The Atlanta Hawks need more prime Bogdan Bogdanovic

The Atlanta Hawks have really struggled at home for the month of December, blowing some big leads and not being able to get a win. Fortunately, they have reversed their fortunes on the road and this has kept them relevant in the Eastern Conference.

Bogdan Bogdanovic missed the first eight games of the month after spraining his ankle in the game against the New York Knicks back in late November. It was this game that stopped the Hawks’ hot run in its tracks. This was then exacerbated by an injury crisis similar to that of last season.

That started to abate when Cam Reddish and Bogdanovic returned but then just prior to the Cleveland Cavaliers game the Hawks were gripped by a Covid crisis. This has seen them lose players such as Trae Young, Clint Capela, John Collins, and Kevin Huerter to name just a few.

The Atlanta Hawks need a much more efficient  Bogdan Bogdanovic

Since his return, Bogdanovic has shot the ball poorly. There was that time in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers where he took over and helped the Hawks to the win on the road. He was also better in the last game against the Chicago Bulls but other than that, he has struggled.

In the three games prior to the Bulls, Bogdanovic has gone 8-of-38 from the field. This is only good for 21.1 percent. Add the Bulls game and he has gone 15-of-53 but this only raises his shooting percentage from the floor to 28.3 percent.

The story is even worse from beyond the arc. In the three games prior to the Bulls game, Bogdanovic has gone 4-of-22 which is good for 18.2 percent. Add the Bulls game and he is starting to get back to his old self, going 8-of-31 which is only good for 25.8 percent.

To be honest, it has not been the best season for Bogdanovic. He is averaging a career-low 11.7 points per game. Given that he has had two games of 20 points or over and 15 in double figures, there have been too many games where Bogdanovic’s shooting has been off.

A more telling stat is that Bogdanovic has shot the ball at over 40 percent in wins and under 30 percent in losses from beyond the arc. If he can shoot the way he did after the All-Star break from last season then the Hawks will become even more relevant in the playoff picture.