Mavs center Andrew Bogut’s message was clear as Australia prepared to square off against the United States: The Boomers weren’t afraid.
“Teams who ask the Americans to autograph their shoes are beaten before the game begins,” Bogut said, “but that’s not us, and we think we can win.”
The big man’s play backed up his words, as Australia came as close as possibly any other country will in this tournament, falling to the U.S. 98-88. The Americans trailed at halftime for the first time since the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Bogut finished with 15 points, three blocks, and three assists.
If Bogut’s quotes leading up to the game gave any indication of where his head is at in this Olympics — it’s not about keeping it close, it’s about winning — his post-game thoughts only further solidified that notion.
“We’re disappointed. We had every opportunity to try and push that game,” he said. “We still lost the game, it doesn’t mean anything. There’s no small victories — it’s either winning or losing, and tonight we lost. We’ve got some stuff to work on and we’ll go and do that.”
That’s not a quote coming from a player who was just happy to be there. On the contrary, Bogut sounds like a guy who wanted — and perhaps even expected — a better result, and the hard fouls and tense atmosphere suggested the Australians were not interested in capturing a moral victory. Not many other teams in the world ever assume that mentality against the United States, a team which for so long has been unrivaled on the international stage. Outside of the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the Americans have lost just twice in Olympics history.
This Australian team is different than most competitors, though. Led by Bogut, the Boomers’ roster is made up of gritty NBA veterans, including Matthew Dellavedova, Patty Mills, Aron Baynes, and Joe Ingles. This is a team unlike many others the Americans will face in Rio, as the roster is stuffed with quality NBA players. Through three games, Australia has emerged as a serious medal contender, and there’s a chance these two teams will meet again in the medal round.
Bogut has sparkled individually in Rio for 2-1 Australia, averaging 14.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2.3 blocks per game in 24.5 minutes per game. (Yes, you read that right: 4.7 assists.) As high as the Mavericks are on Bogut’s ability as a rim protector and defensive anchor, he can be just as dynamic on the offensive end, not only with the threat he represents in the pick-and-roll game, but also with his floor vision and sharp passing. These are things that can translate directly over to playing with the Mavericks, as well.
[wp_hyena imageurl=’https://www.mavs.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/vs-us-pass-mills.gif’ data_hyena='{“slate”:”300,0.10,15″,”player_fade_speed”:”500″,”control_opacity”:”0,0.9″,”fade_speed”:”250,250″,”style”:2}’]
You don’t need to squint too hard to be able to see Bogut connecting with Deron Williams, Seth Curry, or particularly Devin Harris with passes just like that one. The Mavericks are considered to have less conventional playmakers on this roster than they’ve had in years past, but one way to generate open opportunities is with good, smart off-ball movement around a fulcrum at the elbow — or, in this case, above the arc — and Bogut definitely has the ability to be that guy.
The Boomers have run a few nifty baseline out of bounds (BLOB) plays already in the Olympics. This one against the U.S. might have been the best of them all.
[wp_hyena imageurl=’https://www.mavs.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/vs-us-blob-lob.gif’ data_hyena='{“slate”:”300,0.10,15″,”player_fade_speed”:”500″,”control_opacity”:”0,0.9″,”fade_speed”:”250,250″,”style”:2}’]
Bogut lulls DeAndre Jordan to sleep by pretending to wait to set a screen for a teammate. Then, when Jordan turns his head, Bogut makes his cut toward the basket. That play is all timing and misdirection. How can this apply to Dallas? The Mavs ranked third in the NBA last season in points per possession on BLOB plays at 0.994. Bogut is going to help keep them high on that list.
If Bogut continues to play at this level for Australia, the Boomers have a very solid chance at not only winning a medal, but also competing against the U.S. once again, only this time for a gold medal. He has been the defensive anchor of the second-best team at the Olympics, he’s scoring at will on offense, and he’s even distributing the ball better than any big man in Rio.
And if he can perform like this for the Mavericks, who knows? Dallas could be in position to make a nice little run for a medal of its own come next spring.
Share and comment