Bojan Bogdanovic has the green light.
A season ago, the Croatian sharpshooter attempted a career-high 7.3 attempts per game from beyond the arc, 2.3 more than his previous high. But even that might not be enough to satisfy Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder this season.
“He is trying to force me to shoot more,” Bogdanovic said after Tuesday’s practice.
It’s easy enough to see why.
Bogdanovic was in elite company last season — much of it while dealing with the pain of a wrist injury that would eventually require surgery.
• He shot 41.4 percent from long range, the 12th best percentage in the NBA
• He hit on 42.6 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s
• He connected on 50 percent of his wide-open looks
• He shot 46.8 percent on 3-pointers taken in the first 6 seconds of the shot clock
Bogdanovic said he is feeling good six months after having surgery to repair his wrist. The forward said he expects to be ready to play in the team’s season-opener on Dec. 23.
“I’m feeling way better,” he said. “Actually I’m kind of surprised that I’m progressing this way. I still feel that soreness and I’m still waiting to fall on the floor pretty hard and see how my hand will react. But, overall, I’m fine and I’m expecting to play at the start of the season.”
And Bogdanovic expects to get plenty of shots up.
“This season I think I will try to shoot more, especially early in the offense,” he said.
PRACTICE NOTES:
• Point guard Mike Conley practiced with the team Tuesday. Conley had been in isolation as part of the NBA’s COVID protocol after a close contact tested positive for the virus.
• The Jazz still have one player in the NBA’s COVID-19 protocol.
• An unprecedented offseason, one without NBA summer league action and optional training activities, has made way for a truncated training camp. That has made reps hard to come by for rookies looking to find their footing and trying to make an impression on coaches.
“It’s been hard because we have such limited time and there are very limited reps out there for a guy like me,” said Jake Toolson, an undrafted rookie out of BYU. “I’m just trying to learn as much as I can and make the most of every opportunity.”