One of the surprise moves for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason was signing Andrew Bogut. Despite not playing a ton, Bogut has had an impact.
Very late in the offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers were able to sign veteran center Andrew Bogut. In the 2005 NBA Draft, Bogut was taken with the first overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Even though Bogut was never an elite talent, he has had a very nice career despite injuries slowing him down a bit early on in his career. Bogut was able to become one of the best defensive centers in the NBA, as his length helped him average over 2.5 blocks per game for two seasons with the Bucks.
Despite averaging over 30 minutes per game for most of his career with the Bucks, Bogut went to the Golden State Warriors and had a lighter role. Even though he played less Warriors, the team was very successful with him there.
Bogut was able to win an NBA Championship with the Warriors in the 2014-15 season. Even though he didn’t have a huge role, he was a solid defensive presence as a starter. As a player that is nearing the end of his career, it was a bit surprising to see him sign with the Lakers. Recently, Bogut explained how he knew that he could be valuable to the Lakers. Here’s what he said to Nick Metallinos of ESPN.com.
"“I knew there wasn’t going to be a whole lot of minutes because I was the 15th guy signed to the roster,” Bogut tells ESPN. “I’ve just been trying to mentor some of the younger guys. We’ve got a really young and inexperienced team that bring a lot of energy and talent, so just some direction is needed every now and then and being one of the elder guys, [I’m] just trying to help them in the locker room.”"
So far this season, Bogut is averaging 9.1 minutes per game, 1.4 points, and 3.2 rebounds per game. Even though he hasn’t been asked to do much on the court, his veteran presence has been valuable for the Lakers.
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Since the Lakers have a lot of young players on the team, tips from a player like Bogut can be extremely valuable. With Brook Lopez out, the Lakers have asked Bogut to step in as the starter for a few games. Even though he hasn’t played a ton this season, he has been ready anytime his number is called. Also, another valuable lesson for some of the young players on the team.