The 7-footer from Australia appears to be set to bring his talents back to the Bay, according to sources. ESPN reported Monday evening that the Warriors "expect to sign their former center Andrew Bogut soon," adding that "there are formalities that have to be completed before a contract can be signed."
Should Warriors fans be intrigued? Should they care? Yes and yes. Bogut did seem to be running out of gas when he was last seen on an NBA court, with the 2017-18 Los Angeles Lakers. He posted a paltry 1.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, and 0.6 bpg in just over 9 mpg. On an extremely young team, flush with guys who needed to gain NBA experience, the Aussie never really stood a chance. In fact, playing for his former assistant coach (Luke Walton) from their Golden State days, Bogut was probably added to the roster for emergency depth and to serve as a veteran bench-presence. The fact of the matter is that the Lakers were terrible and the old center appeared to have seen his final run on the NBA hardwood.
Well, after a season back home with the Sydney Kings of Australia's National Basketball League, Bogut appeared to have found his game once more, posting a stat line of: 11.4 ppg, 11.6 rpg, 3.4 apg, and 2.7 bpg, shooting 58% from the floor. Moreover, his return to form landed him an NBL MVP award. Yet, is this all Dubs fans should be excited for? Absolutely not!
Andrew Bogut, should his deal with Golden State be finalized, will bring a little of everything the Warriors have been missing. He will provide the true backup center that has been missing all season (considering Damian Jones was lost to injury before Boogie Cousins was activated), which means there will be a rebounding, shot-blocking, and paint-scoring option to add to the second unit. A second unit, I might add, which has appeared to be painfully inadequate at times, this season. Bogut is also a solid defensive player, who can pay dividends for the future of the Dubs by imparting his knowledge upon the stable of raw, athletic youngsters building up behind the star-studded starting five.
Overall, Golden State fans can expect Steve Kerr to execute a well-prepared plan to effectively utilize Bogut for whatever need he deems necessary. Guys who have been over-extended, like Kevon Looney and even Cousins (of late), will be able to get the crucial in-game rest needed to ensure they have fresh legs every time they are on the court. This invaluable contribution to the Bay's team will prove to be especially beneficial down the stretch in the regular season and on, into playoff time.
(The above image, which was originally posted to Flickr, was uploaded to Commons using Flickr upload bot on 9 March 2013, 22:23 by Chrishmt0423.)