Golden State Warriors: Evaluating Andrew Bogut’s presence
By Tony Pesta
Andrew Bogut has made his return to the Golden State Warriors. How has Bogut impacted the team so far?
The Golden State Warriors recently brought back a fan favorite, Andrew Bogut, who was a key member to one of the Dubs championships. Signing Bogut was certainly a great move to keep the fan base happy, but he also might have an important role on this team.
The Warriors have a serious depth problem. The cost of signing superstar players such as Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins is that Golden State had to deal with losing a number of solid role players.
This has resulted in the Dubs rotation thinning out quickly. The center position is the emptiest position for the Warriors with relatively no reliable options outside of Cousins. Of course, Cousins’ ability to stay on the court will be put to the test during the playoffs.
That is why this signing is so important. Bogut has championship experience and can still have a positive impact on the court. He is fresh off of winning the MVP in the Australian league so it’s clear he has more fuel in the tank.
But, how has Bogut been performing at the NBA level since his return? Bogut has appeared in three games so far for the Dubs and has been surprisingly good. He is averaging 4.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists a game in just 13.7 minutes of playing time.
Much like he used to, Bogut is great at controlling the glass. Standing as a true 7-footer, Bogut can box out opponents and rebound the ball with authority. Even with the wear and tear on his body, Bogut is still elite at rebounding.
These short spurs of production from Bogut have been big for the Dubs as they have won their last two games with him in the lineup. The only question here is how long with Bogut remain healthy and productive?
Moving into the playoffs, it will be huge for the Warriors if Bogut is able to play consistent minutes. He has proven he can still be valuable, now we just have to see if he can stay on the court.