[ad_1]
Last week, when the NBA moratorium ended and teams were allowed to officially begin trading, the Milwaukee Bucks got down to business. In one day, they had changed jobs for Jrue Holiday and Bogdan Bogdanovic, putting together what would have been a really great starting five.
Only it turned out that they were a little too impatient. The Bogdanovic deal, which would have been a signing and exchange with the kings, collapsed over the next few days and now the Serbian Guard is a member of the Hawks. In the process, Milwaukee regrouped and signed solid veteran signings, but only time will tell if they did enough to convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to sign his five-year extension in supermax.
They would be cautiously optimistic about their chances of keeping the MVP in a row, but not being able to finalize the acquisition of Bogdanovic has been a blow that will make it harder to prove that they put a quality league roster around. from him. Nothing makes this clearer than the fact that the Antetokounmpo brothers – Giannis and Thanasis – spent the summer calling Bogdanovic to try to convince him to play Milwaukee, according to a report by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
It’s too late for the Bucks now, but why was one of the best players in the league so eager to add Bogdanovic? The swingman isn’t exactly a household name as he only arrived in the NBA at the age of 25 and spent the last three seasons playing for the Kings, during which time the team won a total. 97 games and made no playoff appearances.
But while most casual fans watched other teams and players, Bogdanovic established himself as an overall offensive threat and a respected contender. One of the league’s hardest workers himself, Giannis reportedly saw Bogdanovic as someone he could count on in the playoffs, according to Fischer’s report. That’s praise, and that competitive spirit will be a big boost for a young Hawks team looking to advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Even though he doesn’t have the attention of the general public, those in the league know and respect his game. Just take this quote from Gregg Popovich in the middle of Bogdanovic’s rookie season. Via NBC Sports Bay Area:
“He really innately understands how to play the game. He’s just built for it mentally, whether it’s shooting the ball or understanding the spatial arrangements on the pitch, who he’s playing with, what a shot is good, what shot is not, how to play with his teammates. He really has a high basketball IQ. On top of that, he has good skills. He handles the ball, he passes, he shoots. He does is not afraid, he is not intimidated by the NBA and he goes straight in and plays. “
The legendary Spurs coach is not the type to praise just anyone like that. If you’ve earned that kind of respect from Popovich, it’s a sign that you’re doing a lot of good.
When it comes to his skills, Bogdanovic can do a bit of anything, registering 15.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists last season, while shooting 37.2% from 3 points. He’s perfectly capable of playing on or off the ball, where he can create his own shot with ease, is a strong pick-and-roll player, and takes down 3s catch-and-shoot consistently – 40.7% out of five attempts per game last season. And while not a masterful defensive player, he has a good size on the wing, strives and is generally in the right place, which in total is more than half the battle on the side of the ball. .
In short, he’s just a guy you want on your team. Is he going to show up and lead you to the playoffs on his own? No, but he would’ve been an incredible third option behind Giannis and Khris Middleton, and was exactly the type of secondary creator they needed.
The Bucks ‘loss is the Hawks’ win, and now it will help make Atlanta one of the league’s most interesting teams next season. With Bogdanovic, the Hawks have brought in Danilo Gallinari and Rajon Rondo, and are clearly pushing for the playoffs. It obviously remains to be seen whether the Hawks will get there, but they now have a much better chance than before signing Bogdanovic.
[ad_2]
Source link