The Golden State Warriors may be lacking the services of Andrew Bogut as the team meets the Oklahoma City Thunder in game one of the Western Conference Finals of the NBA.
Given that the Warriors survived quite adequately in their last series despite doing without Stephen Curry for an extended period, it would not seem as though Bogut’s right adductor (groin) strain poses any sort of threat.
If Bogut cannot recover in time to start game one, Festus Ezeli will start in his place in Monday’s game.
Bogut was a real warrior for the Warriors all season, appearing in 70 of the teams regular-season games as a part of the team’s most-used lineup. Statistics indicate that when he was on the floor, his team outscored opponents by over 13 points per every 100 possessions. That number fell off slightly when Ezeli played with the other Warriors starters, but not to the extent that would give other teams anything other than the slightest glimmer of hope.
The Warriors have been biding their time, and may feel some sense of relief that the Curry seems to be his old self after an ankle injury slowed him down against the Rockets in the first round, which may have contributed to the knee strain that followed.
