The Hawks looks to take even more advantage of the 3-point line this season. With sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic coming off of a healthy offseason, the Hawks continue to have many options available to them to stretch the floor.
Bogdanovic has battled injuries during the last two seasons. He underwent knee surgery last summer that forced him to miss crucial workout time during the offseason, as well as the Hawks’ exhibition season and the first 22 games of the 2022-23 regular season.
One year later, Bogdanovic has had a full offseason, including a summer of competition. The 31-year-old helped lead his native Serbia to a silver medal finish at this summer’s FIBA World Cup in the Philippines. In eight games at the tournament, he averaged 19.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. He knocked down 52.6% of his overall shots, netting 42.3% of his tries from 3-point range.
Now, Bogdanovic looks to carryover that offseason work.
“I mean, I forgot how it feels,” Bogdanovic said. “So I’m getting used to it. It feels great. Nothing to say except, I’m ready to start a new season really, ya know?”
The Hawks know that a healthy Bogdanovic in the rotation means good things for the team and the spacing that they have. But Hawks coach Quin Snyder said that Bogdanovic’s healthy offseason, more importantly, allows the veteran wing to instill confidence in himself.
“Well, it’s really important just for him mentally to feel that confidence that comes from being healthy” Snyder said. “And he’s worked really hard with our performance staff and on his own and taking care of himself to be in that position. It’s a good thing.”
Bogdanovic sat out the Hawks first exhibition game and worked to find his footing. He averaged 7.3 points and shot 31.3% from 3 during exhibition play. He scored nine points in each of his last three exhibition appearance and three of his four attempts in the team’s preseason finale against the 76ers last Friday.
But the Hawks utilized Bogdanovic in plenty of ways outside of his shooting. The team turned to him as a ball handler and facilitator with the guard averaging three assists per game.
With Snyder looking for unselfish play and plenty of ball movement, Bogdanovic will eventually find his rhythm. He physically feels ready to go and he knows that mentally he’ll get where he needs to be.
“I don’t know but I feel like I’m ready,” he said. “I feel like I’m physically where I’m at. Mentally, I’ll be there when the season starts and how the season goes. (The) season is long. You know, just another season starting for us, for me, and nothing to stress about, you know, just to enjoy and be in the moment.”
His teammates and coaches know he’ll be ready to go and to go into the season with him healthy.
“Oh, (it’s) great,” Hawks center Clint Capela said. “I knew that he was gonna be great whenever especially when I saw him during the World Cup with Serbia. Definitely he’s a really special player when he’s healthy. He can create shots, can make tough shots, really understands the game right away. Execution every time you see something he’s gonna make the right decision. Always great at communication also.”
Bogdanovic’s communication with and among his teammates will be key to making Snyder’s system work.
The Hawks look to utilize the speed they have among their ranks to get out in front and leave defenses off balance. Should their defenders keep pace with them, the Hawks looks to make quick, decisive plays to find their high percentage shots much faster.
To that, they will have to keep the ball moving, which will help keep everyone engaged throughout the game. It goes back to the good habits and selflessness that Snyder wants the Hawks to be recognized for.
That system can benefit shooters like Bogdanovic, as well as the others among the Hawks’ ranks.
“First of all, with the speed that we have the way we spread, we can spread it out,” Capela said. “Having a big like me that can roll all the time and then put pressure on the on those defenses to sink in, to create those wide-open shots for shooters.”
Not only do the Hawks have Capela and Onyeka Okongwu who command plenty of attention from defenses, they also utilize guards Trae Young and Dejounte Murray who can also collapse defenses quickly on their drives.
Whether the Hawks turn to Bogdanovic as a starter or he comes off the bench as their Sixth Man, he’ll give his best wherever it is.
“I think everyone knows who I am and my role,” Bogdanovic said. “So, I feel like everyone likes to play with me and I’ll fit in wherever.”
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