Which Golden State Warrior Will See the Biggest Role Shift in 2014-15?

The Golden State Warriors offense will be a lot faster this season with Andrew Bogut right in the thick of it. Did I just say Bogut?

We all know the Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, are the primary offensive threats on this title-contending team, but what does a center have to do with it?

Coach Steve Kerr is using his background as a player with the Chicago Bulls to extrapolate strategies from the system used by head coach Phil Jackson. The key to setting up and distributing the ball is the use of the center position as the fulcrum of the offense.

So Bogut will have to knock the dust off his once-fruitful offensive abilities to show his quality skills for a big man. He will just have to answer the question of whether or not he can stay healthy for an entire season.

The new offense focuses on movement and spacing, instead of the overused isolation play that former head coach Mark Jackson relied upon 10.7 percent of the time last season, per Synergy Sports (subscription required).

An Expanded Role

Bogut knew a change from the defense-first mentality was coming, as Coach Kerr took over the duties as head coach. Diamong Leung of the San Jose Mercury News reports Kerr wanted to meet with each player individually to both introduce himself and give an idea of how the team would compete in the upcoming season.

Bogut was very impressed that Kerr made the time to fly out to his native Australia to speak to him about the system Kerr was about to put in place.

"He actually brought an iPad along to lunch and showed me actually clips of Luc Longley playing that similar type role, triangle-facilitator type of role and wanted me to be a bit more aggressive offensively and run through me a little more," Bogut told SportSentral radio (h/t Leung).

The results of the preseason show hints of the impact Bogut will make at his new facilitator position. He didn’t put up high point totals, but RealGM indicates Bogut finished second on the team behind Curry with 4.3 assists per game during his exhibition run.

He has made some flashy plays at his updated position, as you can see in the video below. He used his offense on a putback dunk, ran back down the court to steal the ball and then tossed a long pass for an easy slam.

Adapting to a New Style

With the new triangle-influenced style of play, Bogut needs to maintain his fitness and be in great shape for the whole season. He should have a better chance to shy away from injury, as he won’t take as much pounding when starting at the elbow position.

However, like a deejay at a successful party, Bogut will be controlling the flow at the offensive end. He will also have to populate the lane for easy putbacks and short jumpers.

Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle reported how Klay Thompson feels about the big man getting involved. “He’s such a good passer from the top of the key or anywhere on the floor,” Thompson said. “He’s just showing what he can do on offense, and we want to play through him as much as possible.”

Bogut is entering this season in the best health since being acquired by the Dubs in March 2012. He ended last season with a rib injury that prevented him from playing in the seven-game series versus the rival Los Angeles Clippers.

With his center back at full strength, Coach Kerr is excited to maximize Bogut’s utility. In an article from The Associated Press, Kerr spoke glowingly about his passing ability.

"Andrew’s one of the best passing centers in the league. He’s one of the best I’ve ever seen, and so for us to get him the ball on the elbows as a dribble-handoff guy, backdoor-pass guy, that will be emphasized," he said.

However, with an offense predicated on movement and spacing, Bogut can prove to be an even more dynamic weapon. He is very skillful in misdirecting opponents with his wide body.

By extracting those extra few seconds, teammates such as Curry, Thompson, Andre Iguodala or Harrison Barnes can take advantage by hitting a quick jumper or driving to the hoop.

Stretching the Defense

Defense has defined Bogut in his tenure with the Warriors. He is the on-court leader who barks signals and play calls, but he also goes all out to make that block or even dive out of bounds to grab a loose ball.

With the fluid offense that will open the court and produce more possessions per game, Bogut will be doing a lot of running. The team finished third in preseason in pace (the number of possessions in a 48-minute game).

In his blog for NBA Australia, Bogut states, “I'm starting to move really well and feeling really positive about this season. Still, I have to be rested at times during the preseason and the coaching staff has made those decisions so that we don't burn out at this time of year.”

The Warriors are fortunate because, unlike last season, the team has more depth at the center position. Festus Ezeli has returned from knee surgery and Ognjen Kuzmic is showing his improved skills in his second year.

As a result, Bogut will still be the presence on the defensive end of the court, but he won’t have to be relied upon at all times and can get the necessary bench breaks.

Closing It Out

Bogut will now be allowed to stay in the game when it matters the most: the final few minutes. His former coach pulled him in the waning moments primarily because of his difficulties with free-throw shooting.

Taking a trip down memory lane, Bogut sustained a significant injury to his right arm after a slam dunk attempt in 2010.

That injury has limited his extension and percentage of successful attempts at the charity stripe. His overall percentage has decreased in his time with the Warriors, as he has only been successful 40.2 (41-102) percent of the time since he has been with the Warriors.

As a result, Bogut started to practice with his left hand. He spent many days during and after practice trying out the opposite side.

However, he decided a couple of days before the season started that he would remain a right-handed free-throw shooter:

He will need to continue the tireless effort and stick with practicing with the right hand. He may use the help of assistant coach Ron Adams or even Coach Kerr.

Bogut exemplified his inner strength on the Warriors’ opening night in Sacramento on October 29. He was questionable to go, and forward Draymond Green was excited to see his teammate gut it out:

He could have easily sat out the opener because of migraine headaches, but he pulled through and put up four points, five rebounds and four blocks in only about 18 minutes. His assists were not there that night, but we shall see how he evolves once he gets into a rhythm.

Bogut will be able to demonstrate his offensive abilities in this system early on during the season. Once they are in full effect, Warriors fans will see the true value in their highly regarded center.

If everything goes the way that Coach Kerr draws it up, the Warriors will significantly improve on offense with the help of Bogut, while the defense should continue to stay near the top of the league.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and RealGM.

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