After years of dealing with various injuries Andrew Bogut recently said that he’s back to “100 percent”. That no longer seems to be the case.
During the Warriors preseason game against the Lakers in China on Friday morning, Bogut left the court a mere two minutes into the game due to back spasms. Bogut wanted to go back in later on in the game, but as a precaution Warriors coach Mark Jackson didn’t allow it.
Back problems are a familiar story for the injury-prone center. His 2008-2009 season ended early when an incomplete stress fracture was found in his lower back. He also missed the majority of last season due to ankle surgery and an MRI scan that revealed a disc protrusion that was causing back spasms. Hopefully, this latest injury isn’t as serious and Bogut will return for their next game on Wednesday, October 23.
If Bogut’s injury becomes a problem, 35-year-old Jermaine O’Neal may become the Warriors’ starting center. Much like Bogut, O’Neal has dealt with a number of injuries throughout his 18-year career. O’Neal missed 27 games last season due to minor injuries, and unfortunately for the Warriors, Festus Ezeli—who started at center last season while Bogut was out—will be out until at least December due to offseason knee surgery.
With Bogut’s injury history and this latest setback, it’s possible that a backup will once again become the Warriors’ starting center. However, it’s sounding like Friday’s mishap wasn’t anything serious to worry about, and Bogut is still in good health. A healthy Bogut is necessary if the Warriors want to legitimately contend for an NBA title this season.
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