“Help, my big can’t shoot!”
Andrew Bogut calls it a day.
After 15 NBA seasons and one ring, he quits playing basketball.
No big deal? Well, I have a good reason to spend today’s article on him. And why every coach and GM should study his game.
Bogut finished his career in his home country Australia. Some might see his exit in 2018 from the NBA as an escape. An exit through the back door from a league where traditional bigs without an outside shot have less and less impact.
And indeed, it’s hard to deny that Bogut belongs to that category. He scored in his professional career … 3 threepointers. That’s still one more than Ben Simmons, but you get my point. ;-)
Even despite the way basketball has developed, it’s very doubtful that all big men on your roster are a consistent scoring threat behind the 3pt line.
And that’s exactly why studying Andrew Bogut’s game is time well spent. And the good news is, I did the work for you ;-).
Bogut is a world-class example of how you can space the floor with a non-shooting big. Offensively, Bogut had the most interesting role on his national team. And the staff of the Boomers knew exactly how to exploit his skills to the fullest.
Ironically enough, Bogut put down one of his best performances against … Team USA. As a revenge over his NBA criticasters. Showcasing an elite clinic for big men. While it was just an exhibition game, it ended a 78 game winning streak of Team USA.
As a tribute to his career, I break down all of Bogut’s actions from that one particular game:
It’s amazing how much time Bogut spent around the 3pt line without being a scoring threat. Where he turned every hand-off situation into a 2-on-1 advantage, showcasing:
🗝 elite passing skills
🗝 how to protect the ball as a big
🗝 how to aim for the defender in any dribble hand-off
🗝 turning a hand-off into an open shot using a butt screen
🗝 how to open up wings in a modern version of the split-the-post action
🗝 how to be a release point for any broken play
Bogut’s performance was crucial in the victory over USA. It boosted the self-confidence of the Boomers towards a successful World Cup, where they ended up on the 4rd spot. Which was the final trigger Down Under to become one of the fastest booming basketball leagues worldwide.
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Pascal.
For the video editing I use a piece of magic, called “Coach Paint“. Hit me up if you want to know more.
