How Andrew Bogut Can Fit in with the Golden State Warriors

Andrew Bogut will take the over the role of "franchise player" for the Golden State Warriors. This is the result of swapping their prized star Monta Ellis alongside Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown in exchange for Bogut and Stephen Jackson (whom the Warriors immediately swapped for Richard Jefferson) on March 13.

Golden State will have to wait a bit for Bogut to make his debut in Oakland, perhaps until next season, but the question burning on every Warrior fan’s mind while the seven-footer tends to a broken left ankle will be whether or not he can thrive under head coach Mark Jackson and bring the franchise back into contention.

It will certainly be a challenge for the injury-plagued Bogut, as he has appeared in just 12 games this season and his notable history of maladies prior to 2012 leaves a lingering cloud of doubt over GM Larry Riley’s latest definitive move.

Bogut certainly has the talent at the center position that Jackson desperately seeks to build his defense around. The former first overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, Bogut is a world-class post defender whose footwork, strength, size and shot-blocking ability can perennially put him in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year.

And while Golden State has a long road ahead if the team wants to become a defensive stalwart, acquiring Bogut is a big step in the right direction. A player of his caliber could have a similar culture impact as Tyson Chandler did with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.

It’s not Bogut’s defensive skill set that will be a concern when he returns from injury, but rather his play on the other end of the court. Bogut is a tenacious low-post scorer, a constant threat to back down his defender at the rim and finish with a silky right hook. However, he’ll have to adjust to Golden State’s run-and-gun style of play and start utilizing pick-and-roll opportunities for quick scores around the bucket.

Bogut’s shooting ability—or lack thereof—will likely limit his production early on with Golden State. The team likes to utilize its bigs like David Lee with catch-and-shoot jumpers from mid-range. A gruesome elbow injury in 2010 that forced Bogut to miss the Bucks' entire playoff run that season further impedes his shooting, particularly his free throws.

While Bogut told Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News that his elbow has healed, his shooting percentages have noticeably dipped since the injury.

He shot 49 percent from the floor and 44 percent from the free-throw line in 2010-11 and just 45 percent in 2011-12 after posting a 52 percent field-goal percentage and 62 percent from the charity stripe prior to the injury in 2009-10.

Bogut has had a substantial amount of time to rehab his elbow with the lockout and ankle keeping him sidelined, so his shooting numbers can potentially go up.

Worth noting is that it took David Lee some time to gel in Golden State, and it may take Bogut some time as well. We will have to wait and see whether or not this big move pays dividends.