game and you’ve got to have other people who can step in and do it.”
Krstic said he expects a physical series against Indiana’s Jeff Foster and Scot Pollard.
“They play hard, they bang for the rebounds, especially on offense,” said Kristic, who added he is balancing aggressive play with avoiding dumb, over-the-back fouls.
“It’s very important I do that. That’s the thing I learn,” he said. “After the All-Star break, I only got in foul trouble a few times.”
Krstic’s development goes to other areas. He may be the best pure shooter on the team, but his post game has matured and he’s using spin moves and jump hooks with frequency. Defensively, he gets better position and has become a shot-blocking threat. Plus, his rebounding has improved.
Krstic hopes to duplicate his playoff success – though not the team outcome – of a year ago. Remember, he averaged 18.3 points against Shaquille O’Neal as the Heat swept the Nets.
“It was disappointing that we weren’t able to do better, but Nenad was a bright light in that situation,” said Lawrence Frank, who added Krstic’s biggest stride came in one area. “Consistency. He’s doing it every single game.”
Krstic just wants to keep it up. He doesn’t feel pressure to do so. After all, to him, that’s hardly pressure.
fred.kerber@nypost.com
