Andrew Bogut’s chance to return to the NBA’s Golden State Warriors caused quite a stir in the media last week but as yet he is still yet to take the court for the team he won the 2015 NBA championship with.
Bogut has been back in the bay area since Saturday but with the Warriors are currently on a gruelling four game road trip Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr has recommended Bogut join the team once they return.
“I didn’t think it made sense for him to fly across the country after flying across the world” Kerr told Logan Murdock of NBCS Authentic.
Bogut’s first game back with the Warriors will be on Friday against the Pacers at Oracle Arena.
Steve Kerr said Andrew Bogut has everything finalized with his visa. As reported earlier, Bogut will join the Warriors when they get back from their trip. Bogut is flying to the Bay Area this weekend pic.twitter.com/bG73VRo1Si
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) March 15, 2019
Bogut, 34, will serve as an insurance option for the Warriors coming off the bench. The big man was named MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in Australia this season where he averaged 11.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.
Coming off the bench, Bogut will join a group of centers for the Warriors that includes DeMarcus Cousins, Kevon Looney, Jordan Bell, and Draymond Green when they go small.
The 7-footer last played on the Warriors in the 2015-16 season when he averaged 5.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
Bogut had initially hoped to join the team during their current four-game road trip, but had slight issues getting his U.S. work visa cleared.
The Warriors begin their upcoming road trip today, first, travelling to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder. After today’s contest, they travel to play the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves on a back-to-back to start the following week.
Bogut’s NBA journey so far has seen him play 13 seasons in the NBA, originally selected by Milwaukee with the first overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. Bogut was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2006 and was an All-NBA Third Team selection in 2009-10.
Bogut will no doubt add to his 58 career postseason appearances so far (57 starts) as the Warriors look set to enter the playo-offs as the number one seed. With a record of 46-21, a first round match-up with the LA Clippers is currently on the cards for the Warriors.
When Bogut left the Warriors he did so having displayed an extremely effective ability to rebound and defend. After spending four seasons with the team (2012-2016) he still currently ranks second on Golden State’s career postseason field goal percentage list (.589) and third on the franchise’s career postseason blocks per game list.
He also ranks second on Golden State’s all-time field goal percentage list (.581) and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2014-15.
Bogut owns career averages of 9.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.56 blocks in 28.4 minutes over 694 games (656 starts) with the Milwaukee Bucks, Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. He last appeared in an NBA game with the Lakers last season on Jan. 1, 2018.
Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.
