Golden State Warriors 2013-14 Player Grades: Andrew Bogut
Strengths:
When you think of Andrew Bogut, you think of defense. Actually, you think of injuries first, but THEN you think of defense. Bogut is an elite rebounder, finishing second in the league in rebounding percentage (29.7), third in the league in total rebounding percentage (20.7), fifth in block percentage (5.2) and second in defensive rating (96.3). He averaged 10.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, which put him at 11th and sixth in the league, respectively.
Need a paint enforcer? Bogut’s there. Need someone with an attitude who won’t take s**t from anyone? This is your Aussie. Need a center who doesn’t care about his numbers or looks on offense as long as the team is winning? Bogut’s your guy. Although he missed 15 games plus the entire postseason, and even though that’s somewhat worrisome when you consider he only played 26.4 minutes per game, when Bogut is on the court, the Warriors are a top-five defense.
Bogut may not be an offensively gifted center, but he knows his role on that end of the floor as well. Though he’s not a tremendous scorer, he does all the little things right to keep Golden State’s offense flowing. He’s an extremely gifted passer for a big man and getting hit with an Andrew Bogut screen probably feels like getting dropkicked by a kangaroo for defenders. He only put up 7.3 points per game, but he shot a career high 62.7 percent from the floor. He doesn’t get many looks on offense, but when he does, he makes the most of them. Bogut certainly benefits from having a stellar passer in Stephen Curry finding him out of pick and roles, but he clearly has touch around the rim from everywhere except the left block:
