Andrew Bogut appeared in 67 games for the Warriors last season, but managed to be healthy enough for just 32 and 12 respectively in the two seasons prior.
Defensively, Bogut is the key on the interior for Golden State, but health with him has been a major concern.
If a recent report out of a team scrimmage is to be believed, however, Bogut is feeling better than ever, and is more than ready for training camp to open in a couple of weeks.
He also isn’t interested in changing his game to avoid injury, and used some colorful language to hammer his point home.
From Rusty Simmons of SFGate.com:In a meaningless open gym scrimmage this week at the Warriors’ downtown Oakland practice facility, center Andrew Bogut risked his body and took a charge from Marreese Speights.
As Speights was cursing Bogut for breaking pick-up game protocol by taking a charge, Bogut was going through a checklist of his own.
Ribs: check. Back: check. Elbow: check. Ankle: check.
“My body feels great,” said Bogut, who returned to working out in mid-June after his fractured rib healed. “All of my injuries have been of the high-impact variety. The only thing I can do to change that is to be a puss and avoid contact at all costs. Then, it’s the other side of the ball when people say I’m a puss. I’ll take the good with the bad. I’ll still take charges and go for blocked shots. Every now and then, I’ll get a knock.”Bogut’s characterization aside, his fearlessness on the defensive end of the floor is part of what makes him so valuable. While health is a legitimate concern moving forward, changing his game to try to avoid injury isn’t the answer; it almost never works out as planned.
