Bogdan Bogdanovic May Have Earned Himself a Rotation Role Down the Stretch

With the season winding down, the Los Angeles Clippers have seen the re-emergence of Bogdan Bogdanovic, and it couldn't be coming at a better time.

Mar 19, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; LA Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (7) reacts after a three point basket during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Clippers' season is on the ropes. The Clippers dropped their fourth straight game on Thursday to the New Orleans Pelicans, and three of those losses have come against non-play-in or non-playoff teams in the Western Conference. On top of that, LA has been extremely banged up lately. First, it was Yanic Konan Niederhauser who had a season-ending foot surgery, then Bennedict Mathurin was ruled out with a toe injury, and now Kawhi Leonard is dealing with ankle problems. All this is happening while Darius Garland remains on injury restrictions that prevent him from playing in back-to-backs.

Thankfully for Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue, in the midst of all these health issues, it appears a big part of last year's team may be re-emerging at the right time: Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Bogdan Bogdanovic 16 Points, 3 Threes full highlight vs Pelicans | 25-26 NBA Season pic.twitter.com/7SGY8iI9yx

— Hoops Showtime (@HoopsShowtime12) March 20, 2026

Bogdan Bogdanovic Could Give the Clippers a Late-Season Spark

When Bogi was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks last season, he was seen as a big addition to a Clippers team gearing up for a playoff run. He instantly came in and boosted the team's floor spacing and three-point shooting, while giving them another guard who can handle the ball and get the team into sets, and was also solid defensively. However, for the 33-year-old, his first full year in LA hasn't been as kind to him.

Early in the season, Bogi struggled to shoot threes, shooting under 34 percent from beyond the arc on the season. This led to him appearing in only 18 games before the back-to-back against New Orleans. While he only saw garbage-time minutes in the first game of the back-to-back, the second felt like a true return to form.

With Garland out due to injury management and Mathurin sidelined, Ty Lue needed someone to give them minutes at the guard spot, and that person was Bogi. He came off the bench and gave the Clippers 27 minutes, shot 6-for-9 from the field, hit three threes, and scored 16 points.

Even though LA didn't get this win, falling short in the clutch 105-99, this game was full of positive signs for Bogdanovic. The Serbian guard not only gave LA a huge scoring punch off the bench but also was brought in for John Collins late in the game and was part of the team's closing lineup. Seeing as the Clippers are a bottom-ten team in threes attempted per game this season, working Bogdanovic back into the rotation, especially if his jumper is back, could provide a massive floor-spacing boost.

With Garland's nagging injuries and no clear timeline on when Bennedict Mathurin will return from his toe injury, Bogdanovic has a chance to really earn a role back in the Clippers' rotation.