Andrew Bogut can put away his rally towel.
When Warriors starting center DeMarcus Cousins left Monday night’s game early with an injured left quad, Bogut instantly moved up the food chain of Warriors centers, possibly inheriting the starting job until Cousins is able to return.
TV shots of Cousins’ quad injury were ugly. There were early reports of a torn quad, and his return to action in these playoffs seems unlikely.
“There’s a pretty significant quad injury,” Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr said after the game. “We’ll get an MRI tomorrow. But he’s going to be out for I’ll just say a while, because I don’t think it’s clear right now how long he’ll be out.”
Cousins’ injury, depending on severity, could threaten his career. Oddly, it also increases the chances that he would return to the Warriors next season. He was playing himself out of their price range—they could give him only $6.4 million—but a significant injury would greatly decrease Cousins’ market value.
Meanwhile, the Warriors will cash in their insurance policy — Bogut.
Remember when the Warriors signed Bogut straight out of Australia’s National Basketball League early last month? He said at the time, “I appreciate the opportunity, and if it’s waving a towel for 20 games and being a good teammate, I’m happy to do it. For me, it’s an absolute honor to go and sign there and not play a minute. Anything more than that is a bonus.”
Well, it’s bonus time, especially after the Warriors blew a gasket in playoffs-record style, tinkling away a 31-point lead and losing the the scrappy Clippers, 135-131.
Head coach Steve Kerr will now re-shuffle his center deck.
Stephen Curry said of the team’s group of centers, “They’re going to (fill the Cousins’ void) by committee. It may look a little different, considerin gthe skill and talent level that Boogie can bring when he’s healthy.”
Klay Thompson said, “We’ll miss (Cousins’) low-post dominance, of course. We’ll miss his screen-setting, his energy out there. I’m hoping for a speedy recovery because we really need him if we want to make this (playoffs) run.”
Kevon Looney looms large, especially considering his energetic and effective play in the first two games against the Clippers. He scored 19 Monday night, 6-for-6 from the floor, 7-for-8 from the line and 9 rebounds.
Jordan Bell could move into the picture, although he would be the least reliable option right now.
Also, Kerr has indicated he plans to make increased use of the Death Lineup, which features Draymond Green at center.
Kerr didn’t use his Death Lineup on Monday until midway through the fourth quarter, when the Clippers were closing in, and the Deathers could not close the deal.
As Kerr often says, nobody is feeling sorry for the Warriors. However, some heartfelt sympathy for Cousins is in order. He was cheated out of his first-ever playoffs run last season when he suffered a torn Achilles in the second half of the season while playing for New Orleans. He signed with the Warriors and, after a long and arduous rehab, Cousins played 30 games in the second half of the season, averaging 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds.
Cousins’ first career playoff game, Saturday, was a flop, and no doubt he looked forward to redeeming himself starting Monday night, but boom, down he went, 3:51 into the first quarter, tumbling to the floor in front of the Warriors’ bench after making a steal. Felled on a hustle play.
Looney jumped into the fray and by halftime, he had approximately sextupled his market value. He will be a free agent after this season, and wherever he signs, it will be for a crud-ton more than his current salary, a minimum $1,567,007. In 17 minutes in Game 1, Looney’s plus-minus was plus-30.
On offense, Looney’s job looks easy: set picks, and when a teammate drives to the hoop, get open for an alley-oop or dump-off pass, then dunk it like a doughnut.
On defense, Looney is quick and aggressive enough to take on the smaller big men. If/when he gets pushed around by a tugboat-size foe, the Warriors have Bogut.
One question would be Bogut’s condition, at age 34. But he whipped himself into super shape in Australia, reporting for duty stateside slimmer and trimmer than the Bogut whom the Warriors traded three years ago.
“Yeah, obviously there will be more minutes for me,” said Bogut, who snagged 9 rebounds in 16:30. “It’ll still be matchup-dependent, but I anticipate probably starting games, playing the first three or four minutes and then coming out. Hopefully, (Cousins’ injury) is not to o serious. It didn’t look good.”
One thing the Warriors get with Bogut is some very effective deja vu. His familiarity and comfort with Curry, Green and Klay Thompson is evident.
For Warriors fans, the center position has become a basket of rescue puppies. The fans warmed to Cousins, who — even on off nights — sets a tone with his hustle and ferocity. His first foray into the playoffs was a heartwarming story line ... until he went down.
Looney’s aw-shucks demeanor is a crowd-pleaser, and with his superior basketball IQ, he fits in well with the Warriors’ Men of Mensa.
Green, through two games, is playing at a high-energy level, although he faded in the second half Monday along with his Deathmates. He will have to keep his batteries fully charged for a frenzied run through the playoffs, including significant time at center.
Kerr figures to do a lot of mixing-and-matching at center, his choices dictated by matchups and by who’s hot. He has workable options, but the Warriors will miss Cousins’ high-spirited presence.
Meanwhile, Bogut will need that towel for showering, not for cheerleading.
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