Golden State Warriors Reminded Of The Importance Of Andrew Bogut
By Sumeet Paul
The Golden State Warriors lost for just the second time at home this season on Tuesday night as they fell to a 113-111 overtime defeat to the Chicago Bulls.
While the loss also snapped their franchise-record 19-game home winning streak, Coach Steve Kerr will again have identified a particularly significant area of concern.
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Warriors center Andrew Bogut was a last-minute scratch after suffering from flu-like symptoms, and his absence enabled the Bulls to win the frontcourt battle with Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah overwhelming their hosts. Although Golden State did outscore Chicago in the paint with a 58-52 advantage, it didn’t stop Gasol from putting up 18 points and 16 rebounds while Noah added 18 points and grabbed 15 boards.
Kerr insisted that it wasn’t a lack of effort on his team’s part as they were out-rebounded 61-48, and while it was an entertaining and fast-paced game, the Warriors will have realized that they need their Australian center to be healthy when the playoffs come round.
Bogut leads the team in rebounds with 8.7 per game while he also has the most blocks with an average of 2.0 per contest. Coupled with his mere presence in the paint and his under-rated passing ability, the No.1 overall pick in the 2005 Draft is a huge loss when he’s not out on the floor.
Although Golden State did outscore Chicago in the paint with a 58-52 advantage, it didn’t stop Gasol from putting up 18 points and 16 rebounds while Noah added 18 points and grabbed 15 boards.
Scoring won’t be a problem for this team given the depth and flexibility in the rotation, but the Warriors defense has been as equally as important as the offense this season and Kerr needs his defensive anchor to ensure that they can limit teams through a gruelling playoff series.
According to Basketball Insiders’ Alex Kennedy, prior to missing time with knee tendonitis, Bogut was helping the Warriors restrict their opponents to just 38.6% shooting at the rim. With the 30-year-old missing, it suddenly becomes a little less daunting for rivals to wander into the paint.
On the offensive end, Golden State will still have the ability to out-gun many of their opponents over the course of the season given that they possess such talent on the roster. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson continue to lead the charge but the contributions are also coming from across the team as they continue to set the pace in the league.
The Warriors’ performance in the loss to the Bulls emphasised Bogut’s importance to the team. His presence was sorely missed against the length and toughness of the Bulls’ frontcourt. However, if you’re looking at possible Western Conference match-ups, the similar styles of the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Clippers become a real problem.
The Warriors are 36-7 for the season and there is no need to panic on how a Bogut-less team will fare just yet. Given that this was just a case of the flu, the real worry will come if he suffers any unfortunate setbacks with his fragile knees.
Golden State certainly won’t miss 13 consecutive 3-point attempts that often and so close losses such as those suffered on Tuesday should only build their resolve and maintain their focus on the ultimate goal.