Milwaukee Bucks: All-Time Greatest 15 Man Roster

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Andrew Bogut – Third String

Words by Jordan Treske

There’s arguably no bigger ‘what if’ career when it comes to the long list of former Bucks players than Andrew Bogut.

That isn’t to say the former first overall pick didn’t have high points in his time with the Bucks, but there’s a good chance that he could still be in Milwaukee if it weren’t for some literal bad breaks.

But Bogut definitely deserves to be among the greats the Bucks franchise has seen for what he accomplished in his tenure with Milwaukee, even if it didn’t go the way the team and the Australian planned.

In his seven seasons as a member of the Bucks, Bogut was able to develop as an all-around player at a position where many players are quite limited with what they have to offer.

While Bogut’s offensive numbers in Milwaukee are noteworthy (12.7 points per game, 2.3 assists per game, 52 percent shooting from the field), what made him a truly special player to watch when he was in Milwaukee was his growth as a true defensive anchor.

Bogut averaged 1.6 blocks per game throughout his Bucks career and is third all-time in the franchise for most blocks.

Without question, Bogut’s best season in Milwaukee was the 2009-10 season (or the “Fear the Deer” season), where he averaged over a double-double (15.9 points per game, 10.2 rebounds per game) and swatted up to 2.5 blocks per game.

Unfortunately it was that same season where his NBA career took a significant turn as Bogut suffered a gruesome injury in an early April game that derailed what was a truly unexpected, successful season for the Bucks.

While Bogut eventually recovered and continued to live up to his standard of play the following season (a season where he led the league in blocks with 2.6 swats per game), it’s not hard to wonder how much better he could have become, along with how different the Bucks would look like right now if it weren’t for that fateful injury.

The next season saw Bogut’s time in Milwaukee come to a close in March 2012 when he was dealt to the Golden State Warriors where he’s still a member on the team’s roster and was recently crowned an NBA champion this past season.

It’s unfortunate Bogut’s Bucks’ career didn’t result in more success as he continues to be a remarkable NBA player and when you look at the Bucks roster as it stands now, it’s much more suited for a player like Bogut to thrive in.

Bogut himself, admitted that the change of scenery benefited him greatly and suits him much more to his playing style in an interview with Charles Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel this past March when the Warriors matched up against the Bucks in Milwaukee:

"“I was in a tunnel,” Bogut said. “It’s a different role here and I enjoy it (with Golden State). I’m more of a utilities guy and making sure our defense is sound and rebounding."

"“A lot of games I have two points, four points, five points, but I know how to affect the game in a huge way that people don’t see, especially defensively.”"

Nevertheless, Bogut’s career in Milwaukee may not have gone as planned, but it definitely won’t go unnoticed.

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