FanHouse Olympicbasketball

Good news today out of Australia, as Andrew Bogut's ankle MRI came up with no indications of ligament damage or any other serious problem. "It looks (like) nothing more than a sprain" said Australian Olympic coach Brian Goorjian, in an interview with The West Australian.

So now need to freak out over the dreaded "give gigantic contract extension and watch superstar go down in flames" nightmare. Bogut should be okay. Which is good, because the Bucks need to find out in a hurry how he's going to fit with the retooled Milwaukee squad as John Hammond continues the rebuilding process. And with Richard Jefferson, a (hopefully) healthy Michael Redd, Bogut, and super-stud Joe Alexander, the Bucks might be able to make some noise this year. But starting off with an injury sustained in what was ultimately a fruitless Olympic effort would have been a poor way to show that he's worth the money. So good save here.

A final interesting note from the article says that the Coach Goorjian didn't expect a call from the Bucks front office. Really? They hadn't given one yet? Because if I'd just handed over possibly $70 million plus to a guy and he comes up limping and needing an MRI playing for your club? I'd have called, sent emails, faxes, carrier pigeons and sent up smoke signals to try and find out everything I could about the situation. But that's just me. I tend to put a lot of value into $70 million.

It was bound to happen. When you put players on the floor and have them going full speed, injuries are going to amass, the same as any other sport. When it's players fighting for the pride of their countries, it's even more likely. But man, Bucks fans have to be asking "Yeah, but why did it have to happen to us?"

Less than a month after inking a five year,$60 million contract extension, Andrew Bogut was bravely trying to fight off the American horde pounding at his country's Olympic basketball doorstep. And in the process, he ended up twisting his ankle while trying to stop Kobe Bryant from getting to the basket (not an enviable task in its own right), and the result was him hobbling off the floor. No big deal, these things happen all the time. But a report out of the Salt Lake Tribune indicates that Bogut said he suspects the two words you don't want to hear after the game.

Ligament damage.

He's scheduled for an MRI tomorrow, and we hope everything works out well. And hey, maybe it will. After all, this is the Bucks, and they always seem to catch the breaks, right? Right? Aw, man ...

During the remainder of the Olympic men's basketball tournament, FanHouse will give you 5 Things to watch for in each game.

It's Always Manu, Manu, Manu!: Yes, that's right. Your favorite Argentinian is here to join us. Manu Ginobili has been his usual spectacular self in Olympic play, leading all players in scoring at 19.6 points per game, and second in assists at 5 per game. Ginobili's likely to face a tougher defense tonight/tomorrow though, with the Greek swarming defense and tight zone. Still, Ginobili's been on quite the tear, and if you're looking for fireworks, look no further.

Welcome To The Danger Zone: Greece's zone has been very effective, holding opponents to 45% shooting (in the Olympics where everyone's percentage is high) and that's after the USA drubbing. Argentina is tied for the second best offense in the Olympics, so Greece will want to do everything they can to make it a knock down, drag-out affair. Even with Argentina's #2 defensive ranking, the Greeks have a much better shot if they can slow the game down and make it a physical scrap. Let the Argentinians get rolling, and this could get out of hand, fast.

During the remainder of the Olympic men's basketball tournament, FanHouse will give you 5 Things to watch for in each game.

Perimeter Breach: Both teams are guard heavy. Even with Spain's Pau Gasol as an inside presence, both teams live and die by their guard play. Croatia doesn't shoot a lot of threes, but they shoot them well. They lead the Olympics in three point field goal percentage, shooting over 47% from the arc. Spain has struggled in that department, shooting only 30% from downtown (or, under FIBA rules, the warehouse district; not quite downtown, but near there). But the Spanish guards have a lot more to offer in terms of talent, as you probably know. Croatia's going to need to play it's best game overall, but especially against the guards, to survive and advance.

The Glass Battle: Both teams are playing terrific on the boards. Both Croatia and Spain enjoy a higher rebounding margin than any of the other teams. Spain is the best of the crew, with a +9.6 rebounding margin. Croatia's close behind at +6.6 . Even more impressive may be the fact that neither team boasts a top 5 rebounder. Gasol clocks in at number 6, and Croatia's Kresimir Loncar comes in at number 11. So both teams swarm to the ball. Whoever's limits the other team's offensive rebounding may be the one that advances.

Well, by the grace of God, Team USA somehow survived against beat down Greece. We'll be around to talk about Team USA's chances going forward, including the huge game with Spain on Saturday, and what this team's doing right, and how it needs to improve. Join us, won't you? LiveChat is redeeming after the jump.