The Atlanta Hawks have seen some tremendous play from their guards this season. Kevin Huerter has shot the ball really well and Trae Young has put his case forward for ALL-NBA with the season that he has managed to put together. He set the record for 3-pointers made in the season for the franchise as well as NBA-wide statistics that have only been achieved once before.
However, like last season, it is the play of Bogdan Bogdanovic that will determine just how far the Hawks can go this postseason. He has the ability to handle the ball, create his own shot, and knock down the 3-ball with incredible regularity.
Since coming back from injury Bogdanovic has come off the bench, leaving Kevin Huerter in the starting lineup. As a result, he won the Sixth Man of the Month award for the month of February, averaging 17.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 30.4 minutes per game.
The Atlanta Hawks benefitted from Bogdan Bogdanovic in March as well.
The Serbian sharpshooter was even better in the month of March. He averaged 18.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 30.3 minutes per game. He was a catalyst for the Hawks winning so many games over the two months, including 11-of-12 at State Farm Arena.
However, it is not just Bogdanovic’s shooting that the Hawks benefit from. Bogdanovic has shown a really good defensive understanding when playing alongside Delon Wright. The second unit defends well as a group and while Wright gets the high steals numbers, Bogdanovic causes some of these by his high IQ defense on his man, denying him the ball to put pressure on the ball handler.
Bogdanovic also takes some of the pressure off Young late in games. He is one of the few players with the courage to put the ball on the floor, driving into the teeth of the defense to create a high percentage shot. Without this, the Hawks lose more games than they win.