Listing the 5 Most Important Players On the Golden State Warriors

Andrew Bogut

April 11, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12, center left) and Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka (9, center right) jump for the tipoff during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. The City Thunder defeated the Warriors 116-97. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Bogut played for the first time in the playoffs. He played with frustration, frustration from missing stretches of his career due to injury. Frustration from Warriors fans critiquing the owners, general manager and the center himself for what was perceived as a bad trade. While some people may use a stress ball to blow off steam, Bogut prefers a basketball.

I had the good fortune of attending Game 4 of the first round, and I will never forget a play in which the Australian big man leaped out of bounds to put a ball back in play and then hustle back to the basket to finish a brilliant alley-oop.

The famously loud arena had a collective split-second of silence in which everyone thought “who is this guy and where has he been all season?” Well, Bogut will be back with a vengeance next season, and a summer of rest will allow him to return to his dominant pre-injury forms. The most important thing about him is that he plays with a chip on his shoulder, and like Iguodala, he needs to demonstrate his worth to the team.