Sunday night’s Game 4 win showed the world that the Warriors are significantly better when Bogut was on the floor. The Australian center posted a +17 plus/minus tonight. Going into halftime, the San Antonio Spurs were holding onto an eight-point lead.
Bogut’s playing time was limited in the first half due to foul trouble (three in the first quarter). However, Bogut played the majority of the second half and overtime, where he grabbed the majority of his 18 rebounds in only 28 minutes of action, and helped the Warriors storm back and eventually win the game.
Now I’m not saying Andrew Bogut is Golden State’s best player, because he is not. He may not even be one of their top five best players, but you can’t overlook what he does on both ends of the court.
Bogut’s offensive game is limited. After suffering a serious elbow injury in the 2010 season, Bogut’s versatility on offense has diminished. He used to have a solid mid-range jumper and a pretty good arsenal of post moves, but now he’s pretty much limited to only dunks and layups within a few feet of the basket. It isn’t Bogut’s scoring that makes him so valuable, though.
Bogut is by far the Warriors best rebounder, and has dominated the offensive glass so far this series. Bogut has grabbed 13 offensive rebounds through the first four games of this series, which leads to more shots for Curry and company.
Bogut is also very good at setting screens, which is one of the most underrated attributes in basketball (even though he got called for a couple moving screens in Game 4). His ability to set solid screens gets the Warriors shooters open on the perimeter, and we all know what Steph and Klay can do when they get open shots. If it weren’t for Bogut’s screens, Golden State’s guards would be taking a lot more contested jumpers instead of the open ones they are getting now.
Bogut’s biggest impact on the game is on the defensive end of the court. He is Golden State’s only answer to Tim Duncan. When Bogut’s backup Carl Landry guards Duncan, Duncan uses his size to get easy shots over him. Bogut is a legitimate 7-footer, so Duncan can’t do that against him.
While Bogut doesn’t necessarily block many shots (has averaged one per game this series), he alters a lot of them and increases the shot difficulty. Any NBA player can make an uncontested layup, but it takes a lot of skill to change your shot in the air, maneuver around a 7-footer and still have the ability to finish.
When Bogut is out of the game, the Spurs constantly attack the rim. When Bogut is in, Tony Parker and the rest of the Spurs players think twice attacking the paint. Bogut has also rebounded extremely well this series, averaging 14 per game. Second-chance points are vital in the playoffs, and Bogut’s work on the glass has limited them for San Antonio.
If Curry is having a bad shooting night, Golden State still has Klay Thompson. If both Curry and Thompson are struggling to score, Harrison Barnes and Jarrett Jack can carry the load.
However, the Warriors don’t have anyone on the roster that can duplicate what Andrew Bogut does. He is their defensive anchor and their unsung hero on offense. There is a reason why he’s the only Warrior to have a positive plus/minus in every game so far this series.
