Golden State Warriors 2013-14 Player Grades: Andrew Bogut
Overview:
The Golden State Warriors’ season came to a disappointing end, complete with a first-round playoff exit and the firing of head coach Mark Jackson. But this 51-win team still had a tremendous season and took a more talented Los Angeles Clippers team to seven games without Andrew Bogut, the most important defensive player on the Dubs. With this team’s future in a delicate place with a new head coach, we’ll take a look back on the 2013-14 and evaluate how everyone performed. We’ve already taken a look at backup point guard Steve Blake, but today we’ll be dealing with Bogut’s impressive yet injury-prone season.
When healthy, Bogut is one of the best defensive centers in the league. He’s an underrated presence in the paint and though his numbers in the scoring column won’t blow anyone away, he’s an instrumental part of the Dubs’ offense by doing all the little things right. Bogut was sorely missed in the postseason and had he been healthy, there’s a chance the Clippers would have gone home early in the first round. The Warriors gave their favorite Aussie a three-year, $36 million contract extension last October, so they’re hoping that this year Bogut can be healthier and present when they’ll need him the most: playoff time.
