Andrew Bogut 2014-15 Season In Review

The Numbers

Andrew Bogut was imperative to the Golden State Warriors’ success this year. While he did not get the accolades of Draymond Green or the stats of the other Dubs’ starters, Bogut contributed in ways that even the advanced stats can not measure.

That is not to say that his statistics were horrible, however.

The center shot 56.3% center from the floor, a mark that puts him ahead of acclaimed centers Marc Gasol, DeMarcus Cousins, and Al Horford. Of course, those players were required by their respective teams to shoot more, but when the Warriors needed Bogut to get buckets, he delivered.

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Bogut also ranked ninth among all NBA centers with 5.58 Wins Above Replacement, which is a stat that estimates how many games a team won based off a single player’s individual performance. Bogut achieved this ranking even though he played the second-least minutes in the Top 10 of centers.

But Bogut’s real value lies in defense. The Aussie averaged 1.7 blocks per game, and deflected countless more. Bogut also led all NBA centers in Defensive RPM, an advanced stat that measures a player’s impact on team defense. Bogut averaged a 4.97 in this category, miles ahead of his competition, and is a mark that is better than Defensive Player of the Year Kwahi Leonard’s, as Leonard recorded a 4.59.

Bogut was also named to the NBA All-Defensive third team.

The Positives

Where do you start? Possibly the Warriors least-heralded starter, the Warriors would not have won the championship without Andrew Bogut. As previously mentioned, Bogut solidified himself as one of the NBA’s premier defensive players and was the rim-stopper that could the Warriors could always count on when their complicated defensive was broken down.

Part of what made the Warriors defense so great this year was the fact that all of the players on the floor could count on their teammates to have their backs and provide great help defense, and a prime example of this was Andrew Bogut.

When, for example, Stephen Curry lost his man during a pick-and-roll, and the opposing player got into the paint, the MVP was able to count upon Andrew to step up to the player and contest the shot, often ending up in a missed shot and a fastbreak going the other way.

Bogut is also one of the best passing big men in the NBA, and the vast majority of the Warriors’ offensive sets came out of Bogut catching the ball at the high post, and either executing a dribble hand-off with a guard, giving an entry pass to a fellow big man, or finding someone back door.

Of course, this often did not lead to assists, as Bogut executed the first or second pass of a possession and the Warriors prided themselves on getting 4 or 5 passes deep into a possession, but he started virtually all half-court sets — and his value in doing that is immeasurable.

The Negatives

Andrew Bogut played well throughout the season, but that is not to say that he was the perfect player.

Bogut struggled all season from the free throw line, shooting just 52.4%. Backup center Marreese Speights shot 84.3% from the line, which led all NBA centers, and Bogut’s inability to convert from the line often resulted in Speights getting played in late-game situations over Bogut, even though Bogut was far more effective on the defensive end than Speights.

June 7, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) is defended by Cleveland Cavaliers guard

Matthew Dellavedova

(8) during the first half in game two of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Additionally, Bogut often seemed to not be athletic enough to run and defend with the Dubs, and he would usually be hanging back on fastbreaks just hoping the team scored instead of running down the floor to grab a potential offensive rebound.

As mentioned previously, Bogut would almost always start offensive possessions at the high post, and have the Dubs move the ball through and around him, but would get caught out in no-man’s-land between the free throw line and three-point line at the top of the key too often, leaving him in a very bad position to grab offensive rebounds. Bogut’s speed made this even harder, as dashing from the high post to the low post is a lot easier for a player of DeAndre Jordan‘s speed, but Bogut simply does not possess this quickness.

On the defensive end, Bogut was one of the best players in the league, and it is hard to find a flaw with his work on that end of the floor, but, to nitpick, he often did not fit in with the Warrior’s ultra-switching style of defense. One could imagine that if he was able to switch easier and faster, like the rest of the starting lineup, the Warriors defense could have been ever more stifling. This is a trivial matter, however, as he and Draymond Green led the team the top of the defensive charts in the NBA.

Best Moment

I did not choose a specific play to summarize Andrew Bogut’s best moment, instead opting for the last few games of the NBA Finals.

As you certainly remember, Bogut was replaced in the starting lineup of Game 4 of the Finals by Andre Iguodala. Bogut had started all season long, and the Warriors would not have gotten to where they were with Bogut. Being replaced in the middle of a tight NBA Finals after starting all year would be one of the most difficult situations a player of Bogut’s caliber could go through.

Bogut, however handled this situation with the poise that only a veteran leader such as Bogut could have. He gladly accepted coming off the bench, and contributed solid minutes in a much-needed game 4 victory over the Cavs. Bogut did not play in Game 5 or the Finals-clinching Game 6, but while he did not contribute on the court, his contributions off the court in not making a fuss of not starting or playing had value that could not be quantified or described.

Below is a video of Andre Iguodala’s best moments in the Finals, as these MVP-worthy moments would not have been possible with Bogut’s sacrifice for the team.

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