Andrew Bogut to Sign Five-Year Extension With Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have made a long-term commitment to Andrew Bogut, as he has agreed to sign a 5-yr/$72.5 million deal. This is an extension to an already existing contract that Bogut has with the Bucks. 

The 2008-09 season will mark the last year on the Aussie's contract that he signed as a rookie after being the No. 1 pick back in 2005. The new deal won't affect the $7 million he is set to get this upcoming season.

The money spent on Bogut was a far smarter decision than former GM Larry Harris's idea of a Dan Gadzuric a 6-yr/$36 million deal to sit on the bench and never play in a game.

This Andrew Bogut move shows that GM John Hammond and everybody else in the Milwaukee Bucks organization is committed to winning starting right now. Andrew Bogut is now the "center"piece for this team's success.

Michael Redd is the superstar, Richard Jefferson now becomes the No. 2 man and Bogut is the man in the middle. Teams need a powerful big man down low to combat the scoring from outside.

Bogut wasn't always that tough man guarding the paint however. For the first two years in the league, he was considered 'soft' by many, as he would often take the charge on defense rather than going to block the shot.

He didn't even average a block per game in those two years. I'm sorry, but as a seven-footer, that just isn't going to cut in the NBA.

It was safe to say that Bogut was not playing like a No. 1 overall pick. The only thing that he had going for him was the fact that he was an excellent passer for a big man.

Bogut finally stepped up his game in 2007-08, when he averaged short career highs of 14.3ppg and 9.7rpg. He also still averages about three assists a game. Bogut, no doubt, will be a double-double threat every single time he steps on the court this season. Plus, he averaged nearly two blocks per game in 2007-08.

Bogut now has to prove that he can consistently put up numbers like he did a season ago before fans start applauding his commitment to this team and this town.

What the fans can applaud however, is the fact that the owner in Sen. Herb Kohl is actually allowing the GM to do his job and spend money the right way.

John Hammond knows what he is doing and he will undoubtedly return the Milwaukee Bucks to the Eastern Conference playoffs. Whether it will be this year has yet to be determined, but most of the pieces are there to at least make some noise now.