Jazz Bojan Bogdanovic Confident Shooting Will Improve

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – While the Utah Jazz have jumped out to a healthy 7-4 start on the season, the play of Bojan Bogdanovic has been one of the few continued struggles the team has yet to overcome.

Donovan Mitchell also started the season slowly but has averaged 27.2 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.6 rebounds over his last five games, indicating his slump is likely over.

Rudy Gobert’s free-throw shooting has dipped to 48 percent, which would be a career-low if it remains this low throughout the season.

The @UtahJazz win 130-109 in San Antonio.

Jazz were led by Bojan Bogdanovic who had a breakout game. 28 points on 10-13 shooting.

Donovan Mitchell also chipped in 22. #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/B3F96mmgEl

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 4, 2021

Otherwise, Bogdanovic’s inconsistency has been the most notable thorn in the Jazz side. The Croatian forward is averaging just 12.8 points per game while shooting 37 percent from the floor and 35 percent from three.

Last season, Bogdanovic was one of the NBA’s deadliest offensive players, averaging a career-high 20.2 points per game while connecting on 41 percent of his more than seven three-point attempts per game.

In spite of the struggles, the Jazz starter is confident his play will improve.

“You can see my percentage is not what you all expected,” Bogdanovic said after practice on Thursday. “But I’m still confident that I’m going to start to play better and shoot the ball better.”

The @UtahJazz Bojan Bogdanovic will undergo season ending wrist surgery according to ESPN.

The injury is a major blow to the team's playoff hopes.https://t.co/OI2X84kHaM

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) May 18, 2020

Bogdanovic was one of only five players last season to average at least 20 points while connecting on 40 percent or more of his seven three-point attempts.

The forward underwent season-ending wrist surgery in May and was unsure how quickly he would return to the floor in the regular season for the Jazz. However, Bogdanovic has yet to miss a game with the team, despite his struggles.

“There’s an acclimation period learning to play through soreness,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said of Bogdanovic. “He’s about the toughest guy that I’ve been around as a player.”

Bogdanovic had missed just one game with the Jazz before the wrist surgery. The forward originally injured his wrist early last season but played through the pain until games were suspended in March.

“I didn’t play for 8-9 months, I didn’t touch a basketball because it’s really a tough spot [where] I had a surgery,” Bogdanovic said. “But like I said, I remain confident that I will start playing better.”

Jazz Not Focused On Harden Trade

The Jazz were able to go through a full practice for the first time in several weeks as they returned home from their east coast road trip.

The Jazz suffered their worst loss against the Kevin Durant-less Brooklyn Nets on the second of six stops away from home. Kyrie Irving and his Brooklyn teammates handily beat the Jazz 130-96 before the star guard abruptly left the team for personal reasons.

Irving has yet to return to the Nets as the NBA has now begun to investigate his departure.

On Wednesday, news broke that the Nets were acquiring former MVP James Harden from the Houston Rockets in exchange for several young players and a slew of future draft picks.

James Harden is on his way to the Brooklyn Nets.

What does it mean for the @UtahJazz?#TakeNote https://t.co/TnnJF0aFJL

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 13, 2021

Despite the move, Snyder said the Jazz attention wasn’t on other teams’ roster moves.

“Guys follow the league, they know about those situations, they probably know more than more than I do,” Snyder said. “But our focus is really on what we’re doing.”

Snyder has mentioned previously that he’s aware of other teams’ roster moves, but doesn’t follow the moves on social media, instead relying on his young son to keep him informed.

Quin Snyder discusses how he tracks the NBA Trade Deadline, including roster moves not including the @UtahJazz. pic.twitter.com/MMD74H1SOg

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 4, 2020

In the case of the Harden trade, Snyder didn’t feel it warranted discussion with his team.

“As far as the overall league, guys are aware of it,” Snyder said. There are obviously times when you would talk about it but I think that stuff just happens organically.”