The Atlanta Hawks may have lost a head coach but they are getting a capable reinforcement back at the helm in swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic. The Serbian national is expected to make his return to the court after missing significant time due to a nagging knee injury. He will reportedly suit up for the Hawks in their upcoming game against the Miami Heat on Tuesday night with a minutes restriction, per Mike Conti.
Bogdanovic previously went through a controversial offseason after he expressed his disappointments with the Sacramento Kings. He was intended to have a sign-and-trade agreement with the Milwaukee Bucks but the deal eventually fell apart. Instead, Bogdanovic rerouted and headed to Atlanta to play with the Hawks on a four-year, $72 million contract.
Despite securing the paycheck, Bogdanovic was troubled with a knee injury early on which kept him out for almost the entire first half of the season. The timing of his impending return on Tuesday night was also intriguing as the Hawks just parted ways with head coach Lloyd Pierce on Monday night.
The tactician ended a two-and-a-half-year stint in Atlanta where he garnered a 63-120 overall record. With his departure, assistant coach Nate McMillan is poised to take over as the team's new interim head coach for the time being.
At the same time, much is expected from Bogdanovic in his return, particularly in the scoring department after he averaged a career-best 15.1 points per game with the Kings last season. The Hawks are hoping that Bogdan Bogdanovic's production will help them turn things around as they are aimlessly struggling with a 14-20 record midway through the 2020-21 season.