It’s injury update day here at Dime. After checking in on Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo, now comes word about oft-injured Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut. Bogut told the AP he’s “100 percent healthy” and has not been restricted while working out at the Warriors’ Oakland training facilities. For ‘Dubs fans worried about their teams ability to defend, this is a big deal.
In Oakland yesterday, rocking flip-flops and a jauntier gait than assembled Bay Area reporters are used to, Bogut was forthright in his optimism for next season.
“I’m excited, man,” he said.
After splitting time this summer with family in Australia and Croatia, Bogut said he’s “100 percent” healthy and feeling the best he has since fracturing his left ankle in January 2012. He also said he has not been limited in any workouts since July and expects “to play a lot of minutes” this season – the final year of his five-year, $60 million contract.
“The most important thing is not having a trainer or coach tell you that there are restrictions on what you’re doing,” Bogut said. “I can come in here and do what I want. I can come in here and run. I can condition. I can lift. I can shoot. I can play five-on-five and nobody can tell me I can only do one set or play 20 minutes. I have none of that right now and I’m not going to have any of that during the season.”
This is tremendous news for long-suffering Dubs fans after Bogut limped around for most of last season, limiting him to just 32 games.
Trying to get the wheel right! #icebath #cold pic.twitter.com/CuFfL9VCxC
— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) June 7, 2013
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He was still feeling the after-effects of that fractured ankle the season before while he was still with the Bucks, but now he finally appears healthy.
This is huge news on top of the continued health of shooting star Stephen Curry. Curry — who battled ankle issues last offseason — is also healthy this summer, allowing him to participate in full workouts, as well as goofier ones.
While Curry’s three-point bonanza in the playoffs this spring allowed the ‘Dubs their best postseason finish in 36 years (hey Rick Barry!), Bogut’s health is almost as important for the defensive tenacity and smarts he brings to the paint. The signing of free agent Andre Iguodala this summer will improve Golden State’s sometimes sieve-like perimeter defense next season, but David Lee isn’t exactly a rim-protector, so Bogut’s presence is important if the Warriors hope to improve on last season’s remarkable finish: they defeated a favored Nuggets squad; then they pushed San Antonio to six games — despite losing Lee early to a hip flexer — as Curry seemed to rain down three’s from everywhere on the court.
But it’s Bogut’s presence in the paint that will really fluster opponents who can’t stop the three-headed guard attack of Iggy, Klay Thompson and Curry. That’s forgetting last season’s only All-Star on the team, David Lee. Man, it’s a really good time to be a ‘Dubs fan. Warriors GM Bob Myers should just be rocking a “BAWSE” t-shirt in September.
How good will the Warriors be next season?
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