Bad News From Andrew Bogut
Words Bucks Fans Probably Don't Want to Hear
By Lance Allan
Archived Content
All year long, Bucks Center Andrew Bogut has answered the bell. He made training camp, started on Opening Night...and has never complained about it. Even despite coming back from a grotesquely dislocated elbow.
But after that horrific fall last year, you can tell he's just not right. Shooting free throws, not using his right arm...he's a warrior, but a limited warrior.
And when I asked the always honest Andrew if his arm won't be right until after the season, the big Aussie gave another honest answer. The guy's always been stand up with me, so these admissions are raw, but still startling:
"It's frustrating for me. The part of my game hindered the most is free throw shooting. It's been terrible this year. People don't really understand what I'm going through with these injuries so I don't really care what people's opinions are on how I've been playing because I'm trying to play through some things."
"Every NBA player plays through injuries and pain, it's frustrating for me mentally as much as physically. In the offseason I'll likely have to have another surgery, I should be able to hold off until the end of the season for another scope, rehab again and start working on my game."
That's enough to make you gulp right there. But when I asked Andrew that I'm not a doctor, but since it's been less than a year since the injury occured, and it appeared to be an injury you come back from after a year or more, Andrew added more:
"The problem was coming back too soon, it put me behind the 8-ball a little bit. I made training camp, which in hindsight wasn't the smartest thing to do for my body. It was better for the team, but it wasn't smart for me. It's put me behind the 8-ball a little bit where I've lost major motion, and the pain hasn't really subsided. It's one of those things you risk when you come back early from injuries."
Wow. Then after admitting he felt pressure to return (whether internal or external), I asked Bogut if he worries at all about long term effects?
"A little bit. and that's probably the most worrying thing is whenever you have an injury, is making sure you don't be stupid with it and don't play through something that when you turn 30 or 40 that you will struggle with."
Trust me, Bogut will fight through it all. But not words you cherish hearing from your franchise center.
Emails at lallan@todaystmj4.com
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