Nothin' But Nets
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Brooklyn Nets: Why Bogdanovic’s struggles have continued

By Ryan B. Winner

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After having two spectacular games against the Rockets and the Kings in mid November, Brooklyn Nets guard/forward Bojan Bogdanovic has been ice cold. Since those two games, his points per game average for the season has dropped from over 12 to just 8.4, which is lower than his rookie season. He has been missing open shots and has been taking bad contested shots as well. His jumper seems to be off, and he seems to be almost scared to take shots that he used to not hesitate to make. So, why has he been slumping so much?

One reason seems to be that his shot has noticeably changed. When he was scoring a lot of points and making most of his shots early in the season, he took time to set his feet and shoot. Recently, he has been catching and just chucking the ball towards the hoop. He does not take the time to line up his shot, and he seems like he is in a hurry to get it off. Because of this, he has very little accuracy from long range. He already has a quick motion, so it does not need to be simplified any more than it already is. Bogdanovic needs to get back to setting his feet and squaring up before shooting.

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Nov 13, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Bojan Bogdanovic (44) scores a basket against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Brooklyn Nets 111-109. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Another problem with Bogdanovic recently has been his struggles with turning the ball over and taking very poor shots. Against the Cavs on Saturday night, Bogdanovic had a player where he backed the defender down for over 5 seconds, which is a turnover. He looked almost frustrated while he was doing it, and despite the fact that he had a size advantage and could easily hit the fadeaway, he continued to dribble the ball. This is a rare violation that is called in the league, mostly because players know that they cannot hold the ball with their back to the basket for this long. This was mindless on his part, and it is just one of many mistakes that he has been making lately.

Another example of how he has been turning the ball over is when he tried to drive to the rim, but he does it very out of control, and it often leads to either losing control of the ball, or a wild shot that often gets blocked. Bogdanovic has the ability to drive to the hoop and finish with runners, floaters, and even layups. However, as of late, he has been far too rushed when in possession of the ball.

The main reason for why Bogdanovic has struggle is the main reason why all of these other struggles have been happening: mentality. Bogdanovic has gotten into his own head, and it has caused him to play worse and worse every game. He is so frustrated and determined to get his shot going, that he has not been taking his time to set his feet and line his shots up. He has felt so rushed and urgent to get the ball in the hoop that he drives wildly and loses control of the ball.

Bogdanovic has to calm down and relax, because at this point, there is no end in sight for his struggles. It might be wise for Coach Hollins to give him a game off to relax him, because he seems to be so frustrated with himself that he cannot perform well. Bogdanovic is a talented player, but every now and then, guys with talent go into slumps. It’s up to him to figure out how to get out of it. He needs to do that quickly, because the Nets need him to get back to leading the charge off the bench.