When the Atlanta Hawks swooped on the opportunity missed by the Milwaukee Bucks when they bungled the sign-and-trade agreement with the Sacramento Kings for Bogdan Bogdanovic. Instead the sharp-shooting Serbian signed a four-year deal with the Hawks.
At the start of the season, Bogdanovic struggled with his shot. He was not being used in a manner that suited his game and his contract looked like a mistake. Then, in the ninth game of the season, he appeared to trip over himself mid-court and fractured his kneecap which kept him out until just prior to the All-Star break.
The game he came back to the playing lineup was the first game that Nate McMillan coached after Lloyd Pierce’s firing. Bogdanovic was like a gift for McMillan, but the truth of the matter is, McMillan understood how to use the shooting guard to best harness his skillset.
The Atlanta Hawks have unlocked Bogdan Bogdanovic’s play.
For the first time in the NBA, Bogdanovic has been used the way he should be. When he played for the Kings he averaged 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. This is very similar to his Hawks numbers where he averages 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 0.9 steals per game.
More from Soaring Down South
- Start, Bench, Cut: Sorting through the Hawks’ power forward options
- Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic reacts to earning FIBA World Cup championship bid
- When does training camp start for the Atlanta Hawks?
- Grade the trade: Hawks deal Trae Young to Clippers in shocking proposal
- Dejounte Murray rips NBA 2K after Atlanta Hawks ratings reveal
However, his efficiency is where his Hawks numbers stand out. For the Kings, he went 43.4 percent from the floor, 37.4 percent from deep, and 80.6 percent from the line. For the Hawks Bogdanovic is shooting the ball at 45.5 percent from the floor, 41.8 percent from deep, and 91.2 percent from the line.
However, if we drill down further into his numbers and take only the last 14 games where he has been either the primary or secondary ball-handler, his numbers simply jump off the page. He is averaging 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
He is shooting the ball so well during this stretch, going 48.9 percent from the floor, 49.6 percent from deep, and 89.5 percent from the line. So the question is, why has he starting producing like this all of a sudden?
The answer to this question is simple and yet a little complex. Firstly, he has had to produce on a number of occasions given that Trae Young has missed multiple games through his ankle injuries and the load has fallen on the fourth-year man.
On top of that, McMillan has not used him as a floor spacer. He has been a creator and part of that is creating for himself. Getting to his spots on the floor and seeing the ball go through the hoop does wonderful things for a shooter.
The other aspect is that the rest of the Hawks are clicking. Against the Bucks, Bogdanovic was incredibly hard to guard. At one point, after he had drained multiple threes, Bogdanovic drove to the hoop.
The defense collapsed on him and Bogdanovic passed the ball to a wide-open Lou Williams in the corner. As it was the last quarter, the shot was money, and the Bucks had to rethink their defense again.
This is the impact of Bogdanovic, he can pick apart a defense, creating for himself and others. He is doing it when he is the primary option or when he is the second or third option, giving the Hawks incredible potency on offense.