Andrew Bogut was a super underrated contributor to those pre-KD Warriors teams

[Im Still Ballin]

And they haven't really had a center of that caliber since. The Dubs have had center issues for the longest time. They could really use a guy like 2013-2016 Bogut.

Short of shooting free throws and jump shots, he did everything you'd want from a roleplaying center. Protect the rim, rebound, pass, set GOAT illegal screens, and finish plays inside. Having him and Dray out there together was a cheat code.

Warriors went 58-9 with Bogut in 2014-15 and 9-6 without him. Admittedly a small sample, but I remember the stretch when he was out. They were definitely missing him out there.

[dankok8]

Yes he is one of the best defensive centers of the last 10-15 years and he gives you value on offense as well. Definitely goes under the radar.

[ralph_i_el]

Kinda lost his shooting/free throw ability after the elbow injury, which lowered his value to the point the Warriors could even get him. That injury hurt his career in some ways, and helped it in others.

[warriorfan]

all the posts on this thread are accurate

bogut’s arm injury killed his offensive game but let him focus more defensively where he was a savant. Bogut wasn’t too athletic by the time he was on the warriors but you would never have known it, he would be in the right spot every time. he could see plays developing and get to the right positions so he didn’t need to be athletic. great passer too. he just was a really good player. warriors fans got heartbroken when Bogut broke his ribs the last game of the season in 2014. We felt with bogut we actually had a chance vs the clippers but with no bogut we all knew it was over before it began. jordan and blake ate us for lunch.

[ImKobe]

He might not have been that good statistically in '16 (though the defensive numbers were still outstanding), but losing him to a knee injury in the Finals is what really cost them that title run & him his career. They gave up 7 pts more per 100 without him in the POs that year.

[pandiani17]

David Lee is another player people overlook when talking about those Warriors, although he was just in the '15 title. Those teams were loaded, they are the perfect example that having all-time great shooters like Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson is not enough to win the championship, you also need very good role-players.

Going back to Bogut, people seem to forget that he was the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft, he was a really good all-around player, with great IQ and court-vision, but also toughness and the ability to do the dirty work. I think he is the type of player that in the futurue people will not mention when talking about the great Warriors dynasty, the same way Derek Fisher or Bill Cartwright are barely mentioned in the Lakers' and Bulls' runs.

[tpols]

He was a legit DPOY rim protector type who also had a knack for passing. Almost like an Austrailian Marc Gasol. People discounting his performance don't understand how vital he was.

For reference the Warriors won more games in a season with Bogut than they did with Durant. If we use football terms Bogut was like an elite offensive lineman like Kelce and an elite defensive lineman in one package where as Durant was a fancy tall WR.

[Wardell Curry]

Yes, if you are setting moving screens on the daily for the greatest shooter in NBA history and getting away with it, I would assume you would be super impactful as well.

[HylianNightmare]

Yes he is one of the best defensive centers of the last 10-15 years and he gives you value on offense as well. Definitely goes under the radar.

This. There was a while you could argue him as the 2nd or 3rd best big and you wouldn't be looked at as absolutely insane

[bdonovan]

Nobody set moving screens better. He would never get called for it and it was key to our success.

The reality is that we've always needed people like Bogut, and later Zaza Pachulia and Nemanja Bjelica. They were all instrumental to our team offense. When you have Klay and Curry dashing around the perimeter and guards running into these 240+ lb guys and the refs not calling anything, defense becomes very difficult. After getting hit 4 or 5 times, guard defenders would lay off and Steph gets wide open looks.

It is odd to me that Kerr lost sight of this, and so did the front office because they haven't bothered getting another player like that. Saric doesn't qualify- he doesn't have the weight, the penchant for physicality, and that strong build the other three had.

Looney is there but they'll blow the whistle every time.

Bogut was straight flattening people out, throwing his shoulder into the screen and making the defender think twice.

Physicality matters on the offensive end; you send a message to the defense that it's going to be hard for them and they are going to get hit. The unseen work by Pachulia, Bjelica and Bogut is what made Klay and Curry's star shine brighter.

[Axe]

Well, he's got the height and heft. Unlike some other centers who used to play there outside of mcgee.