After being sent from the Dallas Mavericks to the Philadelphia 76ers before this year’s trade deadline, Andrew Bogut moved on to the Cleveland Cavaliers by way of a contract buyout agreement. Cavs fans were eager to witness the Australian-born big man in action.
On Monday night, after a minor work visa hang-up, Bogut was ready to make his Wine and Gold debut against the Miami Heat.
With the Cavs trailing by seven points, Associate Head Coach Larry Drew, who was at the helm of the Cavs in place of an illness-ridden Tyronn Lue, inserted Bogut into the rotation to start the second quarter. Within seconds, the true seven-footer went down with a leg injury.
Bogut, a great defender, attempted to close out on Heat guard Okaro White as he stood beyond the three-point line. White made a quick decision to drive to the basket instead of hoisting up a three. As a result, Bogut’s shin took the brunt of Whites knee in an obviously painful collision.
https://youtu.be/G8j0ay9X9GQ
After the injury, Tristan Thompson and James Jones helped Bogut to the locker room, where he underwent further evaluations. Initial X-ray scans showed a fractured left tibia bone. LeBron James said he heard the crack when the collision initially happened. When Bogut was taken to Cleveland Clinic, those reports were confirmed.
Today, multiple reports came out indicating that Bogut will be out for the remainder of the season, including the postseason.
Andrew Bogut officially out for season. #Cavs
— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) March 8, 2017
Cavs injury update: Bogut is ruled out for the season + playoffs; J.R. Smith returned to practice (questionable vs DET); Korver out vs. DET
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 8, 2017
Adding Bogut, an NBA champion (2015) with four years of playoff experience, could have had major impact on Cleveland’s front-court rotation. The plan was to have him come off the bench for Tristan Thompson. Now, it seems the Cavs will have to go back to the drawing board in that regard.
All is not lost, however. The Cavs are still carrying an Eastern Conference-best 42-20 record. Furthermore, both Kevin Love (knee) and J.R. Smith (fractured thumb) are on pace to return before the start of this year’s playoffs.
