8 points, 9 seconds
Fansided

Nedosljedan: Bojan Bogdanovic’s streaky shooting takes the Pacers on a wild ride

By Ben Gibson

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 21: Bojan Bogdanovic #44 of the Indiana Pacers goes to the basket against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 21, 2018 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 21: Bojan Bogdanovic #44 of the Indiana Pacers goes to the basket against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 21, 2018 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Bojan Bogdanovic’s shooting accuracy fluctuates from time to time, but lately, he is one of the Indiana Pacers more consistent scorers.

Bojan Bogdanovic is a streaky shooter. He knows it, the Indiana Pacers know it, and their opponents know it.

But when the shots are falling, no one cares about that. When Bogdanovic puts the team’s scoring load on his back, no one cares if he had an off night or two. All that matters is Bojan is scoring.

A simple glance at his stats tells us Bogdanovic is scoring 14.1 points per game on 47.1 percent shooting while knocking down just under two 3-pointers a game thanks to his 39.5 percent 3-point field goal percentage.

But what’s more important for the Pacers is when Bojan gets going. Indiana’s win over the injury-depleted Golden State Warriors was an example of this. After a 1 of 6 performance in the first half — where the Pacers trailed 48-39 — Bojan turned things around by going 6 of 7 of the second half, including 3 of 4 from deep.

The most impressive shot he made came when he avoided Nick Young charging towards him to contest the shot. Bogdanovic calmly repositioned himself to knock down a 3-pointer to give Indiana its first lead of the night.

He followed that with a steal and a layup that forced a Warriors timeout during in a moment that became the turning point of the game.

Bojan became a scorer with the Pacers this season after being an afterthought on the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards. While being the 64th leading scorer in the NBA isn’t something to overstate on one’s resume, that’s still ahead of some of the league’s more recognizable names.

More from 8 Points, 9 Seconds

Bogdanovic would be higher on that list if it weren’t for his somewhat streaky nature. While he scored over 10 points in 57 of his 74 games this season, there’s certainly been a few clunkers along the way. A mid-season slump didn’t help his popularity out in Indiana — with the fans at least — but since putting up a goose egg on the boxscore nearly two months ago, Bogdanovic redeemed himself once again.

Since then, his averages rose to 16.6 points per a game and Indiana posted a 16-8 record, but that includes a pair of bizarre losses to two of the NBA’s worst teams this season. If we completely toss out those two strange defeats, a 16-6 record certainly sounds impressive enough. Sorry, I can’t get over those two losses, they don’t count.

But back to the reality of the situation. Bogdanovic’s scoring isn’t a luxury for the Pacers, it is a big part of the team’s success. Indiana is 10-3 when he scores over 20 points and they are 19-5 when he knocks down three or more 3-pointers. In the nine games where Bogdanovic was the Pacers leading scorer, the Pacers are 6-3, including a loss when Victor Oladipo was out.

Even on his bad shooting nights, he creates an offensive gravity that forces opponents to respect his shooting. That space makes it easier for the rest of the offense to work — just look what happens to Indiana when another one of their shooters is missing. When Bojan is on the court, the Pacers play more efficiently and avoid settling for as many mid-range jumpers and other shots that don’t have the same results as 3-pointers and shots at the rim.

Next: You can't take Born Ready out of Lance Stephenson

Bojan Bogdanovic doesn’t need to be perfect for the Indiana Pacers to win, and his streaky shooting nights are fewer and farther in between. When his shot is falling, the Pacers win. It’s as simple as that.

Home/Pacers News