National Basketball Association

Bucks player profile: O.J. Mayo

Published Oct. 3, 2014 1:24 p.m. ET

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This is the ninth profile in a 16-part series running Wednesdays and Fridays profiling each Milwaukee Bucks player leading up to the start of the NBA season.

O.J. Mayo didn't make a good first impression with the Milwaukee Bucks.

An illness combined with weight gain forced Mayo to miss a significant chunk of time in February, while conditioning issues left him absent for most of the second half of the season.

Mayo reported to training camp in better shape than he was in at any point last season and appears to be of the mindset of moving on from the disastrous year. Where Mayo fits in this season remains to be seen, but the Bucks need to receive production from a player they owe $16 million to over the next two years.

Can Mayo return to the high-scoring player he was in the early days of his career? Or was last season a sign of things to come?

2013-14 stats: 11.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.2 APG, 40.7 FG %, 86.4 FT %, 37.0 3PT % over 25.9 MPG in 52 games

2014-15 salary: $8,000,000

Last year: With the way the Bucks roster was shaped combined with Mayo's past scoring history, many felt the 26-year-old would have a big year offensively.

Mayo began the season as the starter at shooting guard, starting 23 of Milwaukee's first 24 games. He put up back-to-back 28 point nights in November and scored at least 20 points in five of his first nine games in a Bucks uniform. Mayo averaged 15.2 points per game in November and knocked down 44.9 percent of his 3-point attempts.

After shooting well early, Mayo struggled with his shot in December, shooting 37.3 percent from the field and just 29.2 percent from beyond the arc. His production slipped, but it was nothing like what was around the corner.

Mayo missed 11 of 13 games, including 10 straight, in late January and February due to an undisclosed illness. He was nowhere to be seen for most of this time and didn't return to the floor until Feb. 20. Mayo then played in seven games before he was ejected for hitting then Pelicans center Greg Stiemsma in the throat with 1:52 left in the first quarter of a March 7 game in New Orleans. After serving a one-game suspension for the incident, Mayo played just four minutes against Orlando on March 10.

Out of shape and overweight, Mayo was then benched by coach Larry Drew until his conditioning improved. Mayo didn't play in Milwaukee's next six games but returned to score 21 points against Sacramento on March 23. One game later, Mayo suffered a sprained ankle that ended his season.

In all, Mayo played in just two of the Bucks' final 19 games and appeared in just 11 games after Jan. 25.

This year: All eyes were on Mayo at the team's media day last Monday, as everyone wanted to see what kind of shape he reported to camp in. After spending part of his summer working out with Bucks guard Brandon Knight, Mayo is unquestionably in better shape than he was at any point during the 2013-14 season. He weighed in at 208 pounds, which is 15-20 pounds lighter than he was at one point a year ago.

Mayo spoke to reporters Tuesday and made clear he has already put last year in the rearview mirror. Coach Jason Kidd was pleased with Mayo after the first day of practice and admitted that he wasn't around to see what took place last year.

The preseason slate will allow Kidd to play around with different lineup and rotation combinations, meaning Mayo has an opportunity to earn his way into the mix. Kidd has options at shooting guard and doesn't like labeling players by position. Nonetheless, Mayo will fight for minutes in a very crowded backcourt. Brandon Knight is insistent on playing point guard, but he will likely see time off the ball, while Mayo, Khris Middleton, Jerryd Bayless, Nate Wolters and even Giannis Antetokounmpo could spend time at shooting guard.

Mayo has proven he can score the basketball when he's healthy and his mind was right. Things spiraled out of control in his personal life in 2013-14, but a past history of being a productive player leaves the Bucks hopeful of a bounce-back campaign.

Although it is very early, it has been so far, so good as far as Mayo's return from a tough year. He gets a fresh start with a new coaching staff. Now it is up to him to make the most of it.

Quoteable:

"You see what's on my chest. It's not my job to play Legos. I'm just here to play basketball, man. That's what I love to do." -- Mayo when asked if he fits in with the Bucks during their rebuilding phase.

"He's 26. He's young. He's a big part of this team. He has the Milwaukee on the front (of his jersey) and that's where it starts. He's come in very positive, talking on defense and offensively. He's making plays for his teammates." -- Kidd on Mayo

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