Swarm and Sting
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Bogdan Bogdanovic could help ease the Charlotte Hornets’ poor shooting

By Elijah Edwards

SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 12: Bogdan Bogdanovic #8 of the Sacramento Kings is guarded by Devonte' Graham #4 of the Charlotte Hornets at Golden 1 Center on January 12, 2019 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 12: Bogdan Bogdanovic #8 of the Sacramento Kings is guarded by Devonte' Graham #4 of the Charlotte Hornets at Golden 1 Center on January 12, 2019 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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Though most signs point to the Charlotte Hornets going for a big man in free agency or the NBA Draft, they could pursue other positions. If so, does that mean European sharpshooter, Bogdan Bogdanovic could be worth a look?

Most Charlotte Hornets fans would agree that finding a center is among the most important issues the team faces going into the summer. Whether it’s through free agency or the upcoming (hopefully) NBA Draft, some inside presence is sorely needed, especially after the Hornets might be looking a little thin there in the next few months.

Still, that doesn’t mean the team won’t be looking at other positions, especially if they can be had for the right price. Serbian shooting guard, Bogdan Bogdanovic, might just be that player. The 6’6″ marksman will be a restricted free agent this summer and will surely be a sought after asset in what many deem a somewhat weak crop of players.

Bogdanovic averaged 14.5 points per game last season for the Sacramento Kings. That doesn’t sound like much, but on the Kings, he was the team’s fourth or even fifth-best option at times. With Charlotte, he would certainly see more action as he would immediately be one of the team’s best shooters.

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The Charlotte Hornets ranked dead last in field goal percentage in 2019-2020, this much is known. Delving a little deeper, it would appear that the bulk of the Hornets’ sorrow from the floor comes from shots inside the three-point line. That’s also a fairly commonly known issue.

From less than five feet away from the basket, Charlotte was last in the NBA in percentage, making only 57% from the field. They were also last in shots taken from 10-14 feet away from the hoop, making just 33% of their shots, a whole two points behind the next team.

Shots from 5-9 feet away went in at the third-lowest clip in the league. Things start getting a little better when you get into the 15-19 feet range, but not by much, where they again had the third-worst percentage.

Past that, the team averaged about 35%, good enough for 20th in the NBA. Overall, from mid-range, the team shot 32%, again, last in the league, a whopping three percentage points behind the next team ahead of them.

A center could potentially help with that if they’re the type that can space the floor and hit from 12-20 feet, but there’s not much talent in the current available space that can do that. So, another wing might just be the way the team can go, especially if the team does entertain the notion of trading away Terry Rozier to set up a more traditional backcourt alongside Devonte’ Graham.

Bogdanovic is a career 37% three-point shooter, which is nice, but his career average of 43% is higher than any of the players the Hornets have in the backcourt, starting or otherwise. His rebounding stats leave a little to be desired, as he nabbed just three a game this past year, but Bogdanovic is more of a pure shooter and with the addition of a new big, that could be negated.

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Of course, if Bogdan is just thrown into a similar situation as to what the Hornets have now, he won’t be as effective, as much of the team’s offensive liabilities come from the fact that their inside game is so poor. No one respects it, despite the best intentions of their current frontcourt, so there’s no reason to leave the perimeter open.

Fans know that one or two pieces aren’t going to magically fix this team as every position is dependent on one another. If the Hornets can find a nice big in the draft and sign Bogdanovic, however, then they start to make some real improvement in a lot of areas.

Bogdan not re-signing with the Kings shows he’s ready to leave that organization and with Sacramento set to have some big names up for new deals in the near future, it’s looking like his time might be over with the team.

Charlotte, as we all know, is set to have quite a bit of cash coming their way if they decide to let some of their players walk. This might be the perfect time to add some added firepower, especially if they can find the right guy in the NBA Draft to plug in the middle.

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This squad has a lot of issues, not just relegated to things like rebounding or shooting the ball better, but Bogdanovic might just be a small part of what may be the core of a future playoff team. With the right amount of playing time and the lineup that can utilize him, he could be the shot in the arm the Charlotte Hornets need on offense.

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