The last few months have not been particularly kind to the Utah Jazz. The NBA’s indefinite suspension began when Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. Just two months later, with the resumption of the NBA season uncertain, the Jazz will now be without Bojan Bogdanovic for the rest of the year.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Bogdanovic suffered a wrist injury in January and managed to play through it. However, he experienced renewed discomfort in the wrist during the NBA shutdown and has opted to undergo season-ending surgery.
The 31-year-old signed a four-year, $73 million deal with Utah before the 2019-’20 season. He played extremely well this season, averaging a career-high 20.2 points per game with 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per night. The wrist injury clearly impacted him, given he averaged just 16.8 points per game and saw a 7% drop in his field-goal rate in February.
Whenever the Jazz return to the court, they will now be without one of their top scorers. Just as concerning, reports of a rift between Gobert and Donovan Mitchell after the All-Star center exposed Mitchell to the coronavirus.
The Jazz went into March feeling confident with one of the best records in the NBA and hopes to go on a deep playoff run. Now, the team is just hoping basketball returns in 2020 and the window to compete for a title isn’t closed.