Why Bogdan Bogdanovic has been a big disappointment for Hawks

To say Bogdan Bogdanovic has had a disappointing start to the season would be a gross understatement. The Hawks shooting guard has been sidelined for most of the 2024-25 campaign, missing 13 straight games after Atlanta’s season opener.

Bogi Buckets returned to action two games ago, but he hasn’t had many buckets just yet. Through two appearances against Sacramento and Golden State, Bogdanovic shot a combined 4/21 from the field. His 2/14 shooting night against the Warriors left many Hawks fans wondering how close to full health he really is. 

Bogdanovic had suffered a right hamstring injury in October, but he underwent a non-surgical procedure to treat it. The lack of updates during his time on the sidelines made the situation a bit murky for Hawks fans, and his shaky return to action could mean he is still dealing with some lingering effects from the injury.

Hopefully, Bogdanovic’s shooting woes are simply a product of rust. After all, the Serbian sharpshooter has only seen the court three times this season. In his limited appearances, he has averaged 6.7 points while shooting an abysmal 12.5% from inside the arc and 26.3% from 3-point range.

Bogdan Bogdanovic’s run at the Olympics is making his current struggles sting more

Bogi’s early-season struggles have been especially tough for Hawks fans to swallow because of his historic Summer Olympics run in Paris. This past August, Bogdanovic became Serbia’s all-time leading scorer in international play on his way to a bronze medal alongside Nikola Jokic. 

In the semifinals, Bogi and Team Serbia almost pulled off one of the wildest upsets in basketball history with a heartbreaking 95-91 loss to Team USA. Bogi had as many points (20) against Team USA as he has scored in his three games combined this season. In the bronze medal game against Germany, Bogdanovic poured in 16 points and finished with a team-high plus-minus of +23.

Last season, Bogdanovic lived up to his billing as one of the best shooters in the NBA. He averaged 16.9 points on 37.4% shooting from 3-point range. He also hit the sixth-most total threes in the NBA and finished ninth in made threes per game.

Bogi hit a second gear at the Olympics when he nailed an insane 46.2% of his threes on 6.5 attempts per game. The fifth-year Hawk had fans expecting a career-best year after his unconscious shooting in Paris, but those expectations have not matched up with reality so far.

Zach Langley, host of Hawks Scoop, was critical of Bogdanovic during the Warriors loss. He even suggested that Atlanta should trade Bogi to open up playing time for valuable depth pieces like Vit Krejci and Garrison Mathews.

Given the offseason hype surrounding Bogi and his bronze medal heroics, his current situation feels quite deflating. If he doesn’t regain his shooting rhythm soon, he could find himself on the outside of the rotation looking in.

With the Hawks increasingly committed to their young talent, fans may need to prepare their goodbyes for Bogi Buckets before the trade deadline.