Bogut?

I wouldn't say they "discovered" Bogut. Obviously he was a #1 overall pick, I believe hes made at least one all star team and a 3rd team all NBA, lead the league in blocks, etc etc. But they had a window to get him because hes been so injury prone and they took it despite the risks. People don't just give away big men, you've got to take a risk early and hope it pays off like with Asik. His health really hasn't proven to be very good, and hes visibly less mobile than he was during the stretches where he was healthy this season, so I'm quite sure hes nursing a leg or back injury right now.

We'd be getting murdered in this series without him though. Karl's smallball tactics in game 3 were a ploy to get him off the floor because he challenges EVERYTHING and hes been rebounding like a madman. His numbers are don't wow you but when you watch the games its easy to see how many shots he changes, shots he deters guys from taking altogether, and how many times he cleans up a mistake by another W's defender.

What would it take to get him? I dunno, his value isn't that high because he shows no signs of staying healthy. The Warriors have a ton of cap coming off the books next year, including Bogut, so they very well might use that cap room to go in another direction with someone younger. The W's have little incentive to move him unless someone blew us away with an offer, but who would give substantial assets for an old, beat up big man?

 

When 7 footers start to rack up injury after injury with little/no sustained periods of health inbetween, yeah, I think you have reason to believe they've reached their mileage limit. That's why Milwaukee dumped him and although hes still a good starting C, he has not been healthy at all for the Warriors and has only gone through setback after setback. I don't think he'll ever re-gain the mobility and explosiveness he had as a younger player.

We don't know exactly what hes dealing with now but IF he doesn't need any more surgeries this offseason then he can rest up and perhaps we'll see him relatively healthy for 2013-14. Having Ezeli is a big luxury and makes it easier to limit Bogut's minutes like with Duncan. Also like with Duncan it might be time for Bogut to drop some weight.

 

You didn't seem to understand. You agree now, so we're on the same page.

Last two seasons hes played 32 and 12 games. At this point I think you go into every season thinking that if he gives you 65 games and is relatively healthy for the playoffs then its a successful season. And its obvious even at 28 years old, when he should be in his prime, that he's never going to get back to the level of athleticism he had before. Again, hes still a useful player, but you've gotta manage him very carefully to keep him from missing an enormous amount of games. At 28 hes being treated like 33 year old Shaq, 36 year old Tim Duncan, Ilgauskas late in his career, etc.

There's just no reason to believe anything other than hes got limited time left. The Warriors will try to do what they can to extend his career, but his body won't miraculously stop breaking down and allow you to throw him out there for 33 mpg for an entire season.

 

Heh. I don't think either team could have gotten better players in exchange for the other one. Monta might end up being a 1.5 year rental if he opts out this season. But hes a fool's gold kind of "star", which isn't a terrible return for a very injury prone C whose value was at an all-time low. IIRC Bucks fans were begging for more Larry Sanders around the time of the trade so maybe they knew they what they had with him.

Dump is an insulting way to put it, but what did they really get from Monta? Hes fallen off since hes been there and he'll probably bail on them ASAP. They got a first round ass whooping out of it but now the team is going to lose its starting 2, won't have any kind of decent draft pick let alone prospects to help them re-build post-Monta (and post-Jennings?).

As a W's fan I wouldn't change a thing. Shipping Monta away let Steph come into his own, and its been spectacular. Everyone knew one of them had to go and a lot of people thought it should have been Steph lol. The return on Bogut really hadn't panned out as his ankle injury actually turned out worse than reported and he had microfracture on it. Then he tried to come back too early and fucked it up again and the second half of the season he was in and out of the lineup. All that said, we sold out for a talented C for moments like right now. Bogut has had complete control of the paint against the Nuggets. We've outrebounded them in every game this series despite the Lee injury. Hes easily been the most physical player out there and hes been pounding their bigs and hammering their small guys with screens. The stats don't show it but hes absolutely crucial for GS.