Utah Jazz: Predicting stats for every starter in 2021-22

Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic 2021-22 stat predictions: 18.5 points per game, 41.5 3P%, 6.5 3PA per game

Bojan Bogdanovic’s stats are a little more problematic to predict than any other projected starter for the Utah Jazz. On the one hand, Bogey is about to enter his age-32 season. Last year, his points per game slipped from the 20.2 he averaged in 2019-20 to 17.0. On the other hand, he turned in his first sub-.400 three-point shooting season since 2016-17. A return to form from three-point range should result in a boost to Bogdanovic’s overall points per game.

That’s exactly what we’re predicting heading into the 2021-22 season. Bogdanovic is about as pure of a shooter as you’ll find in the NBA. Furthermore, his style of play lends itself to heavy mileage. Last season, 49.8% of Bogdanovic’s field goal attempts came from distance. Barring a heavily-regulated, Zaza Pachulia style closeout, the three-pointer is generally friendlier towards an NBA player’s body than a layup or dunk attempt.

Like any NBA player, Bogdanovic’s play and statistics will inevitably regress at some point. The gamble here is that it won’t happen this season.

It’s also worth noting that we haven’t bothered predicting any statistics for Bogdanovic in terms of rebounds, assists or defensive stats. That’s simply because Bogey is effectively the inverse of Royce O’Neale. While O’Neale’s impact on the Utah Jazz is scarcely measurable by basic counting stats, Bojan Bogdanovic’s is almost entirely so: if he doesn’t score a bunch of points, and shoot the three efficiently while doing it, he isn’t doing much else.

Consider this a bet that he’ll do both of those things for the Utah Jazz during the 2021-22 season.