Andrew Bogut-Stephen Curry: A Tandem We Have Yet To See

So far this season, the Warriors have functioned quite well without a capable center. Festus Ezeli and Andris Biedrins held down the fort decently, but now that Andrew Bogut is back in the lineup, other teams are going to have a tough time. The Warriors now have every part of a championship team.

October 2, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) and point guard Stephen Curry (30) rest during training camp at the Golden State Warriors Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately, Stephen Curry is now injured. This is a huge problem and cannot be ignored. Yes, Jarrett Jack, who is very capable alternative, can fill-in for Curry, which is pretty much why they acquired him. The Warriors, however, need the best shooter in the NBA: Stephen Curry. He and Bogut were supposed to form an incredible tandem that was like the Chris Paul-Blake Griffin duo, without the ateletisim.

We will have to wait a little bit longer to see this tandem. Injuries are cruel.

Tonight, the Warriors are playing the Suns, which is a very winnable game. Curry is once again a game-time decision with that bum-ankle of his, but Bogut is in the lineup. If the Warriors can get those two together tonight, the Suns are going to be in for yet another long night. Although they are coming off moral boosting wins over the Clippers and Lakers, the Warriors aren’t to be messed with. They’re looking to extend their streak to four wins.

What We’re Missing:

1. Alley Oops

Bogut isn’t the bounciest center in the NBA, but he is 7’1″. If anything, us fans are missing some nice lob action, especially with the kind of passer that Stephen Curry is capable of being. With Bogut’s basketball IQ, he knows where to be at the right time. This guarantees some lobs.

2. Fast Breaks

The reason the Warriors aren’t getting as many fast breaks as they would like is because of rebounding. Now with Bogut back, he will pull down a monster rebound if he needs to, feed the guards and the Warriors will end up getting some points out of it. Lee is a good rebounder, but he can’t do it all. Then, Curry can make the decsisons on the fast break.

3. Cutting:

When Someone like Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, and of course Harrison Barnes cuts to the basket, they’ll likely have a layup. Unfortunately, Ezeli doesn’t have the ability to make that pass. Nor does Andris Biedrins. The Warriors are missing some serious offense. Yet again, Bogut, who’s one of the NBA’s best passers, will save the day in this department.

4. 3-pointers:

Curry is an amazing 3-point shooter. I’m just going to go ahead and predict that he will likely win the 3-point competition, if he chooses to go. With Bogut at the post, a force like him is going to eventually get double-teamed. Teams usually don’t rotate fast enough, and therefore, there wil be an open 3-pointer for somebody. Remember, the Warriors are the best spot-up shooting team in the league, per Synergy Sports.