CLEVELAND — You’ll have to search with a microscope to find a more selfless player in the NBA than Andrew Bogut.
A lot of people tend to forget this: Bogut did not play one minute in Games 5 and 6 of last year’s NBA Finals, two decisive victories that delivered the Warriors a championship.
Sitting down the 7-footer allowed Steve Kerr and the coaching staff to discover the lineup of death, an interchangeable group of five that sunk the undermanned Cavaliers.
Cleveland is mostly healthy this time around, so circumstances are slightly different. But when asked about a potential scenario with him riding the pine, Bogut was receptive to the idea if it helped the Warriors win.
“Last season I didn’t play the last two games, we went to a smaller lineup, and it won us a championship,” Bogut said before practice on Thursday. “It was two games out of 100, you know? People might criticize me, like, ‘Hey they won without you.’ Whatever…What you can control at this point is doing what’s best for the team.”
It’s crazy how quickly the narrative changes. In Game 2 at Oracle Arena, Bogut blocked 6 shots and was a menace to deal with in the post for the Cavs. He also scored 10 points in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, setting the tone early for the Warriors.
But after a subpar outing in Game 3, cries for the lineup of death — Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green — have reached a screeching pitch amongst media members and the fan base on social media. Cleveland has combatted Golden Stat with a Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, Richard Jefferson, LeBron James and Tristan Thompson lineup, a group that thrived sans Kevin Love, scoring 105 of the total 120 points.
Golden State’s lineup was the hottest topic on Thursday, and about whether it needs tinkering to combat the Cavaliers in Cleveland. LeBron James and company are a completely different team at Quicken Loans Arena. The Warriors got punched in the mouth because of their lack of intensity, but the usage of certain players in certain lineups is a discussion that’s not going away.
How will Kerr handle it come Friday?
“You never have to worry about egos and feelings, not with our team,” Kerr said on Thursday. “I mean, our guys are all understanding that you go with whatever the best lineup is, and top to bottom, our team is professional and supportive of one another. So it’s always just are we going to be better off matchup-wise, or are we going to be better off with a certain rotation that allows one guy to guard somebody specifically on the other team? It’s just, we watch the film and we make that decision.”
if Kerr pulls Bogut to the side, the 31-year-old confirmed he won’t have problem sacrificing himself for the greater good.
“This isn’t the regular season where you get benched and you call your agent and say I want to get traded,” Bogut said. “This is the NBA Finals.”
This is a completely separate note, but it ties into Bogut’s obsessive winning character. Read this back and forth with him and a reporter.
Q: Do you wonder how your resume would’ve looked had you stayed in Milwaukee?
Bogut: “Yeah, I probably wouldn’t have a championship.”
Q: Your individual resume would look different.
Bogut: “Who gives a sh–? I really don’t care. I’d rather have some rings and be part of a winning culture. Being in Milwaukee and averaging 15, 16 and 10 and getting individual accolades and be drinking a beer at the end of April watching the playoffs. I’d rather average half that production and be part of a winning culture and winning group and win a championship. I’m fine with that. A lot of players say they are fine with that, but they’re not. A lot of players say they want to win, but win on my terms. I really don’t care at this point in my career.”
The 29 other teams around the NBA wish they had a character guy like Bogut in the locker room. Not everyone can put aside their egos as quickly as the 7-foot Aussie can.