Why bench Bogdanovic works for the Atlanta Hawks, where it didn’t for Kings

The Atlanta Hawks have so many quality guards on their roster right now. Their embarrassment of riches starts with their franchise player Trae Young and then they added All-Star Dejounte Murray who is going to have a huge impact on the team.

They lost Delon Wright in free agency and then traded Kevin Huerter to the Sacramento Kings for a pair of forwards. The Hawks also added Aaron Holiday through free agency. However, through it all, Bogdan Bogdanovic has been through knee surgery and is looking forward to coming back for his best season yet.

Bogdanovic was a starter last season until the halfway point when his third major injury of the season kept him out for five games. Upon his return, the Hawks tried using him off the bench and they had tremendous success.

The Atlanta Hawks will have greater success with Bogdan Bogdanovic than the Kings off the bench.

Bogdanovic accepted his role with the Hawks for the second half of the season with maturity and it showed in his numbers. He averaged 12.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 29.4 minutes per game as a starter. As a reserve, he averaged 17.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 29.3 minutes per game,

So, why is it that the Hawks have got a better version of Bogi coming off the bench than the Kings did? The answer is pretty simple, Bogdanovic saw what his role could be and how he could make a difference thanks to the Hawks organization and coaching staff having a greater level of direction.

It also helped that the Hawks made the Eastern Conference Finals the season before so Bogdanovic knew that the team is going in the right direction. When he was with the Kings, Bogdanovic was not being used effectively, with his role not being defined and this led to frustration.

I mean, when you look at the events of the offseason which led to the Hawks securing Bogdanovic’s services, it is no wonder he was unhappy with the way the Kings handled him. Bogdanovic has a really good chance of winning the Sixth Man of the Year award this season, something that would never have been an option while he was with the Kings.

Bogdanovic has the joy of playing alongside two of the best creators in the NBA in Young and Murray. He knows that everyone is going to eat and when Bogi eats well, the Hawks win. To put it simply, Bogi has accepted his bench role because he can see the direction of the franchise and his role in it.

He can put aside his own ego for a team that is looking out for him and is destined to be a top team in the Eastern Conference again. It may help the Hawks land a championship.