Milwaukee Bucks centre Andrew Bogut heading back to NBA
After five long months of National Basketball Association Lockout and a lean fitness period before that, Milwaukee Bucks centre Andrew Bogut is looking towards a new beginning this NBA season.
The new NBA season is slated to start on Christmas night and the 27 years centre is confident that he can put his injury woes behind him,
"I'm about 85 per cent (fit)," Bogut told AAP. I don't want to be at 100 right now because if I'm peaking right now, I'm going to get through training camp and I'm going to be burned out. I'm pretty comfortable with where I'm at.
I've been shooting ever since the lockout started, and lifting weights. So I'll ramp up my conditioning a little bit this week and I'll be fine.
Even after regaining his fitness during the lockout period, Bogut failed to get a spot in his national side (Australia) due to the insurance issues. The national side however did assign him the role of the assistant coach during
their series against New Zealand last summer. His attempts in securing a deal with the Australian franchises also suffered because of the insurance money involved, but now the ordeal seems to be over for Bogut;
"It's good to be out of the unemployment line and back to what I do best."
However, he a tough task ahead as far as the physical fitness is concerned.
The 2011-12 season will only feature 66 games due to the delay in reaching a deal on the new Collective Bargaining Agreement or CBA. Therefore, now, the NBA players have to play more games in less time, which means more fitness
is required than usual.
According to Bogut, this will be tough task for the NBA players;
"Hopefully most of the blokes will come back in shape, but a fair few who won't will find themselves in a bit of trouble because it's such a brutal schedule."
Since the league is involved in figuring out the B-List issues, therefore a complete schedule of the next season had not been announced yet. Hopefully, the league officials will finalize one, when the players and owners will be
ready to vote for the final deal.
Only then, Bogut and his Milwaukee fellows will come to know what they will encounter in future. For the time being Bogut, who is currently present in Australia, is looking to return to United States. Andrew is listed to return
to Milwaukee next Tuesday, so that he could join his team-mates for the training camps, which will tip-off from December 9.
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