| Bucks Must Take a Color Blind Approach with Bogut Authored by Aaron Bronsteter - June 2, 2005 - 10:42 pm
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Bogut is listed at 7-feet tall and 242 pounds, whereas Duncan was listed at 6-feet, 10 inches tall and 248 pounds. Both were NCAA Player of the Year winners in their final seasons with their respective teams and Bogut’s scoring and rebounding statistics are comparable to Duncan’s junior season at Wake Forest (Bogut averaged 21 ppg with 12.5 rpg and Duncan averaged 19 ppg with 12.3 rpg). In college, Duncan was a much better shot blocker (102 blocks in his final season versus Bogut’s 65), however, Bogut’s field goal percentage (62%) was higher in his last season than Duncan has ever achieved. With Bogut’s numbers comparable to Duncan’s (a consensus first overall selection with similar fanfare to Shaq or Ewing) and his vast improvement from freshman to sophomore year, is there any chance that Bogut does not get selected first overall? In short, the answer is yes, but that’s only if Larry Harris and the Bucks go into this draft with the blinders on.
Looking at the Bucks needs, their foremost need is their frontcourt. With Desmond Mason in the backcourt, the hopeful reacquisition of Michael Redd (especially after landing the first overall pick) and the equally hopeful return and re-emergence of personal favourite T.J. Ford, their frontcourt of Dan Gadzuric, Daniel Santiago and former first overall disappointment Joe Smith doesn’t exactly cut it. So why is it possible that Bogut doesn’t get selected first overall?
For the answer to this question, I want you to close your eyes and think of the last white center to have a unanimously hall of fame career. I asked Draftcity’s own Jonathan Givony for the answer to this question and waited quite awhile for his response. Would Sabonis have been a hall of fame center if he played his entire career in the NBA, probably, but let’s not be speculative, the last white hall of fame center (and MVP for that matter) is Bill Walton. Walton’s career numbers were 13 points-per-game and 10.5 rebounds-per-game, not exactly impressive, however Walton’s career was hobbled by injuries. The big redhead has many similar attributes to Bogut as well, being a great rebounder, passer and scorer (in his prime), with some shot blocking ability. Unlike Bogut’s short college career, Walton’s collegiate status was legendary, as he played on John Wooden’s dynasty UCLA team.
Another question to ask is who the last white center or even white player selected first overall was. The answer, as mentioned previously, dates back to 1977 with Indiana hoops legend Kent Benson, who averaged 15.7 points-per-game in his best scoring season and 8.7 rebounds-per-game in his best rebounding season and was drafted by, you guess it, the Milwaukee Bucks. Whether or not this is a deterrent to the chance of Bogut’s being selected is arguable, but it certainly doesn’t help his case.
Since 1977, aside from the rare circumstance of 7-foot 6-inch monster Yao Ming, every first overall selection has been an African-American basketball player. Of those first overall picks, the vast percentage have been frontcourt players.
This article is not an attempt to preach afrocentrism, hardly, it is more aptly an attempt to consider the facts and history of white centers in the last twenty years of NBA basketball. Should the Bucks risk drafting the next Kent Benson or should they gamble on taking the next Tim Duncan or Bill Walton? Their other options are severely limited, with T.J. Ford and Mo Williams playing Chris Paul’s position (let alone the similarities between Ford and Paul) and Marvin Williams playing the same position as Desmond Mason, who they gave a very generous contract extension to and the fact that Marvin will have trouble with NBA power forwards if they expect him to play there and while not entirely out of the question, drafting Gerald Green with the first overall pick would be foolish.
Unless Bogut has absolutely horrible workouts, which is almost impossible barring devastating injury, he is the clear first overall pick. It will be interesting to see if the Bucks consider the facts mentioned above or the color of Bogut’s skin when they are assessing his talent or if they take Bogut at face value, which is simply a steadily improving, young basketball player with an impressive skill set. The answer to this question will be revealed in less than a month’s time. |
