Last night against Dallas, Andrew Bogut shot 13 of 14 and went to the foul line to finish with 32 points.  His big effort was what kept the Bucks close throughout the game, although they did end up losing by one.  So let’s look at how Bogut was able to put up these numbers.

Running The Floor

What makes Andrew Bogut so dangerous is that despite being a big guy, he is very mobile and athletic.  This means that he is always looking to run the court to give himself easy opportunities in transition.

Once the rebound gets secured in the open court, Andrew Bogut puts his head down and starts sprinting down the court.  Right down the middle.  You are taught this as a big man, but few are mobile enough to do this effectively.  Look at Erick Dampier, he crashed the offensive boards, and that instantly puts him in incorrect position to defend Bogut’s run.

As the ball gets passed to Brandon Jennings, Bogut is still running down the court, extending the gap between he and Andrew Bogut.

Brandon Jenning is able to penetrate and he hits Bogut in the paint.  All Dampier can do is foul Bogut.  The beauty of this is that Dampier is still chasing Bogut, so he has no idea where the basketball is, and that leaves him unable to defend the pass.

Ability To Put The Ball On The Floor

Bogut’s mobility also helps him in the half court.  This is because now that Andrew Bogut has presented himself as a post threat, teams tend to load up on him.

Like here, Bogut wants the ball in the post, but Dampier defends him well and pushes him outside.

Bogut makes the catch just one step inside the three point line.  Most centers are pretty much useless out there, but not Bogut.  He is able to put the ball on the floor and blow past Erick Dampier.

He then is able to finish with the lay-up.

Position Inside

So what do the Bucks do when they want to get Bogut a touch down low?  Well, they run some offense around him and then hit him quickly in the post.

When this play starts, it looks like Bogut is just going to be a screener as they look for an outside jumper.  The ball gets swung around as the Bucks run some players off Bogut’s screens.

But as the ball gets swung around back to Brandon Jennings, Bogut quickly turns and seals off Dampier.  Since Dampier is helping on the screens and not really focused on defending Bogut in the post, he allows for Bogut to get position in the lane.

Jennings hits Bogut with a pass, and he makes the catch in the mid-post.

Since he is in such good position, Bogut is able to take 1 dribble and comfortably drill a turnaround hook shot.

Every morning, I am going to be taking a look at the some of the more interesting games that took place the night before.  The name isn’t original at all, but the content is:

Milwaukee Bucks 98 – New Jersey Nets 76

If I have to watch the Nets every time they play (and I do), you are going to have to read about them.  I have been pretty positive through the Nets’ first 34 games (they are 3-31), but I think it was safe to say that last night’s game was the most embarrassing performance of them all.

I don’t know if it was because they were coming off a solid performance against the Cavs, or if it was because they started so well (8-0 run to start the game), but it was just real tough to watch.  Nobody on the Nets had a good a real good game except for Yi, who put up 22 points (but only 2 rebounds).

After the 8-0 run, Scott Skiles pulled both Andrew Bogut and Luc Mbah a Moute.  The strategy worked, as the Bucks’ bench outscored the Nets’ bench 34-7 in the first half, and Bogut played like a man possessed in the second half, finishing with 22 points on 9-12 shooting.

Turning Point – Skiles’ benching.  After pulling Bogut and Mbah a Moute, the Bucks’ closed the first quarter on a 22-8 run and it sparked a big performance from Andrew Bogut.

Phoenix Suns 113 – Sacramento Kings 109

This game was just an awesome one to watch.  There were at least 3 separate different runs, where you thought one team was out of it, they clawed back.

Casspi didn’t play that well in the first half, but he turned it on in the second, hitting some 3s and attacking the basket aggressively.  In the end though, the Suns’ experience was too much for the young Kings.  A young Kings team that saw its two rookies (Casspi and Evans) put up 51 of their 109 points.

Turning Point: Nash’s Dagger.  It was one of the few times that the Suns held the ball, but up 2 Nash dribbled out the clock and then calmly drilled a jumper, putting the Suns’ up four and effectively ending the game.

I am experiementing with different types of morning recap posts, so be patient with me.  Stay tuned for some possession breakdowns later today…