Andrew Bogut and Company Lead Warriors to Victory

When most people discuss the Golden State Warriors, they talk about two guys: Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. These players are the key to this team and have been showing the NBA how good they really are. But on Thursday night at Oracle Arena, it was the role players that led this team to victory over the Brooklyn Nets, 107-99.

Yes, Curry and Thompson combined for 42 points but it was Andrew Bogut, Draymond Green and Marreese Speights that won this game for the Warriors. The trio combined for 36 points, 31 rebounds, 9 blocks and shot over 50 percent from the floor. These guys provided toughness and tenacity when it looked this game was slipping away in the fourth quarter.

Bogut was the leader of this trio, playing great defense when the Warriors were struggling on offense in the 4th quarter. He absolutely shut down the Nets’ penetration and his counterpart, Brook Lopez. After Lopez went for 12 points in the first half, looking like one of the best centers in the Eastern Conference, Bogut held him to only 6 points in the second half. Bogut used his length to bother Lopez, forcing him into difficult shots and outright blocking a couple more.

Early in the 4th quarter, there was a play that epitomized Bogut’s night and for that matter, the Warriors’ night. Lopez drove right, attempting to lay it in over Bogut’s outstretched left arm but he came up empty. Bogut blocked the shot, possessed the ball and threw an outlet pass to Curry for an easy lay-up to put the Warriors up by 14.

It was Bogut’s fourth and final block of the game, which led to two of the Warriors’ 30 fast break points. It was also Bogut’s fifth assist of the game, showing a national audience how skilled a big man he really is. Bogut contributed at the offensive end as well, accounting for 11 points with countless tip-ins, dunks and earning extra possessions for the Warriors by getting key offensive rebounds. He even hit 3-of-5 from the foul line, a promising sign for all Warriors fans.

As for Green, this guy gets better every single game and he may have had his best game on Thursday night. Green tallied 17 points, 8 rebounds and a career-high seven assists while only committing one turnover. It is incredible how much better he is gotten since his rookie season. He can hit the three, handle the ball and make plays for his teammates. These are skills he didn’t have when he came into this league.

He was known as a hard worker and an energy guy that tried his best each and every night. While he still has these attributes, he has now expanded his game and is one of the better players on this team. The most impressive stat of the night for him was the seven assists because he is usually the recipient of dishes, not the initiator. He has gone from a glue-guy to a potential star in this league in a matter of three years and will continue to improve his game.

The last member of the trio was Marreese Speights. Coming into the season, Speights was the third power forward on the depth chart, but because of the injury to David Lee and the ineffectiveness of Festus Ezeli, he has found minutes as the backup power forward and center. With a bigger Nets’ team coming into town, they needed everyone to contribute and Speights did not disappoint.

Speights finished with 8 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocked shots against the bigger Nets. The eight points is not that surprising but the nine rebounds and three blocked shots come as a shock. Speights is known for his offensive game- there is no shot Speights does not like -but on defense, he is a definite liability.

For one night, this was not the case as Speights locked up his opponent, forcing difficult shots, looking like Bogut, at instances. He moved his feet, used his strength and blocked a few shots. He played with more energy on the defensive end than he ever has in a Warriors’ uniform and it was a refreshing sight to see.

The rest of the Warriors contributed as well with everyone scoring at least four points and five in double figures. But it was the trio that led this team to victory which is a welcome site to all Warriors’ fans because it shows how deep this team is and what it can do in the future.