The Journal Times Online - Racine, Wisconsin

BY GERY WOELFEL

During the summer, Milwaukee Bucks management conclusively showed how much faith they have in young center Andrew Bogut.

The Bucks presented the 24-year-old Bogut with a guaranteed five-year, $60 million contract. He can earn an additional $12M in bonuses.

The Bucks brass obviously liked Bogut’s growth – he has steadily improved in each and every season – and they liked his potential.

At times this season, Bogut has shown he is worth every single penny he’s receiving. He has emerged as a top-shelf rebounder, averaging 10.4 per game. That’s the ninth-best average in the NBA.

During a seven-game stretch, from Nov. 12-22, Bogut was exceptionally good on the boards. In that span, he had five games in which he grabbed at least 15 rebounds, including 20 against Utah.

But while Bogut has been a factor, if not a force, on the glass, his offensive game has become surprisingly stagnant. After averaging 14.3 points a game last season, Bogut is averaging 10.9.

In the last five games, Bogut’s offensive production has dropped even more as he averaged just 9.2 points. That included a five-point effort against Charlotte and a six-point outing against the Los Angeles Lakers.

So, what’s the problem?

Injuries are a part of it. Bogut’s been slowed by ankle and knee problems. He’s also had to cope with an excruciatingly painful migraine headache, one that temporarily rendered the left side of his body virtually numb.

Bogut is to blame, too. A stand-up guy, Bogut admitted he hasn’t been as aggressive in going to the basket, and that he’s passed up open medium-range jumpers.

“I definitely have to be more aggressive,’’ Bogut said Friday after a practice at the Cousins Center. “There’s no doubt about it.

“I need to demand the ball better, and I have to figure out when to duck in from the weak side. I was speaking to coach (Scott Skiles) and a couple of assistants during practice today where there are times when I need to make a better effort of not just standing on the weak side and expecting someone to shoot it and duck in and be a tiger inside.

“So I definitely have to work on it.’’

While Bogut acknowledged he was partially to blame for his offensive slump, his coaches and teammates are partially to blame as well.

Bogut is one of the best field-goal shooters in the NBA and easily the best on the Bucks. He is shooting a lofty .549 from the field – 11^th best in the league.

Yet, going into Saturday night’s home game against Indiana, Bogut ranks only sixth on the team in shots attempted per game.

Michael Redd and Richard Jefferson, understandably, rank first and second: Redd takes an average of 15.1 shots a game and Jefferson takes 14.9 shots.

Both Redd and Jefferson are established veterans, and both are proven, quality starters. But Charlie Villanueva and Ramon Sessions are neither.

Yet, Villanueva is averaging 12.1 shots a game, and Sessions is averaging 11.3 shots while playing mostly reserve roles.

Even Luke Ridnour, who has a reputation of being a pass-first, shoot-second point guard, is averaging hoisting up 9.47 shots a game.

And Bogut?

He putting up only 8.6 shots a game. Inexplicably, he hasn’t put up more than nine shots in any of his last six games.

For the Bucks to have a more balanced scoring attack, where their opponents aren’t allowed to primarily concentrate on shutting down the Bucks’ perimeter game, Bogut simply has to get more touches.

Does that mean Ridnour and Sessions, who generally run the Bucks’ offense, have to be more conscientious of getting the ball inside to Bogut?

Does that mean Skiles has to make Bogut a bigger component of the offense and run more plays for him?

I say yes.

Skiles says no.

“When you’re 7 feet tall in the NBA game and not being productive, a huge, huge, huge percentage of the time it is your problem because you can always go to the board and get an offensive board and put it back in,’’ Skiles said.

“You’re always getting your touches … you can always run the floor. When you’re a big man in a big man’s game, you control your destiny and how you play.’’

And right now, neither Bogut nor the Bucks are playing well.