Bogut in doubt for NBA opener

Updated October 22, 2012 17:38:33

Andrew Bogut's chances of playing next week's NBA season-opener for his new club Golden State are rapidly diminishing.

The Australian centre had been hopeful of suiting up for the Warriors in their opening clash with Phoenix on October 31 but time is running out to prove his fitness.

Having been ruled out of the Warriors' entire preseason as he rehabs the ankle he fractured in January, Bogut has yet to take part in a team practice since being traded to the franchise from Milwaukee in March.

The Boomers bigman met with his surgeon in Los Angeles over the weekend, but could not get a date for his return to the court - even though he is yet to be officially ruled out of the Suns fixture.

"While the results of (the) examination were positive and Bogut remains on his rehab schedule, the exact date of his return to full basketball activity has not been determined," the Warriors said in a statement.

"Bogut and the team are not setting any deadlines or time tables and the plan remains as it has been from the outset: Bogut will return to action when his ankle is 100 per cent."

The 27-year-old suffered the ankle fracture when he landed awkwardly on an opponent's foot during a match against Houston while playing with Milwaukee.

That ruled him out for the rest of the 2011-12 season and ended his chances of playing for the Boomers at the London Games - where Australia was knocked out in the quarter-finals by gold medallist the USA.

Bogut has been plagued by injuries which have stunted his career as one of the game's best big men - most notably a nasty arm injury which ended his 2009-10 season.

Bogut dislocated his right elbow, sprained his right wrist and broke his right hand in a hard fall - injuries which have continued to bother him even last season.

In better news for Australians in the NBA, Boomers point guard Patty Mills made his return to the court in San Antonio's 104-100 preseason loss to Orlando.

In his first game back from a sprained ankle, suffered earlier this month, Mills played 17 minutes, scoring six points and grabbing a steal.

AAP

Tags: basketball, sport, united-states

First posted October 22, 2012 17:38:33

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Bogut ruled out for up to 10 days

Updated November 09, 2012 11:47:36

Golden State Warriors' Australian centre Andrew Bogut will be sidelined for the next seven to 10 days in a bid to further strengthen his surgically repaired left ankle, the NBA team said on Friday.

Bogut, who broke his ankle in January before being traded to Golden State from Milwaukee in March, has had limited playing time in four of his team's five games this season.

The Warriors had hoped to ease the seven-footer back into action following his March surgery but are now banking on extended rest.

Bogut, the top pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2005 draft, is averaging 6.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists this season after being limited to 18.3 minutes per game.

Golden State are joint top of the Western Conference Pacific division with the Los Angeles Clippers after making a 3-2 start.

Reuters

Tags: basketball, sport, united-states

First posted November 09, 2012 11:47:36

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Bogut to miss Olympics

Updated April 22, 2012 13:38:03

Australia's Andrew Bogut says he is shattered to miss the London Olympics after being forced to withraw on Sunday.

NBA star Bogut will have arthroscopic surgery on the ankle he broke in January, and will not be fit enough to play for the Boomers at the Games in July.

"After seeing a specialist I have decided it would be best to get my ankle cleaned out via arthroscopic surgery," Bogut said on Twitter.

"There is simply not enough time to rehab and be fully fit for the games.

"Shattered thinking about missing the 2012 Olympics.

"They truly are a life-changing experience and something that you will always remember."

Bogut was always facing an uphill battle to be fit for London after fracturing his ankle, then being traded to Golden State Warriors, for whom he is yet to play a game.

As Australia's highest-profile basketballer and a two-time Olympian, Bogut was to be one of the cornerstones of Australian coach Brett Brown's plans for London.

While the 27-year-old's withdrawal is a blow, the Boomers do at least have strong depth in the centre's role.

European-based David Andersen will most likely shoulder the bulk of the inside responsibility in Bogut's absence.

Emerging Aleks Maric, who was outstanding for Australia in the recent Olympic qualifiers, AJ Ogilvy and Aron Baynes are also playing in Europe.

Golden State Warriors general manager Larry Riley said Bogut's surgery was likely to ensure he would be fit for the start of next NBA season, and labelled the procedure "routine".

"I characterise it as something that is as much a preventive thing than anything else," Riley told The Associated Press.

Bogut's NBA career has been blighted by injuries despite his imposing record when he has been fit for previous club Milwaukee Bucks.

The 2005 number one overall draft pick had serious elbow and wrist injuries hinder him last season, before the NBA lockout, personal issues which forced a mercy dash to Australia and his ankle injury hampered his 2011-12 campaign.

It is the second blow to Australian basketball's Olympic hopes after women's star Penny Taylor was ruled out of the Opals team for London following a serious knee injury.

AAP

Tags: basketball, sport, olympics-summer, united-states

First posted April 22, 2012 07:19:24

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Bucks trade Bogut to Warriors

Updated March 15, 2012 06:42:04

Australian centre Andrew Bogut has been traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Golden State Warriors as part of a five-player deal, the NBA clubs have confirmed.

The Bucks sent the injury-hit big man and guard Stephen Jackson to Golden State in exchange for Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown, which sets up an emotional match-up on Friday when the Bucks visit Golden State.

Bogut, the top choice of the 2005 NBA Draft by the Bucks, played in only 12 games this season before breaking his left ankle on January 25 at Houston.

The 27-year-old seven-footer has also been hampered by surgery on his right hand and elbow in 2010 and another operation on his right elbow last April.

The Aussie big man has averaged 12.7 points and 9.3 rebounds over his NBA career.

AFP

Tags: basketball, sport, united-states

First posted March 14, 2012 14:58:41

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Bogut benched with fractured ankle

Updated January 27, 2012 12:37:29

Australian basketballer Andrew Bogut will be sidelined indefinitely after fracturing his ankle overnight in America's NBA.

The Bucks centre landed on an opponent's foot when he tried to block a shot in the first quarter of his side's game against the Houston Rockets.

Milwaukee general manager John Hammond released a statement on Twitter saying the MRI scan on Bogut's injured ankle identified a fracture and the Australian centre will be out indefinitely.

Initially Bogut was hopeful it was just a bad sprain. He told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he did not think there was a break.

"It wasn't good," Bogut said. "I knew when I came down I was in some trouble. Keeping optimistic, everything's fine with the X-ray, but that's to be expected. I know I didn't break a bone.''

That scan did reveal a fracture and it is the latest in a long string of injuries that have affected Bogut during his seven-year career.

He missed four games earlier this season due to a family medical situation in Australia and also missed a game at Dallas due to the NBA's concussion policy, after he banged his head on the floor in a game earlier this month.

This latest injury places some doubt over Bogut's availability for the Australian Olympic team ahead of the London games beginning at the end of July.

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First posted January 27, 2012 12:08:15

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Bogut ready for NBA return

Updated December 02, 2011 08:13:37

An excited Andrew Bogut is confident his enforced lay-off from basketball has not been time wasted as he prepares to return to a rescheduled NBA.

The Milwaukee Bucks and Australian centre is set for a Christmas Day start to the new season - delayed and now shortened because of a stand-off between the league's owners and the players' union.

Both parties came to a handshake agreement this week to end the lockout of the world's best basketball competition, with players - including Bogut - now voting on a deal expected to be accepted.

Bogut is adamant he is in good enough shape to tackle a 66-game regular season - 16 shorter than normal - which will be shoehorned into a tighter timeframe.

"I'm about 85 per cent (fit)," he said.

"I don't want to be at 100 right now because if I'm peaking right now, I'm going to get through training camp and I'm going to be burned out.

"I'm pretty comfortable with where I'm at.

"I've been shooting ever since the lockout started, and lifting weights. So I'll ramp up my conditioning a little bit this week and I'll be fine.

"It's good to be out of the unemployment line and back to what I do best."

But Bogut believes the tougher, tighter schedule will mean casualties from those who haven't put in the work during their time away from the court.

"If I was a punter, I'd guess there'll be a fair few injuries early on," he said.

"Hopefully most of the blokes will come back in shape, but a fair few who won't will find themselves in a bit of trouble because it's such a brutal schedule."

The 27-year-old's five months in playing limbo - not helped by a massive insurance premium dangling over his head preventing him from taking the court - has allowed him to work on several off-court projects in Australia.

The most ambitious is his move into athlete management - Bogut and his agent Bruce Kaider teaming up as partners in a consulting venture.

With one eye on his own future after his NBA career, Bogut will now help manage the affairs of other athletes.

Heading the stable of athletes are fellow Australian basketball stars Patty Mills and Lauren Jackson, Western Bulldogs' AFL player Shaun Higgins and US-based Major League baseballer Peter Moylan.

Bogut is scheduled to return to Milwaukee on Tuesday, ahead of club training camps scheduled to start on December 9.

AAP

Tags: basketball, sport, united-states, australia

First posted November 30, 2011 21:35:40

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NBL talks with Bogut stall

Updated September 23, 2011 18:21:39

Talks with Andrew Bogut are on hold for three anxious NBL clubs as world body FIBA works out an insurance policy to cover the NBA's superstars during the American lockout.

Gold Coast Blaze, Sydney Kings and Adelaide 36ers had hoped to up the ante in their talks with the Milwaukee Bucks centre this week in a bid to seal "the most significant signing in the history of the league".

However, discussions are in limbo until FIBA finds a policy that suits about 60 NBA players - including Bogut - seeking to insure their multi-million dollar contracts so they can play outside the United States.

Considered the favourite to snap up Bogut's signature, Blaze boss Paul Pamenter said talks with the Boomers centre were in a "holding pattern".

"It is bigger than just Andrew globally," he said.

"There are 60 or 70 guys on contracts valued up to $100 million now who are trying to get themselves around the world while this lockout drags on.

"It is a bit of an unknown at the moment.

"(But) we are quietly confident."

Bogut's agent Bruce Kaider of One Management Group said talks would not resume until he had insurance details to share.

Kaider tweeted this week: "The process for securing insurance for AndrewMBogut is not being drawn out.

"We are wanting to resolve as soon as practically possible."

Bogut tweeted on the same day: "I'm not trying to drag this NBL decision out but fiba has had the euro champs on so getting an insurance proposal has proven tough...."

NBL clubs are already cranking up their 2011-12 countdown in this week's preseason Sunshine State Challenge tournament in south-east Queensland.

Kings coach Ian Robilliard said he hoped a decision on Bogut would be made sooner rather than later in order to finalise his season plans.

"It would be the most significant signing in the history of the league," he said when asked about Bogut.

"He would fit into our system very well, but we would have to adjust our roster to permit that - that might be a distraction.

"But I think the guys are professional enough to know that it would be for the greater purpose of what Andrew would do for not only the Kings but the league.

"We had a discussion with the leadership group when the name Bogut first came up.

"We understand the significance of his potential signing but we are trying to get on with business."

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, broadbeach-4218, qld, australia

First posted September 23, 2011 18:12:49

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Boomers pushing on without Bogut

Updated July 27, 2011 09:38:13

Boomers coach Brett Brown says Australia just needs to lock in its spot for the Olympic Games and then it can dream big in London when injured centre Andrew Bogut returns.

The Boomers take on New Zealand in a three-match series in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney later this month with the winners gaining automatic selection for the Games.

Brown says the impact of Bogut's absence is undeniable but the Boomers just need to achieve the short-term goals.

"We have to hold the fort and get the job done and qualify for the London Olympic Games," he said.

"That's our only mission over the next few months but without Andrew we do take some hits.

"It's hard to lose arguably the best third or fourth centre in the world and not feel it a little bit."

Brown says the team has a strong combination of youth and experience and can deliver some big results when it comes to the big competition.

"We aspire to get into a top six and then go steal something and do something special," he said.

"We are inching along and the guys have been fantastic in committing each year.

"We could try to build the culture, build the chemistry and play together and I think if we are fortunate to get through the New Zealand series and we get a healthy Bogut back you can still dream big."

Tags: basketball, sport, australia

First posted July 27, 2011 09:38:13

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Bogut to dabble as Boomers assistant

Updated July 28, 2011 15:42:04

Australian men's basketball coach Brett Brown says Andrew Bogut will be the highest-paid assistant going around as the Boomers look to qualify for the Olympics without their NBA superstar.

Brown has urged the public to get behind his new look team as they start preparations for the FIBA Oceania Championship qualifying series with New Zealand, a task made all the more difficult with the Milwaukee centre unavailable due to the NBA player lockout.

With Basketball Australia (BA) unable to fully insure Bogut's multi-million dollar NBA contract, the former number one draft pick will instead work the sidelines with Brown.

"He'll be my richest assistant coach," laughed Brown when asked what Bogut's input would be against New Zealand.

"He's fantastic about wanting to play but with injury and insurance issues with the NBA lock-out he'll play his role from the bench next to me.

"He and David Anderson (recovering from knee surgery) won't be able to play but they'll be there in spirit and we'll have their support."

The Boomers and Opals will contest a best-of-three trans-Tasman series against New Zealand's Tall Blacks and Tall Ferns with double-header games in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney in September.

Brown has promised fans his collection of NBL and overseas players will deliver an exciting style of play with the Australian hallmark of toughness.

He said fans who had grown up watching legends like Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Luc Longley and Andrew Vlahov wear the green and gold would be surprised by the next wave of stars.

The likes of Patty Mills (Portland), David Barlow (CAI Zaragoza, Spain), Brad Newley (Lietuvos Rytas, Lithuania), AJ Ogilvy (Valencia, Spain) and world junior championships star Hugh Greenwood are expected to feature.

"Come and see them," said Brown when asked what fans could expect from the Boomers who infrequently play internationals at home because of the difficulty of getting teams to Australia.

"I think they'll be proud of what the country is producing, I think they'll be surprised at the level of talent of the players coming back from playing in highly competitive leagues in Europe.

"They'll see a very exciting new generation, players they haven't seen domestically as a group for a very long time."

Brown said one thing would not be any different from when Heal stood up to American superstar Charles Barkley before the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

"There's an inherent culture bred into the country which has trickled down into my guys, it's trickled down into basketball, which makes it a pleasure to come back and watch our guys get after it," he said.

"There's a toughness to our payers which there needs to be.

"You combine that with some good talent and defence, which is our bread and butter, and it's a pleasure and an honour to coach this team."

While the Opals, losing finalists at the last three Olympics, are expected to breeze through qualification, the Boomers have typically had a much tougher time against the Tall Blacks, including losing a world championship qualifying series to the New Zealanders.

The first double-header will be played in Melbourne on September 7.

AAP

Tags: basketball, sport, new-zealand, australia

First posted July 28, 2011 15:42:04

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Boomers set to lose Bogut

Updated July 1, 2011 15:44:00

Superstar centre Andrew Bogut looks certain to miss Australia's upcoming Olympic Games basketball qualifiers because of a NBA lockout-related insurance wrangle.

Basketball Australia is resigned to Bogut missing the September series against New Zealand because of the American NBA wages dispute and an inability to insure the Boomers star for the tournament.

NBA team owners and the players' union have been unable to reach consensus on a new wages agreement, which keeps all players off the court until a resolution is reached.

And that means Milwaukee Bucks star Bogut has no insurance to play anywhere, including the three-game series from September 7 to 11 which will decide whether Australia makes next year's London Olympics.

Basketball Australia boss Larry Sengstock said Bogut would be disappointed to miss the series because he is committed to the national program.

"Bogut has always held his national commitments and the Boomers' program as a high priority throughout his career," Sengstock said.

"It's disappointing for us that we may not have him for the New Zealand series but it also highlights the level of player that he is."

Last season Bogut battled an elbow injury which required late-season surgery, as well as back and wrist problems.

Basketball Australia privately remains hopeful the NBA lockout can be resolved before the series.

That would then free Bogut to take part.

But Boomers head coach Brett Brown is confident other players can fill the gap left by their star centre, should he miss the matches in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

"The NBA lockout has made his insurance issues impossible for Basketball Australia and Andrew to feel comfortable that his contract would be fully insured in the event of injury and, as a group, we understand and support Andrew," Brown said.

"I am however excited to compete against New Zealand with the current group of players that are more than capable of representing Australia from a talent perspective and a spirit perspective that we all expect."

NBA team owners ordered a lockout of players to start on Friday as last-ditch talks failed, setting up a shutdown which threatens the 2011-12 season.

The first NBA work stoppage since the 1998-99 season was reduced to 50 games will also halt trades, free agent signings and contract talks.

It also prohibits players and clubs from having contact until the issue is resolved.

-AAP

Tags: sport, basketball, australia, united-states

First posted July 1, 2011 15:27:00

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Bogut goes under the knife

Posted April 13, 2011 12:02:00

Australian basketballer Andrew Bogut has had surgery to repair the elbow he damaged in a horrific fall in the NBA last year.

The Milwaukee Bucks centre has had scar tissue and loose particles removed from the joint in an operation in Florida.

Bogut played with pain throughout the season and sat out the last four games.

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