Keith Bogans

Happy? You should be.

Keith Bogans has an uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time. He has become throughout his NBA career the archetypal three-and-D wing role player, the kind of piece you want around star point guards or big men (or both), who'll defend opposing stars for a few pesky minutes a night and not risk anything more offensively than taking some open threes. Yet despite not being significantly above average at either, and in no way any more of a stand-out talent in relation to the dozens of other suitable candidates for the role, Bogans's medicority is nonetheless a sure thing, a known commodity, a risk-free contributor who'll neither say nor do nothing confrontational. Teams like that, and, because of this, he has time and again landed starting roles, often on competitive teams. In a talent vacuum, he's not worth this opportunity or luxury, yet by continuing to land these gigs, Bogans is doing something right.

Normally, of course, this role doesn't earn very much. Keith has mostly been a rookie salary player throughout his career, only rarely exceeding it, and this reflect his minimal contributions. None of this is meant pejoratively - Bogans plays a role, plays it fairly well, and yet the role is small and replacable, so so is its salary.

This, however, is all change in light of Keith's new contract.

The rebuilding Boston Celtics insisted upon Jason Terry (and, primarily, his salary) being included in the Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett trade with the Nets. Either he or Courtney Lee. Brooklyn could afford it and were prepared to pay it, but, in light of all their recent roster turnover, they didn't have the necessarily medium-size expiring contracts that are so useful in trade scenarios that would have facilitated it. In order to provide the necessary salary to match, then, they had to sign and trade someone.

Into the breach steps Bogans, who will now earn $5,058,198 in 2013-14. The salary is fully guaranteed, as the first year of a sign-and-trade always has to be, and even though the 2014-15 ($5,285,817) and 2015-16 ($5,285,838) salaries are fully unguaranteed with no guarantee date, the huge price hike for a man who would have done well to earn the veteran's minimum of $1,399,507 this year is noteworthily enormous. The latter two years are largely token, and are only include because sign-and-trades require a contract of either three or four years in length, yet in a further bonus, they provide Boston with a similarly huge trade chip. As Brooklyn found out, you need contracts in the $3-$6 million range that are either expiring or unguaranteed in order to maximise your trade machination possibilities. And Boston now has one. It'll cost them a few wasted million on a player not deserving of it, but this is a small price to pay. (Sort of.)

[more at the link]

Keith Bogans — It’s not often that you see someone out of the NBA the year after starting every game the previous season. As reviled as Keith has always been amongst NBA fans for his uncanny knack for landing playing time he doesn’t deserve, that’s not his fault. His CV is packed full of glowing references and games played from quality franchises; you’ll just have to accept the massive limitations to his game first.

[...] The obvious hole is at the shooting guard position, where journeyman Keith Bogans started all 98 games last year, narrowly failing to beat the 102 that Tyrus Thomas started in his entire Bulls career. In a starting lineup featuring all-star Derrick Rose and fringe all-stars Lou Wolding, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah, it is easy to point the finger at Keith Bogans and say, "this is all Keith Bogans's fault." [Fun, too.] Bogans's backup Ronnie Brewer was better than him, and played more minutes than him, so it's not as though Keith Bogans was Chicago's best option at the position. But the fact that he started 98 consecutive games is nonetheless indicative of a problem.

[...]

This lack of three point shooting was what 'necessitated' Bogans starting all season.¹⁰ In addition to his DPOY vote¹¹, Keith Bogans hit 38% of his threes, theoretically providing the defense/shooting role player that Chicago needed at the two. But that 38% came on exclusively wide open attempts. Another way to look at it, a far less flattering one, is to say that Keith Bogans missed 62% of his open shots. And considering that he barely got to foul line, shot only 65% from there when he did, had absolutely no mid-range game, and could not drive to the basket, it is fair to say that Keith Bogans did not help the offense. It is not possible to be a good floor spacer from the perimeter if a defense does not so much as acknowledge your presence on the perimeter.



Keith's there, but to the defense, he may as well not be.

[...]

Bogans's whole career has been defined by his uncanny knack for getting undeserved playing time. He was doing that as recently as four weeks ago. He is the Corey Patterson, the Phil Neville, the Adam Sandler of the NBA - he perpetually gets more work than he should, regardless of the quality of his output. Bogans gets minutes like I get women - over 1,200 a year, regardless of the alternatives. Did I say women? I meant freckles.

[Bobby] Simmons's production has fallen off wildly over the years, but he was genuinely good once, and retains a good jumpshot. If he can stay healthy and if he hasn't lost too much of his athleticism, he's a logical candidate to make the team (which has no real backups to Richard Jefferson at small forward), in theory becoming the next Bruce Bowen/Keith Bogans type for the Spurs, who apparently are contractually obligated to have at least one wing player each season who mustn't take a dribble.

[Kyle] Weaver's chances of making the team would be very good were it not for the presence of Keith Bogans. Whatever role he could have filled as the versatile and productive backup shooting guard has been negated by the Bogans signing; Keith Bogans has always had an uncanny knack of squelching out 1,000 minutes a season, and he will not stop now.

Keith Bogans signed with Chicago.

Keith Bogans - This season, San Antonio wanted Keith Bogans to be a wing defender/shooter, in the mold of Bruce Bowen and Ime Udoka before him. Truth be told, even with 50 starts, he wasn't very good at it. He wouldn't be very good at it on any team, either; however, he remains a slightly-better-than-nothing option. I just don't think 50 starts is getting it done. (And anyway, is he really that good of a defender, or has he just built up a reputation as one because his offense is so mediocre? He's all right at defense, but that's it.)