Andrew ‘The Bogeyman’ Bogut’s defence is scarier than the mythical creature from which his nickname derives from.
He’s a major reason the Warriors are just four wins away from lifting the Larry O’brien trophy. To emphasise exactly how important Bogut’s defence has been for the Warriors this season, in the games Bogut missed through injury, Golden State compiled a relatively meagre record of 9 wins 6 losses, compared to the historic 58-9 record with Bogut in the line-up.
When it comes to patrolling the paint and protecting the rim, none do it better than the big man from Melbourne.
During the regular season, Opponents shot just 41 per cent in the paint with Andrew Bogut as the defender. Compare that to all-defensive first team starting centre DeAndre Jordan, who’s opponents shot 48 per cent, you realise this is an incredibly low percentage.
With most teams, especially Houston playing Morey-ball, increasingly looking to score at the rim – one of the most efficient ways to put the ball in the basket – and you have a force field blocking the oppositions path to the promise land, defensively, half the battle is won.
In today’s NBA it’s increasingly difficult, if not almost impossible, to be a winning team without a great defensive centre. They are the last line of defence, similar in significance to a goalkeeper in football or the goalie in Ice Hockey. When the defence in front of them fails, the rim protector needs to be there to clean up the mess.
To further illustrate the point on the importance of a superior rim protector, here’s the top five rated defensive teams from the regular season – check out their starting centers:
Warriors – Andrew Bogut
Grizzlies – Marc Gasol
Spurs – Tim Duncan
Bucks – John Henson/Zaza Pachulia
Pacers – Roy Hibbert
Four out of the above five teams have starting Centers who’ve been voted onto NBA all-defensive first or second teams at some point in their careers. The exception being the Bucks, although John Henson, in his short NBA career, has shown he could be an elite rim protector in his own right – averaging 2 blocks in only 18 minutes per game this season.
And we all saw the late season surge the Utah Jazz went on once they traded the defensively challenged Enes Kanter and replaced him in the line-up with French shot blocking sensation – and owner of the best nickname in the league, ‘The Stifle Tower’ – Rudy Gobert.
In fact the Frenchman, according to this statistical model, was the only player in the league with a higher value as a rim protector than Andrew Bogut this past season.
However, when it comes to the full defensive package, at the centre position, Bogut reigns supreme.
In essence he’s the quarterback for the Warriors on defence, constantly yelling out the adjustments he wants his teammates to make during defensive possessions.
That’s the job of an NBA centre. They should be able to see how the offensive possession is unfolding. Whether it be an imminent pick ‘n’ roll or a player running off a screen, a smart defensive minded rim protector is invaluable.
That’s exactly what Andrew Bogut is, however, he hasn’t always been that.
Coming out of college, Bogut was thought to be more of an offensive player rather than a defensive specialist and he was playing up to that billing in his early years with Milwaukee.
It took one of the most horrific basketball injuries in recent times for Bogut to become the defensive demon he is today.
Since dislocating his elbow, Bogut’s arm hasn’t been the same and his shooting has been affected considerably.
Some days the pain is so bad he refuses to shoot.
Boguts offensive struggles, after the injury, forced him to work harder on the defensive side of his game, in turn, transforming into the paint patrolling ghoul we see today.
Fast forward five years and the Warriors are the beneficiaries of the transformation.
Of course Bogut isn’t the only defensive beast on this Warriors team, in fact he might not even be the top defender on the roster. That honour probably belongs to Draymond Green – the undersized trash talker from Michigan – who’s able to guard anyone on the floor. Add in Klay Thompson guarding the wings and you have, by far, the best defensive team in the league.
This Golden State squad is charging towards an NBA championship on the back of a devastating defensive unit.
And in the middle of that defence lives a monster, ready to pounce on any poor soul foolish enough to enter his lair.
Beware entering the paint – the Bogeyman lives there.
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