Apparently, the Golden State Warriors are preparing to welcome back an old friend, as it seems like they are going to sign Andrew Bogut for the stretch run. The question is, just how much can Bogut help the Warriors at this stage of his career?
Well, let's start with the facts: since Golden State traded Bogut to the Dallas Mavericks to clear salary room to sign Kevin Durant during the summer of 2016, he has barely played.
He played in just 26 games with the Mavericks before being deal to the Philadelphia 76ers, who then promptly waived him. Bogut then proceeded to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he literally played all of 56 seconds before breaking his leg.
Bogut then joined the Los Angeles Lakers last season, where he appeared in 23 contests and averaged 1.6 points per game.
Basically, Bogut has been cooked for two-and-a-half years, so how could he possibly help Golden State?
The thing is, he probably can't. At least not on the floor, anyway.
While the Warriors do have issues with their bench, it seems hard to imagine that a 34-year-old Bogut—who was already in steep decline during his final year with the Dubs back in 2016—can add much in terms of production.
The hallmark of Bogut used to be his rebounding and defense, but in a league where space and pace reigns king, it's hard to fathom him having that much of an impact.
He is not nearly as quick as he once was, so he would be a prime target for opposing offenses to attack in pick-and-rolls. Plus, with so many shooters now playing the 5, opposing bigs could merely pull Bogut out to the perimeter, essentially negating his effectiveness.
Honestly, this seems more about Bogut providing a stable locker room presence than anything else.
The Aussie was incredibly well-liked during his four-year tenure with the Warriors and played a pivotal role in Golden State winning the championship back in 2015.
One of the biggest issues for the Dubs this year has been their shaky locker room situation, with Draymond Green and Durant going at it and a kind of lax attitude among the team overall.
Of course, the primary “problem” for the Warriors this season has merely been regular season malaise, as they are getting to a point where they are becoming bored with regular seasons, and who could blame them? They've made the finals four years in a row, so this is nothing but a dress rehearsal for them.
But, some feel that Golden State's issues could carry over into the postseason, which is where Bogut can help.
I guess.
Bogut is hardly Kevin Garnett in terms of his locker room influence, but he is definitely a character who can lighten the mood for the Warriors a bit.
As for him helping Golden State solve its frontcourt issues? That doesn't seem to be much of a thing.
Is Bogut really a better solution than Jordan Bell or Kevon Looney at this point? Plus, we know that the Warriors like to play small in the playoffs anyway, so it seems very likely that Green will be playing a lot of center when DeMarcus Cousins goes to the bench.
There was a time in Bogut's career where his addition to a contender could have swung title odds, but those days are long gone. Let's face it: we don't even know if Bogut will even be able to stay healthy if he does get minutes.
The seven-footer has not played a full season since his rookie campaign back in 2006, and he has played 70 games just twice since then. What should lead any of us to believe that Bogut will actually be able to stay on the floor 14 years into what has been an injury-plagued NBA career?
There is a reason why no one signed Bogut this past summer. The dude is done, and his addition to the Warriors is more of a novelty rather than a legitimate move.
Yeah, the fans will love it, and if Bogut checks into a game at Oracle Arena, the building will erupt, but I'm not sure he can even be as effective as Anderson Varejao was for them back in 2016.
The Warriors have lost a whole bunch of games that they shouldn't have this season, but until they actually lose some games in the playoffs, it means nothing.
Just like adding Bogut means nothing.
Now, if Golden State signed someone like Marcin Gortat, then that would be an actual move that could help the team on the floor. Bogut is nothing more than a throwback.
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