Bogut out for NBA Finals remainder, full recovery expected

According to a tweet from the Golden State Warriors, Andrew Bogut will miss the remainder of the Finals series, and will be out for 6-8 weeks at minimum.

Bogut suffered the knee injury during Game 5, while trying to block a layup attempt from Cleveland swingman JR Smith.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fkv82O4FtqQ The injury was initially diagnosed as a knee sprain. An MRI scan Bogut underwent yesterday, showed bone bruises to the proximal tibia and distal femur. Fortunately, no surgery will be required, and Bogut is expected to make a full recovery.

Despite the injury, Bogut has travelled with the team to Cleveland for Game 6, possibly a decisive game that closes the series out, and sees the Golden State Warriors anointed as champions once more.

“Boges has made an impact in this series the first couple of games,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, in a report from the Beacon Journal's Jason Lloyd. “I thought he was really impactful. Last two we played him fewer minutes, but he’s still a defensive presence at the rim and rebounder, and a great passer. So we’ll miss the minutes he’s been giving us.”

Bogut's absence places more emphasis on Draymond Green's role as a defensive anchor, with doses of ultra small ball (Andre Iguodala) and traditional (Festus Ezeli) lineups.

The 6-8 week recovery window confirms Bogut's absence from not only the remaining Game 6 (and/or Game 7), but also casts doubt on his status for the upcoming Boomers training camp, and also his readiness for the actual Rio Olympics.

UPDATE: Bogut has confirmed with coach Andrej Lemanis (via Basketball Australia), that he will address the situation officially soon, and that he remains committed to the Olympics.

https://twitter.com/BasketballAus/status/743263165857701889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw