Through two games in the Summer Olympics, Andrew Bogut has tallied 27 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists, and four blocks. He’s shooting 85.7 percent from the field and his team, Australia, is undefeated.
Not bad for a player who was considered questionable at best for the competition just a matter of weeks ago.
Bogut’s path to recovery this summer has been quiet and almost mysterious, with his status for the Rio games not publicly known until he appeared in the Boomers’ final tune-up match last week. But — and no pun intended — he was the center of attention on Saturday when he scored 18 points as Australia walloped a France team which had been considered a potential darkhorse to make a run at a medal.
Following up his first performance, Bogut recorded nine points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and three blocks yesterday as Australia pulled away from Serbia to win convincingly, 95-80. The Boomers are 2-0 in Olympic play for the first time ever.
Just how efficient has Bogut been through two games? He’s averaging 1.828 points per possession plus assist, according to Synergy Sports, which ranks third among all players in the Olympics — behind only the United States’ Kevin Durant and Australian point guard Matthew Dellavedova. In 10 possessions as either a roll man or cutter, Bogut has scored 20 points. Yes, that’s right: He’s scored every single time.
The center does not appear to have lost any explosiveness after a knee injury sidelined him for the final two-plus games of the NBA Finals.
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Bogut will have another chance to impress tomorrow, when he plays against Team USA and his longtime (but new Mavs) teammate Harrison Barnes.
On a loaded United States roster, everyone’s numbers are bound to stay rather humble. That’s the case in Rio, where only two players average more than 12.5 points per game and only two average more than 20 minutes per game. Barnes, who’s sharing forward duties with Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, and Paul George, to name a few, is averaging 6.0 points and 3.0 rebounds through two easy U.S. wins.
This is the 24-year-old’s first Olympic experience, and he’s been documenting some of the highlights on his Twitter account.
Wheels up to Rio! One goal 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/34jBpLJnem
— Harrison Barnes (@hbarnes) August 3, 2016
Dream come true to be at opening ceremonies!! #USA 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Be6hd51v2s
— Harrison Barnes (@hbarnes) August 6, 2016
But he’s also been making highlights on the floor. Barnes is a small forward by trade but is possibly just as effective at the power forward position, where he can take advantage of athletic mismatches on offense while holding his own down low on defense. In the play below against China, Barnes, playing power forward, totally overwhelmed his opponent with speed, making a quick cut to the basket after a behind-the-back dribble knocked him off-balance.
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That type of severe athletic disparity might not be present in a typical NBA game, but the fact of the matter is Barnes is fully capable of developing into a player who can thrive at the small-ball power forward spot. You wonder if, somewhere further down the line, it could even become his full-time position. He’s a solid rebounder and excellent post defender, after all. But that’s a conversation for another time.
The United States plays Australia Wednesday night at 5 p.m. CT.
While the Americans and Australians have played two games each, Nicolas Brussino and Argentina have played just one game so far in Rio, with their second coming later tonight. He played just five minutes in the Olympic opener, tallying a modest two points and two rebounds in a lopsided win against Nigeria.
But there was nothing modest about this block.
https://twitter.com/JulianMozo/status/762486447597158400
Brussino is a very fluid athlete for a player with his size and build and he matches that athleticism with plenty of skill, as well. He’s an exciting young player, but unfortunately, like Barnes, he’s the second or third name at his position on an Argentina roster stocked with NBA talent at his position, including Argentina legend Manu Ginobili. I suspect he’ll see more playing time as the Olympics unfold.
Argentina plays its next game tonight at 8:30 p.m. CT.
Keep it locked on Mavs.com for updates on all three players as the Rio games continue.
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