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SALT LAKE CITY — Jazz coach Quin Snyder would like to take you back to the preseason of 2019 — something he called "a few years ago" (and let's be honest, it definitely feels like that). That's when Bojan Bogdanovic, then Utah's key free-agent signing, averaged 8.0 points and shot just 25% from the 3-point line.
"That took care of itself," Snyder said on Thursday in reference to Bogdanovic's career-year in his first season with the Jazz.
Snyder wasn't worried then; he's not worried now as Bogdanovic has gotten off to an uncharacteristic start as he continues to recover from offseason wrist surgery. Bogdanovic is shooting just 35% from three, down from the 41% he hit last season; and his scoring has dipped from 20.2 points to 12.8.
Not really what anyone hoped Bogdanovic's encore would look like in his second year with the Jazz.
"The way I'm shooting the ball right now, you can see my percentage is not what we all expect and expecting," Bogdanovic said.
Most of that can be attributed to finding comfort in his surgically—repaired wrist. He's used a brace to support it at times; wrapped it in Kinesiology tape in some games. It's a process to try and find what works best.
"I don't like any paper on my body so I'm just trying to figure out what works best for me mentally and for my wrist as well," Bogdanovic said. "We have to try to tape my wrist a different way every single practice to find a way. I'm still more comfortable without anything but still, I gotta protect it, especially for the first couple of months."
The good news: Bogdanovic still has had some big games this season. He's scored 20 or more points four times in the first 11 contests, shooting 59% from three in those games. His early-season struggles aren't a sign of a suddenly declining player — just one that is still getting comfortable.
More good news: The Jazz say the wrist is fine.
"The surgery was a success; there is no risk of damage," Snyder said. "They've stayed on top of that the whole time, so he's not in harm's way in any situation. I think the biggest thing for him, as anybody that comes back from an injury, there's a psychological component that's involved. You have to overcome that. And then in his case, not having played for as long as he did, maybe the biggest thing."
Due to where the surgery was on his wrist, Bogdanovic wasn't able to even bounce a basketball with most of his healing process.
"I'm still confident that I'm gonna start to play better, shoot the ball better," he said. "I didn't play for eight, nine months, I didn't touch the basketball, because it's a really, really kind of tough spot that I had surgery. But, like I said, I remain confident I'll start to play better."
He's not the only one.
Snyder knows the situation is different from the preseason struggles of last season, but he also knows Bogdanovic.
"He's about the toughest guy that I've been around as a player," Snyder said.
Exhibit A: Bogdanovic played through the wrist injury for the better part of last season and averaged a career-high in points. He excelled playing under discomfort then; Snyder sees no reason he can't do it now.
"Everybody wants to see that progress where he's more and more comfortable," Snyder said. "But those things, there's no question, particularly being out, recovering from an injury, there's a process. He's going through that process. Nobody's more supportive of him than his teammates and myself and the coaching staff.
"He's a competitor. He's a talented player. And I think, over time, he'll be back to where he wants to be."
