Atlanta Hawks 2024-25 Roster Preview: Bogdan Bogdanovic

The Hawks' sixth man proved how much of a court-tilting offensive weapon he is. Can he do the same in 2024-25?

Apr 14, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Age: 32 (7th season)

Height, Weight: 6'5, 220 lbs

2023-24 Averages:  16.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists on 42.8%/37.4%/92.1% splits (79 games)

Career Averages: 14.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists on 43.8%/38.4%/84.3% splits

Bogdan Bogdanovic is one of the most underrated players in basketball, but he finally seems to be getting the respect he deserves.

Anyone who has been watching the Hawks for the past three seasons knows what Bogdanovic brings. However, it became even more obvious after his fantastic run with the Serbian national team in the 2024 Olympics. He was a critical part of Serbia's run to the semifinals against the USA, dropping 17 points, six assists and five rebounds against Australia in their comeback 95-90 win. Against the USA's stacked lineup, he dropped 20 points, 3 assists and 4 rebounds. Although he only went 3-10 from deep, all three came at critical times for Serbia. They ended up losing to the USA, 95-91, but they would have never been in that position without Bogdanovic.

What makes Bogdanovic so valuable as a player is how useful he is on offense. Point blank, he is one of the best high volume three-point shooters in basketball. Across three seasons in Atlanta, he has hit 39.1% of his three-pointers on 7.5 attempts from deep per game. That number rose to 8.1 in 2023-24, where he hit 37.4% of those attempts. Last season, his 641 attempts from deep was also the fifth-highest amount in the NBA, more than players like Jayson Tatum, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey and Damian Lillard.

He is also great at hitting the most valuable kinds of three-pointers in basketball. Above-the-break 3s and corner threes are some of the most efficient kinds of shots in basketball. Bogi excels at these shots - he made 36.9% of his above-the-break three-pointers and a combined 40.3% of his corner three-pointers.

While his shooting is his best skill, it is not his only one. Bogdanovic averages 3.1 assists to 1.4 turnovers, putting him in the 80th percentile of all ball-handlers. He is capable of identifying open shooters and keeping the ball moving. This is an extremely valuable trait to have especially given that the Hawks have two established scoring options in Trae Young and Jalen Johnson. Both draw significant defensive attention, which frees up Bogdanovic to work off of them. His chemistry with both is borne out by a positive net rating with both of Atlanta's stars - a +2.6 rating with Johnson and a +3.0 with Young.

Furthermore, Bogdanovic is comfortable with and without the ball in his hands. He is constantly active and does a great job of finding open space on the floor. Scaling up to a starter or scaling down to a catch-and-shoot player are all within Bogdanovic's range - he handles the different responsibilities of both roles at a high level. Admittedly, his effectiveness is somewhat decreased when he is forced to be the second option. However, the Hawks should not have to be in that situation when both Young and Johnson are healthy.

On defense, there is not much to really say about Bogi. At 6'5, he has enough size to hold his own and routinely does a solid job with his assignment. It would be a stretch to call him an above-average defender, but he's not a complete liability on that end of the floor. For what he brings on offense, that is good enough.

In terms of opportunities for growth in 2024-25, it is hard to identify what Bogdanovic could realistically become better at. He's 32 years old, so it is unlikely that he has unfulfilled upside. There could be some growth as a playmaker with making more complex reads, but that is not crucial to his role in 2024-25. As long as he continues to be a great shooter and solid decision-maker without declining defensively, he'll be a critical part of Atlanta's rotation. It is possible that he comes off the bench and Dyson Daniels is inserted into the starting lineup. There is also the question of how many three-point attempts Bogdanovic cedes to rookie wing Zaccharie Risacher, who the Hawks took at the top of the 2024 NBA Draft.

The main concern with Bogdanovic is how healthy he will be. The Hawks were very fortunate that he played in 79 games last year, but it would be hard to bet on a repeat. Before 2023-24, he played in 54 games in 2022-23 and 64 games in 2021-22. Atlanta should hope for him to play around 60-65 games next year - anything more is good fortune.

Best-Case Scenario: Bogdanovic plays in 65+ games and repeats as an elite three-point shooter. He is able to hold up on defense despite being in his age-33 season and puts himself firmly in the conversation for NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

Worst-Case Scenario: Bogdanovic misses 25 games or more and struggles upon his return from injury. His shooting percentages drastically dip to around 35% from deep and he takes a step back on defense.