Hoops

Aussie NBA Watch - 2009/10 Season

Today, the Rockets lost to the Clippers 93-99. David Andersen did not play and is still sitting out injured.

The Blazers beat the Mavericks today, 101-89. Patty Mills sat out the game on the bench.

Tomorrow, the Bucks take on the Heat is an Eastern Conference showdown for potentially 5th spot in the East, whilst the T-Wolves will probably be owned by the Magic.

Tomorrow in the D-League, the Utah Flash and Luke Nevill play the Idaho Stampede in a rematch. You can watch the game live through this link for free here: http://linky.com.au/92ufj

Rockets in action today against the Clippers; Andersen is not listed in the 'Injured' section on ESPN's site but not sure if he's playing.

The Bucks came back to earth today in trailing all game in losing 86-101 to the 76ers. Andrew Bogut scored 8 points on 4/8 shooting alongside 3 rebounds, 2 blocks and 3 turnovers in just 20 minutes on court. He sat a lot of the second half as the Bucks were well behind and the bench got a shot. The Bucks shot poorly and overall it was a dismal display for a team that had won 15 of the previous 17 games.

The T-Wolves continue to lose games, this time to the Bobcats, 95-108. Nathan Jawai did not play.

The Rockets lost 104-112 to the Thunder. David Andersen did not play and is still out injured with a sore lower back.

In the D-League, the Utah Flash fought off the Idaho Stampede and maintained their standing as the 8th seed in the race to the playoffs. Luke Nevill returned to the starting line-up and had an immediate impact in racking up a double-double. He scored 15 points on 6/8 shooting, nailing 3/6 from the line along the way. He also had 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block and no turnovers in 34 minutes of action.

The Bucks are on fire as they continue to pave a wave of destruction since returning from the all-star break. Today is was the Atlanta Hawks that felt their wrath in a 98-95 Bucks win. Andrew Bogut scored just 9 points on a paltry 4/11 shooting, nailing 1/2 from the line. However he did manage 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block and no turnovers in just 28 minutes on court. John Salmons was inspired, scoring 32 – 16 coming in the 4th quarter - on a sizzling 12/19 shooting, including 3/6 from long range and 5/5 from the line.

The Rockets lost to the Bulls 88-98. David Andersen did not play and is listed as having back problems yet again.

The T-Wolves lost their 13th straight game in going down to the Raptors 100-106 today. Nathan Jawai did not see any game time.

Tomorrow there are no teams in action featuring any Aussies.

As pointed out earlier, the Rockets took care of the Knicks today, winning 116-112. David Andersen did not play so I’m not sure what is going on there either. ESPN lists him as DNP – Coaches Decision.

The Blazers went down to the Suns. Patty Mills did not play.

In the D-League, the Utah Flash lost to the LA D-Fenders. Luke Nevill scored just 2 points on 1/2 shooting alongside 1 rebound, 2 assists, 3 blocks and no turnovers in 12 minutes behind Bennet Davis in coming off the bench.

Today the Rockets take on the Bulls, the T-Wolves play the Raptors, whilst in the marquee matchup, the Bucks play the Hawks.

DNP for Andersen today against the Knicks. Judging by his minutes he seems to be in the dog house.

Bucks continued on their winning ways in overcoming the Nuggets 102-97 today despite Andrew Bogut playing limited minutes due to foul trouble.

Bogut scored just 2 points on 1/3 shooting with only 3 rebounds but 3 blocks and 3 turnovers in a minimal 15 minutes of action. Delfino and Salmons picked up the slack to ensure the Bucks won.

Tomorrow, the Rockets take on the Knicks and the Blazers face the Suns.

In a game I watched courtesy of my bro’s ILP, the Bucks came from nowhere late in regulation to force OT against the Kings today. A 2nd OT was then required in which the Bucks took control and eventually prevailed 114-108. Andrew Bogut delivered yet again with another big game and double-double. He scored 21 points on 21 points on 10/20 shooting, including a paltry 1/6 from the line. He also racked up 11 rebounds alongside 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks and 3 turnovers in playing 45 minutes.

The Rockets fell behind the Celtics early and could not get ahead at the end, going down 87-94. David Andersen saw little action, going 0/2 from the field and failing to trouble the scorers and recording just 1 foul in only 6 minutes of action.

The Blazers pipped the Wizards courtesy of a Roy dagger at the death, earning Portland a 76-74 victory. Patty Mills did not play.

The T-Wolves lost to the Lakers as one would expect, but this time did not get blown out, going down 96-104. Nathan Jawai did not play, and neither did Pecherov.

In the D-League, the Utah Flash defeated the Los Angeles D-Fenders 128-107. Luke Nevill came off the bench to score 6 points on 2/6 shooting, nailing 2/2 from the line. He also had 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 turnovers in an improved 21 minutes of action.

Tomorrow the Bucks back up against the Nuggets in the only game featuring an Aussie.

David Andersen feature that appeared on ESPN's SportsCentre Australia.

On Saturday, the Rockets take on the Celtics, the Bucks look to bounce back with a win against the Kings, the Blazers play the Wizards, whilst the T-Wolves will probably play like mere puppies against the Lakers.

Thanks for the entree Bobby Tables! I couldn't agree more in your comments about NBA players playing international basketball events such as WC's.

The Rockets managed to account for the Grizzlies, winning 107-96. David Andersen scored 5 points on 2/3 shooting, going 1/2 from long range along the way. But he also had just 2 turnovers and no other stats in playing just 6 minutes.

The T-Wolves lost to the Jazz 100-122. Nathan Jawai did not see any action yet again - as pointed out he is on the inactive list.

The Bucks lost their first game in 7 to the Clippers today, going down 93-101. Andrew Bogut had a 10 point first quarter and finished with another double-double. He scored 18 points on 8/15 shooting going 2/4 from the line. He also had 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 4 blocks and 1 turnover in 41 minutes of action. I guess at some point they had to drop a game, just wish it was not against the Clippers!

Tomorrow there are no NBA teams featuring Aussies in action.

Only 6 minutes for Andersen today as the Rockets beat the Grizzlies. He had 5 points on 2/3 FGA (1-2 3PA), and 2 turnovers.

Suprisingly low minutes, the game was close for awhile but Houston had a 10+ point lead in the 4th and Brooks was going off.

Jawai is on the inactive list and didn't play today.

Recording the Bucks game to watch later so I'm sure LC will give us a stat update on that.

Big article in the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel today on Andrew Bogut titled, "Bucks not certain they want Bogut playing in international tourney."

It had my heart skip a beat! The article comes on the back of the FIBA version I had previously posted this week and in particular Brett Brown's comments regarding the big Aussie Centre.

I guess Bogut's back issues have been well documented and in the back of my mind the thought of him stepping aside for this WC was a dinstinct possibility...but I still want him to play!

JS Online link: http://linky.com.au/zls5g

"Bucks general manager John Hammond said Wednesday he has "major concerns" about center Andrew Bogut's participation in the World Championships this summer in Turkey."

"We are going to support Andrew as he goes through this process," Hammond said before the Bucks played the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night. "But we do have concerns.

"We've made a long-term commitment to Andrew and obviously he's made a commitment back to us. We appreciate what he's done for us at this point in his career and think he's only going to get better and better. "We want to continue to monitor his back and make sure he stays healthy."

"We know the importance of the World Championships and the importance to Australian basketball," Hammond said. "Not trying to be selfish throughout this process, but to a certain extent we do have to watch out for our own best concerns here."

Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova is expected to play for Turkey, the host country in this summer's World Championships, which will take place Aug. 28 to Sept. 12. Carlos Delfino also could be asked to play for Argentina. He was a member of his country's gold-medal winning squad in the Athens Olympics in 2004 and played again for Argentina in the 2006 World Championships.

"We want to be supportive of the international game," Hammond said. "Look at what it's doing for our team and the impact it's had for us. "This is an individual circumstance involving a player (Bogut) that has had an injury due to a volume of games being played." Ilyasova played for Turkey in the 2009 European Championships and was one of the top scorers in the tournament. "Ersan's circumstance is a bit different," Hammond said. "Age, no injury. And the fact also his team is the host country. Hopefully we're going to attend and support him in some capacity."

The T-Wolves got absolutely pulverised by the Suns today and were left standing without any pants on. Well they may as well has been pants-less as they got humbled 152-114 in a game where defense was nowhere to be seen.

In a way, I'm thankful that Jawai did not play any part of it as he did not even step foot onto the court. But it does pose the question why he didn't see any action at all. Milicic went from a player who didn't get any minutes to a starter. Pecherov saw action as well ahead of Jawai. Not sure what Rambis is up to...

Tomorrow, the T-Wolves have to turn it around quickly against the Jazz. The Bucks take on the Clippers, gunning for win number 7 in a row, whilst The Rockets take on the Grizzlies.

ESPN's NBA Awards Watch has elevated Andrew Bogut further up their charts this week...

He has finally entered the Most Improved Player award charts (No.4) and is firmly entrenched in the top 5 Defensive Player of the Year award (No.4).

He also gets a mention as being considered for the 10th spot on the NBA Most Valuable Player awards watch, a spot taken by Brandon Roy!

Link: http://linky.com.au/tw9jn

MIP
4. Andrew Bogut, Hawks: The recently named Eastern Conference Player of the Week has 32 double-doubles this season. (Last week: NR)

DP
4. Andrew Bogut, Bucks: I admit, I was late getting on the bandwagon of the Bogut-led Bucks. Now the league's second-leading shot-blocker (2.51) is a DPOY and MIP candidate, and I even thought about putting him at No. 10 for MVP. (Last week: 2)

Yesterday in the NBA...

The Rockets pipped the Nuggets in a shoot-out, winning 125-123 and ending Denver's 6-game winning streak. David Andersen scored 5 points on 2/3 shooting, nailing his only three-point attempt. He also had 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and no turnovers in just 10 minutes.

Today the T-Wolves take on the Suns, and hopefully Nathan Jawai can continue to see increased minutes.

In yesterday's D-League action, Luke Nevill's Utah Flash lost to the Erie Bayhawks, 101-111. Luke Nevill once again came off the bench to score 4 points on 2/5 shooting alongside 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 turnover in only 14 minutes.

FIBA.com have run a feature article on Andrew Bogut, discussing his NBA form and the likelihood of him suiting up for the Boomers at the 2010 World Champs.

Link: http://linky.com.au/0sz6f

From the artyicle, this in particular caught my attention:

“He’s (Bogut) been fantastic in regards to communicating with me (about the national program),” Brown said.

“He’s been very candid about his situation at the moment being up in the air, we’re not sure how his back is going to hold up.

“(Basketball Australia) are trying to do everything we can to help him with resources with our strength and conditioning coaches that he’s comfortable with. Anything that we can do to get him with the team is our main focus. He is the crown and jewel of our Boomer program and we really hope we can have him with us.

“His performance and his statistics to date are positives but it’s a long season for him. I really want to coach him and I hope that we can have him with us.

“That final decision is going to be Andrew’s and we support him in that decision. He is passionate about representing Australia and helping his teammates get to a higher level on the world stage. He’s got some decisions to make like all these NBA players that play eight or nine months in a row.”

I hope Bogut can pull through the NBA season in good shape and remain healthy throughout the NBA playoffs. Without the Bogeyman in the middle, our chances of a top 8 finish go down substantially IMO despite Australia's depth at the centre spot.

Article in Patty Mills posted on the Blazers website: http://linky.com.au/kj11v

At 21 years old, Patty Mills has played a grand total of 25 minutes in his NBA career. Not exactly a surprise considering the circumstances. Starting your career with a broken foot while looking up the depth chart at Andre Miller, Steve Blake and Jerryd Bayless is a recipe for a season spent primarily on the bench. But while some players in his position might curse their lot, Mills is making the most of the situation by keeping a close eye on the players who are currently in the position he wants to be in.

“First season I wasn’t expecting too much obviously,” said Mills, “but I really feel like being alongside Andre Miller, picking a piece of his mind daily, is important for me. I feel like I’m learning a lot, not only talking to him but by watching him and analyzing his game.”

LOL! Totally concur.

Long overdue recognition for Bogut as he had been awesome!

lol, I was thinking that as well thedoc..

The silence is deafening.

Meant 4th year

Nice to see Bogut getting some love, especially after that article early this season labelling him as 'over-rated' and a bust of a #1. He's definitely making a few people eat humble pie this season. Just a pity he had to wait until his 5th year to get a decent coach!

Bogut EC player of the week this week:

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/03/15/players.week/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2

Thanks for the heads up on the Koufos reassignment to the Flash, thus limiting Nevill's court time. I must have overlooked that…

The Bucks held off the Pacers today to win 98-94 for a season sweep and their 6th straight win and their 7th straight win at home.
Andrew Bogut was as solid as ever with another double-double, scoring 17 points on 7/18 shooting, hitting 3/7 from the line. He also had 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks and no turnovers in 31 minutes.

The Blazers are also on a good run in winning their 4th straight in defeating the Raptors today 109-98. Patty Mills did not see any action in the win.

The T-Wolves lost to the Kings 100-114. Nathan Jawai went 0/2 from the field but hit 2/2 from the line for 2 points. He also had 4 rebounds, 1 block and no turnovers, racking up 4 fouls in 9 minutes on court. Interesting to note that Milicic was a DNP – coach’s decision…

Yesterday, the Rockets accounted for the Nerts 116-108. David Andersen did return from injury and scored 4 points on 2/4 shooting, missing his only three-point attempt. He also had 5 rebounds and 1 turnover in 10 minutes.

In yesterday's D-League action, the Utah Flash defeated the Reno Bighorns. Luke Nevill seems to have fallen out of favour and has played the last two games coming off the bench and seeinghis minutes drop markedly over the past 3 weeks. This time he scored just 4 points on 1/2 shooting and made both his free throws. He also had 3 rebounds and no turnovers in just 6 minutes on court.

The Blazers take on the Raptors, the T-Wolves play the Kings, and the red-hot Bucks face the Pacers in today's NBA action.

David Andersen is today expected to return to on-court action in Houston's game against New Jersey, havihg overcome his lower back injury.

In the D-League, Luke Nevill's Utah Flash take on the Reno Bighorns again. You can watch the game live and for free at this NBA D-League link: http://linky.com.au/sv02m

Bogu's dunk over Glen Davis was No.2 dunk of the week behind JR Smith's 360 degree alley-oop special.

The Bucks continue to win against good teams. They beat the Jazz today 95-87. Andrew Bogut continues to shine as he recorded another double-double, scoring 16 points on 5/15 shooting, nailing 6/8 from the line. He also had 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 4 blocks and 1 turnover in 39 minutes.

The T-Wolves got spanked by the Spurs, but Jawai continues to see increased minutes. This time he played 12, going 0/2 from the field but making both free throw attempts for 2 points. He also had 2 rebounds, 1 assist but 3 turnovers.

The Blazers beat the Kings 110-94. Patty Mills did not see any action yet again.

In the D-League, Utah lost to Reno. Luke Nevill was relegated to coming off the bench and scored 9 points on 3/7 shooting including 3/3 from the line. He also had 3 rebounds, 1 block and no turnovers in only 14 minutes of action.

Yesterday the T-Wolves got beaten by the Mav's, and albeit briefly, Big Nate saw a minute on court for no stats.

Today the Blazers take on the Warriors. Hopefully Patty can take the court at some stage and go head to head with Steph Curry.

And in the D-League, Luke Nevill's Utah Flash take on the Reno Bighorns. You can watch the game live and for free via this link: http://linky.com.au/kj6up

Plus, check out the small piece on NBA.com's 5 on the Rise today with the focus purely on Andrew Bogut titled "Five years into career, Bucks' Bogut living up to hype".

NBA link: http://linky.com.au/lol06

This from the article:

Pick a game last week and Bogut delivered. Against Cleveland at home? How about 15 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in a victory. KG and Co. came to town? No problem for Bogut, who was even better than he was against the Cavs, putting up 25 points, 17 rebounds, four blocks and, of course, that rub-your-eyes-in-disbelief dunk over Glen Davis. It's not just offense with Bogut, though; He's already set a career high in blocked shots (141) and is the No. 2 shotblocker in the league (trailing only Dwight Howard). He's also among the league leaders in Defensive Plays, a stat cooked up by the number-crunchers over at HoopData.com. The Defensive Plays stat is a player's average score of steals, blocks and charges drawn per game. Bogut has a 4.06 per game average and is the third-best player in the league (he trails only Josh Smith and Howard in the category). All that aside, we'll just let his coach explain in much simpler terms why Bogut is better this season. "One thing he needed to do, which he's done, is improve his foul shooting (now 63 percent)," Skiles told USA Today "He's throwing in these big block (shot) games, as well. He's always been a very good defensive rebounder. His back-to-the-basket game is coming along. He's able to get more opportunities."

Yesterday the Blazers beat the Kings, but Patty Mills was a no show :(

Today the T-Wolves take on the Nuggets.

ESPN's NBA "Award Watch" has been updated and the big Aussdie centre who has been getting it done on the court hasd moved up into 2nd place in the defensive player of the year award behind the tied duo of Dwight Howard and Ron Artest.

Link: http://linky.com.au/5d33m

2. Andrew Bogut, Bucks: He is averaging 2.5 blocks and more than 10 rebounds per game. In the past, he would try to draw a charge, but this season he is attempting to swat shots away. (Last week: 4)

Well, my Celtics might be on the downward slide, but at least I can jump on the Bucks bandwagon for this post-season by the looks of things!

I've really enjoyed watching Skiles team this year. They move the ball well and with purpose on offence and they do a good job of sending their man towards the help on defence - always a good thing when you have Bogut there to challenge the shot!

I have to say, I really hope the Celtics get the Raptors and not the Bucks in the first round at this rate!

Bogut dunks on the Big Baby!

The Bucks took care of the Celtics at home in a close game broadcast on One HD, winning 86-84 after a big 4th quarter 18-9 run. And it was Aussie centre Andrew Bogut who once again led the way for the surging Bucks who are now 3 games clear of the Bulls in the Central Division, and 1 game ahead of Toronto in 5th place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Bogut recorded a massive double-double, scoring a game-high 25 points on 10/18 shooting, including nailing all 5 of his free throw attempts. He also racked up a game-high 17 rebounds, dished out 2 assists, had 1 steal and rejected 4 shots whilst recording 2 turnovers in playing out 42 minutes. Bogut also had a few monster jams that would be worthwhile viewing on the game highlights!

The Rockets defeated the Wizards 96-88 with David Andersen having been placed on the inactive list due to his lower back injury.

I can't access ILP at work! Glad to hear Bopgut continues to play well. Looking forward to the replay tonight.

No league pass for you? Tough deal LC. Good game so far. Boston bench has come in and got them back in the game. Both teams shooting well. Bucks have the biggest advantage on the floor with Bogut, but Celtics are crafty and find ways to offset that disadvantage. I reckon it'll be close.

Can't watch the game :(

Is anyone watching the Celtics-Bucks game right now? Bogut is destroying Perkins and Wallace! Look for Bogut's dunk over Big Baby Davis at half time. There was also another dunk that Bogut didn't get because Perkins put his hand through the ring to defend it!
Go Bogut... go Celtics! :D

Andersen on the inactive list for Houston.

Minnesota got done over by Dallas today. Jawai did not play again and is still injured.

Tomorrow, the Rockets take on the Wizards, the Blazers take on the Kings, and the Bucks play the Celtics which is a game being broadcast live on One HD.

The Rockets lost to the Pistons 107-110 in OT today. David Andersen did not play again due to his sore lower back.

The Blazers lost to the Nuggets 106-118. Patty Mills did not see any action either.

T-Wolves take on the Mav's on Tuesday, and hopefully Jawai will be over his ankle sprain.

The T-Wolves got worked over by the Rockets today in a 98-112 loss. Andersen did not play - anyone know why? Also, Jawai did not play, but is listed as having a sprained right ankle.

The Bucks continue to roll as they march towards the 5th seed in the East. They accounted for the Cav's today 92-85 who were minus LeBron James who was 'rested'. Andrew Bogut scored 15 points on 5/9 shooting and also nailed 5/6 from the line. He also had 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 blocks and 2 turnovers in playing out 36 minutes. Jennings borke out of his shooting slump with 25 points on a good clip too.

In the D-League, Luke Nevill's Utah Flash defeated the Springfield Armour 101-89. Nevill scored 14 points on 6/8 shooting alongside 2/2 from the line. He also had 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and no turnovers in 29 minutes of action.

That dunk was massive, and there were several more. NBA.com has good highlights from the game. Although I'm of course biased, I seriously can't believe coaches took Horford to the All-Star game over Bogut. This little run post the all-star break has shown how silly they were.

Andrew Bogut came up wth the goods yet again with another double-double today in leading the Bucks to a big win over the Wizards.

Bogut had 14 & 8 at the half and ensured the Bucks enjoyed a 15 point lead. He ended with an equal game-high 19 points on 8/14 shooting that included 3/4 from the line. He also pulled down 10 rebounds, dished out 4 assists, rejected a massive 5 shots and had 2 turnovers in 30 minutes of action - despite sitting out the entire 4th quarter!

He also had a massive alley-oop jam over JaVale McGee on the break in the first half...check it out in the higlights.

Believe it or not, the Bucks are now within sight of the 5th seed in the East, and are second to the Cav's in the Central division. Hoewever they have a string of tough games coming up, with Cleveland, Utah and Boston at home.

I the D-League, Luke Nevill had a rare quiet game in a loss against the Reno Bighorns. He had just 4 points on 2/5 shooting alongside 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks and 1 turnover in 23 minutes on court.

ESPN's John Hollinger has named Andrew Bogut to his Most Improved "In-Season" team...and he features on the front page of ESPN's website today. However to read the ful article, you need to be an ERSPN Insider.

The Bucks defeated the Wizards comfortably, 100-87. Andrew Bogut scored 15 points on 5/10 shooting (5/6 FT) to go with an uncharacteristically low 2 rebounds! He also recorded 4 assists, 1 steal, a massive 5 blocks and pleasing to see no turnovers in playing out 32 minutes of the game.

The T-Wolves lost to the Mav’s 109-112. Nathan Jawai saw no action.

The Rockets lost to the Kings 81-84. David Andersen played a good game in the time he spent on court, scoring 8 points on 2/5 shooting, including going 1/1 from downtown and hitting 3/4 from the line. He also had 3 rebounds and 1 turnover in just 11 minutes on court - I thought he should have got more time!

The Blazers defeated the Pacers easily, 102-79. Patty Mills was injected into the game late, going 0/3 from the field and failing to score in 6 minutes. And whilst there were no turnovers involved, he didn't record any other stats apart from a foul.

In the D-League, the Utah Flash defeated the Idaho Stampede 114-107. Luke Nevill scored 9 points on 3/9 shooting including knocking down 3/4 from the line. He also had 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 turnovers in playing out 24 minutes of the game.

Milwaukee play host to Washington tomorrow, Minnesota are away at Dallas (though not sure what's going on with Jawai), Houston host Sacramento (hopefully some significant minutes for Andersen), Portland play host to Indiana.

Yeah it was a great game by Andersen. He shot the ball really well. I think the Rockets coaching staff are using Andersen on a 'horses for courses' policy hence his fluctuating court time from game to game.

The Blazers signing of Diener is a real puzzler. Portland already have an up and coming young PG in Patty Mills - who can already do everything Diener does plus he has more upside to his game! If the Blazers are not going to give Patty a chance to develop and see some minutes, then I would rather they trade him to a team that needs a PG.

No aussies in NBA action today.

Good game for David Andersen today as Houston gave Toronto a flogging. 16 points on 6-9 FGA (2-3 3PA), 2-2 FTA, 1 block, 5 rebounds in 22 minutes. Couple of mentions for him in the highlights on NBA.com, including a nice defensive play to start a fast break.

Patty Mills so no time for Portland.

The Bucks lost a game for the first time in 7 games today, but Atlanta needed overtime to do it! The Hawks eventually won 106-102.

Andrew Bogut had a solid game going head to head against Al Horford. He scored 14 points on 5/11 shooting and made 4/4 from the line. He also had 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks and just 1 turnover in 41 minutes of game time.