Andrew Bogut played his first playoff game in two years Saturday and quickly demonstrated why the 7-foot center is so critical to the Warriors’ grandest targets.
Bogut, who missed final year’s postseason because of a broken rib, had a terrific all-about opening functionality in the Warriors 106-99 victory over New Orleans — 12 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, two blocks and two steals. In a single third-quarter sequence, he even turned on the jets and filled an outdoors lane on the break and took a pass from Draymond Green for a layup.
Was that top Bogut speed?
“I never know, we’d have to get the radar gun out,” he mentioned. “I was moving. I utilized to be able to run. So I brought a little of it back for the fans.”
Bogut was moving a lot in this game, primarily defending Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis in tandem with forward Draymond Green, and just as importantly, keeping the athletic Davis off the offensive boards.
Davis got loose in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 of his 35 points, but via the 1st three periods, he had one rebound in 28 minutes, and none on the offensive end.
In quick, Bogut did very a job as a rim protector in light of Charles Barkley’s assessment this week that the Warriors have no a single to guard the 6-foot-10 Davis.
“I think just providing Anthony Davis diverse looks aids us,” Bogut stated. “We just do not ever want him to get comfortable to exactly where he feels like he can get it going.”
As for the Barkley critique that the Warriors have no a single to cease him, Bogut stated, “We have a team. Not a single guy is going to stop him. You just have to make it difficult for him and make him take challenging shots. If he’s producing fadeaways and he scores 50, so be it.”
Davis admitted the Warriors’ inside-outside defensive approach against him was efficient.
“It really is tough,” he mentioned. “You see Draymond there (on the perimeter), and Bogut’s just waiting (inside) for me to come. We’ll have to make some adjustments.”
Said Warriors coach Steve Kerr: “I thought Bogut and Draymond had been brilliant. There is a purpose Bogut is one particular of the best defensive players in the league and identical with Draymond. They have been actually great tonight.”
Bogut maintained he did not even think about how special it was getting back in the playoffs right after the rib mishap that kept him out last year.
“Basketball’s basketball at the end of the day,” he mentioned. “Last season, I could not manage it. But I’m not going, ‘Wow, I’m healthy and playing in the playoffs.’ That’s what I’m supposed to do and hopefully I can go deep and we’ll see how far we can go.”
Green stated with Bogut on the court, the Warriors’ opportunities are limitless.
“He’s 1 of the most useful players on the court, every thing he brings for this group offensively and defensively,” Green mentioned. “Some of the assists he had have been amazing, some of the blocks, the rebounds. Bogut is a single of the major centers in the league, and it is an honor and a pleasure to step out there with him on the floor.”