One of the first images you see when you pull up the report that the Milwaukee Bucks’ center Andrew Bogut is hurt (yes, again) is Bogut’s bloated and fractured left ankle.
Hide the wife and kids.
It’s not a pretty sight, but it is becoming a reoccurring theme every NBA season for the oft-injured Aussie and the Bucks who have listed Bogut out “indefinitely”. That’s never a good sign.
An MRI on Thursday revealed the fracture — an injury Bogut sustained during the first quarter of the Bucks’ 105-99 win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday after he landed awkwardly on Rockets’ point guard Kyle Lowry’s foot.
Another season, another steady dose of Bogut on the mend for the Bucks.
In 12 games this season, Bogut is averaging 11.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2 blocked shots per game, but it’s his history of ongoing health issues over his six-year career that outweighs his numbers and impact on the floor at this point. Let’s not forget, this is the same guy who failed a concussion test two weeks ago and underwent elbow surgery late last season. You can even go back to the further: Bogut missed 16 games with a left foot sprain in 2006-07, and 43 games in 2008-09 with a lower back injury.
There was also his early season absence from Milwaukee due to personal matters involving his family in Australia.
The Bucks are struggling this season the way it is at 7-10 and the organization having to constantly monitor the antics of Stephen Jackson. But the Bucks without Bogut are downright horrible to even imagine: Milwaukee is 0-5 this season without their big man in the middle.
Instead, he’s stuck in the middle of another season wrecking injury and trying to find the humor in it.
“It’s like someone has a voodoo doll [of me] and is putting pins in it,” Bogut joked after the injury on Wednesday night.
Sad part is, that’s more of a real concern than comedy.
In the meantime, look for the Milwaukee to be on the market for a big man. Bucks general manager John Hammond said Thursday the team would “explore options”.
The one free agent still being floated about: Joel Przybilla.
“Obviously we’ve been in this position before. Other people will have to step up,” Hammond said.
The Bogut stop-gap comes down to using power forwards Drew Gooden, Ersan Ilyasova and Larry Sanders, who have also seen minutes at center, along with rookie power forward Jon Leuer. In the end though, inking Przybilla remains Milwaukee’s best bet to anchor the middle.
The 31-year old Przybilla has drawn interest from a number of teams this season according to his agent, Bill Duffy, with Miami, the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas most rumored to be after the veteran center.
Przybilla has also seriously contemplated retirement after twice undergoing knee surgery and playing in only 36 games last season with Portland and Charlotte.
Still, knowing the Bucks could desperately use his services with Bogut sidelined and Przybilla living right in Milwaukee, will that be enough for him to have a change of heart?
