Atlanta Hawks: Ranking all 5 starters for the 2021-22 season

Atlanta Hawks starters ranked: 4. SG Bogdan Bogdanovic

Bogdan Bogdanovic started 27 games during his first season with the Hawks. He also came off the bench for 17 games during the maiden voyage, so he can pivot quite quickly between starting games on and off the court.

His first season in Atlanta validated why the Hawks chased after him following his Sacramento Kings days. Bogdanovic set a new career-high, averaging 16.4 points per game. He hit over 90 percent of his free throws for the first time. He also hit a career-best 43.8 percent of his 3-point attempts.

The Serbian also showed some promise from a playmaking perspective. His 3.3 assists per game are far from elite, but they’re respectable from a shooting guard. On a team always looking for an open three, his ability to find his teammates could come in handy if he makes further gains in that realm.

Bogdanovic, like many Hawks, also needs to make some gains on the defensive end. He sported a 114.1 defensive rating last season and averaged 1.1 steals per game, ratcheting that up to 1.6 per game in the postseason. It would help if the guard can be a little more physical on that end.

Because of all the years spent abroad, Bogdanovic is sneaky old for a player still ascending at 29 years old. But if he can keep shooting at the level he did last season, his four-year, $72 million contract could look like a bargain by the end.