It appears that Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bogut will be making his season debut sooner rather than later. The Aussie big man was signed to provide rim protection, toughness, and a bit of veteran savvy for a team that is badly in need of all three.
In his final performance last season in the NBA, Bogut infamously broke his leg less than a minute into his Cleveland Cavaliers debut. Prior to that, he spent the season manning the middle for the Dallas Mavericks. At 32 years old, he is hoping to prove that he can stay healthy and contribute meaningfully to a team.
He’s yet to make his Lakers debut thanks to a groin injury and visa issues, but in an interview with Roy Ward of the Sydney Morning Herald, Bogut expressed confidence that he will be ready to go on opening night.
Bogut, who will wear No.66, hasn’t suited up this pre-season after tweaking his groin when he slipped at training camp, but he is certain he will play in the Lakers’ season-opener.
It’s good to hear that Bogut will be ready for action as the Lakers could certainly use his help defensively and ball movement on offense. Bogut was always the favorite to be the final player on the Lakers’ roster and it was made official when the team waived Vander Blue, Briante Weber, and Travis Wear.
As long as Bogut is able to overcome his injury issues, he could make an impact as a defensive presence and veteran mentor for the Lakers. He should compete with second-year big man Ivica Zubac for backup center duties behind starter Brook Lopez.