It was all but assumed that after suffering what appeared to be a very painful knee injury Monday night in Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals that Andrew Bogut’s season was most likely done.
That news became official Wednesday morning as Bogut was ruled out for the remainder of the postseason.
THIS JUST IN: Warriors' Andrew Bogut is ruled out for the remainder of the NBA Finals. (via @NBAcom) pic.twitter.com/JKnOFZNNih
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 15, 2016
Bogut won’t need surgery for the multiple bone bruises in his knee but he will be sidelined for 6 to 8 weeks. His loss will have a definite impact on the Warriors in Game 6.
He was tied with LeBron James for the most blocks in the NBA Finals and even being a shell of his former self, his elite rim protecting abilities coupled with his toughness, screen setting mastery and passing ability made him a very vital piece of what the Warriors do on both ends when he is on the floor.
Bogut was a big reason the Warriors were able to pack the paint and dissuade the Cavaliers from getting to the rim earlier in the series and without him the Warriors’ only real proven rim protector in their rotation right now is 6’6″ Draymond Green.
This opens the lane for Cleveland to get more opportunities at the rim and allow Tristan Thompson to be more effective and dominant on the offensive glass.
Expect the Warriors to play almost exclusive small ball now with Bogut sidelined, with the exception of those flop filled and highly aggravating Anderson Varejao minutes, therefore it may be even harder to keep Kevin Love on the floor.
There is no doubt the Warriors have the depth, experience and talent to overcome the loss of their best rim protector but it makes Game 6 even more interesting and helps the Cavaliers ability to get higher percentage shots at the rim.
