Minimal cost, maximum returns

The Golden State Warriors are making a power move that will transform an already ridiculously strong team further to becoming a cohesively uncontrollable mob manhandling anyone and everyone on their march to a three-peat.

Australian National Basketball League MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Andrew Bogut is set to return to Golden State for his second tour of duty with the Warriors after getting clearance from the Sydney Kings, his NBL team.  The 7-foot wide body reportedly also received offers from several NBA teams including Philadelphia and Boston.

Milwaukee’s top pick in the 2005 Draft, Bogut played for the Bucks until he was sent to Golden State in 2012 and played there for four years.  With the Warriors, he earned his first NBA championship in 2015 but was shipped to Dallas to clear cap space for Kevin Durant in July 2016. 

He had some leg issues while with the Mavericks and missed 17 games and the team traded him to Philadelphia for Nerlens Noel in February 2017 but after four days was waived by the Sixers.  The following month, Bogut was picked up by Cleveland and in his first game with the team, broke his left leg less than a minute into his Cavs debut, immediately ending his season.  Cleveland promptly waived him after a week.

The LA Lakers signed him in September 2017 in what was intended to be Brook Lopez’s main backup but his minutes were limited and played in only 23 games.  The Lakers waived him on January 2018 and went home to Australia to be with his pregnant wife.  In April, Bogut signed a two-year deal with the Sydney Kings.

Pressed for comments, Warrior coach Steve Kerr said, “I’ll just cut right thru the chase and tell you that we have been talking with Bogut and his representatives.  Nothing is official and there’s things that have to happen and we can’t really comment on it until it is official.”

Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze, Sydney Kings coach and member of the 1999 NBA title team San Antonio Spurs said, “This, to me is the perfect situation.  If it does come to fruition, which it looks like it might with the Golden State Warriors, because he knows the people, he knows the team, he knows the coaching staff.  It is a very, very easy transition to make.  He’d be a great insurance policy for the team, and in specific matchups, he could help them out.”

Yes indeed.  An in-form Bogut comes to GSW for the veteran’s minimum.  In-form because the NBL only has 8 teams with 28 regular season games without back-to-backs, spread in about 6 months with four teams advancing to the playoffs.  The semis is a best-of-3 affair, finals a 5-game series.  Compared to the NBA’s 82-game sked, the NBL, though games are hard and tough, are kind of gentle on the bodies when talking about wear and tear.

DeMarcus Cousins surely would be happy of the development likewise the Splash Brothers as they get to reunite with their favorite screener.  Aside from his well-placed hard screens, the Big Aussie is one of the best passing centers the league ever had and has excellent basketball IQ.   Ten to twelve minutes a game gives a strong inside presence for the Warriors.  And with a potential Finals duel with Milwaukee, GSW will be at par with the Bucks frontline which now includes Pau Gasol, though 38-years old is still serviceable.

Seconding Gaze’s statements, Bogut is already familiar with the vets on the team and knows by heart Kerr’s system.  A second title ring for him is almost sure and the Warriors won’t find it a problem as they already have his ring size.  Jordan Bell and Kevon Looney, who both moonlight at the 5 spot can now return to their natural positions at power forward.

This early, I dare say Golden State will three-peat in six games at most.