The battle for the East is about to go down with Milwaukee Bucks about to take on the Atlanta Hawks in a seven-game series. The latter, in particular, has been quite the pleasant surprise after eliminating the Philadelphia 76ers. Although much of the credit has gone to Trae Young, there’s a better investment option for card collectors. It’s his backcourt partner, Bogdan Bogdanovic.
The 6’6” shooting guard from Serbia is finally playing for a winning team after spending most of his career with the Sacramento Kings. We take a look below at Bogdanovic’s first season with the Hawks and why he deserves more love from the card community.
Bogdan Bogdanovic is the Hawks card steal
The season before Bogdanovic joined the Hawks, the shooting guard was tallying 15.1 points on 44% shooting from the field and 37% from downtown. His shot creation skills drew the attention of contending teams, like the Bucks. Unfortunately, the trade was called off and Bogdanovic signed a four-year $72 million contract with Atlanta instead.
A lot of fans expected the Serbian guard to contribute right away by helping Young carry the offensive load. This did not happen when Bogdanovic missed significant time at the start of the season due to a knee injury. Coupled with a losing streak sometime before the trade deadline and the firing of Lloyd Pierce, the outlook on Bogdanovic and the Hawks didn’t look good at all.
The Hawks’ saving grace came in the form of Nate McMillan and how he restructured their system to become a contender. Bogdanovic, one of the beneficiaries of this development, would go on to finish the regular season with 16.4 points on 47% shooting from the field, 43% from deep, and 90% from the charity stripe.
That momentum carried over into the playoffs where Bogdanovic played a vital role in eliminating the New York Knicks and, most recently, the 76ers. In the second round, the shooting guard averaged 13.3 points, including a 22-point outburst in Game 4 that helped even the series to two games apiece at that point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y09UGl272DA
After doing away with Philadelphia in seven games, the Hawks are now going to face the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. More than ever, Atlanta needs all the help it can get, especially with the defense focusing on Young. This is where Bogdanovic’s shot creation can help his team overcome this monstrous challenge towards a shot to the NBA Finals.
The State of Bogdan Bogdanovic Rookie Cards
As with every card in the market right now, Bogdanovic’s stock is on a downward trend. Last April, his PSA 10 2017 Select Silver rookie card fetched $280 on eBay. Since he wasn’t featured in Panini’s Prizm set during this first year in the league, this can be considered Bogdanovic’s definitive rookie card.
The card in question last sold on the same platform for a measly $80. While the price outlook looks bleak, there are several factors that make Bogdan Bogdanovic a good buy. Considering he’s playing for a contending team in a relevant role, the upside presented by his card value is high. Second, the population for gem-mint PSA 10 rookie cards of this Hawk isn’t as many as other players. This helps preserve Bogdanovic’s value in the card market, especially if Atlanta makes it to the Finals.
Those looking for an affordable player with a huge upside should take a look at Bogdanovic. With his situation right now in Atlanta and enticing price point, there’s a lot of things to look forward to with his cards right now.
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