Bogdanovic Among NBA’s Best Free-Agent Signings

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – When the Utah Jazz signed Bojan Bogdanovic this summer, did anyone know how good the 6th year forward would be?

Through eight games with the Jazz, Bogdanovic is averaging 21.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and two assists. Early in the season, he’s hovering around the elusive 50-40-90 club — an NBA benchmark where players shoot better than 50 percent from the floor, 40 percent from the three point line, and 90 percent from the free throw line. 

Currently, Bogdanovic is shooting 49.2 percent, 45.5 percent, and 93.5 percent. 

Friday night, the Croatian added his game high 33rd point on a buzzer-beating three to sink the Milwaukee Bucks. 

.@kslsports producer @zakhicken captures the game-winning, buzzer-beating three pointer by Bojan Bogdanovic that gives the Jazz a 103-100 win over the Bucks. #TakeNote #UtahJazz #NBA https://t.co/mswkFuB8kZ @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/9BKYvUSKsj

— Jeremiah Jensen (@JJSportsBeat) November 9, 2019

In an NBA summer that saw All-Stars and All-NBA players switch teams like a game of musical chairs, the Jazz addition of Bogdanovic flew under the radar. Even among the Jazz summer transactions, the Bogdanovic addition wasn’t as widely discussed as Mike Conley, who the Jazz traded for to begin their roster reconstruction. 

How Good Has He Been?

Bogdanovic has the third highest scoring average of any player that chose to sign with a new team this summer. The forward trails only Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard in that category. 

Bojan with the 𝓈𝓅𝒾𝒸𝑒 🌶#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/e7XzkPqQ0U

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 9, 2019

He’s the seventh highest scorer of any player to change teams this summer, despite being the second lowest paid player on the list by more than $10 million. 

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Kemba Walker: $34,379,100

Kawhi Leonard: $32,742,000

Kyrie Irving: $31,742,000

D’Angelo Russell: $27,285,000

Anthony Davis: $27,093,019

Bojan Bogdanovic: $17,000,000

Brandon Ingram: $7,265,485

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This season, Bogdanovic is outscoring eight of the 20 All-Stars that appeared in last year’s game, and is doing so at a shockingly efficient rate. 

Only Devin Booker (Phoenix), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota) have a higher scoring average than Bogdanovic, and score at a more efficient clip. 

Bojan Bogdanovic is not just a three-point shooter 😳 pic.twitter.com/J9q8WEHdrx

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) October 31, 2019

Additionally, Bogdanovic might be the league’s best three point shooter. No player in the NBA averages more three point attempts (6.9) and makes them at a better rate than Bogdanovic’s .455 percentage. 

Best Free-Agent Signing Ever?

While Bogdanovic is off to a better-than-expected start with the Jazz, he’s got a ways to go before he can be considered the best free-agent in Jazz history.

The Jazz have traditionally struggled to attract high level free-agents. Only three players have signed with the Jazz, and gone on to make an All-Star appearance in a Jazz uniform. 

Rickey Green signed with the Jazz in 1980, and made the All-Star team in 1984. Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur both signed with the Jazz in 2004, and made the 2007 All-Star game. Boozer repeated his performance by making the 2008 All-Star team, then won a gold medal in with Team USA later that summer. 

Through eight games, Boozer’s 22.1 points per game edged Bogdanovic by .03 to start his Jazz career. 

Boozer also led the Jazz, alongside Okur and Deron Williams to the 2007 Western Conference Finals.

Can He Keep It Up?

The Jazz forward is off to a hot start, not just by NBA standards, but also compared to his career averages. 

Currently, Bogdanovic is averaging career highs in points, rebounds, steals and blocks, and he’s tied for a career high in assists per game.  He’s also got career highs shooting from the three point and the free-throw line. 

Eight games is a small sample size to project Bogdanovic’s future, but maintaining those numbers appears somewhat promising. Of Bogdanovic’s averages, only his block numbers are at an unusually high rate compared to previous career highs.

The key reasons Bogdanovic has seen his numbers climb are the increase in minutes per game, where he’s averaging a career high 32.5, and the quality of shots he’s getting. 

Last season, 33.9 percent of Bogdanovic’s shots were considered open three pointers. This season, that number has increased sharply to 38.6 percent. 

While maintaining his scoring averages will be difficult as teams continue to scout for for the Jazz as the season progresses, continuing to find open looks will be key to his success. Bogdanovic is shooting 47 percent on open threes this year, up from 43 percent a year ago. 

When Bogdanovic signed with the Jazz, he was viewed as a complimentary scorer to spread the floor for Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley. Through the first eight games of the season, Bogdanovic has proven to be more than just a complimentary piece. As the Jazz second leading scorer, and the league’s 20th leading scorer, Bogdanovic may soon be a piece the Jazz look to continue build around, rather a supporting the longer tenured players on the team’s roster.