Andrew Bogut and Australia defeated Lithuania 90-64 in Wednesday’s Olympic quarterfinals, and now the Boomers advance to the semis, seeking the country’s first-ever medal in men’s basketball.
Australia has looked superior to every opponent it’s played so far in the Olympics, with the lone exception of the United States, the only country to defeat Bogut’s team so far in Rio. On opposite sides of the bracket, however, the Boomers wouldn’t encounter the U.S. again unless both teams advance all the way to Sunday’s gold medal game.
Bogut has looked phenomenal so far in Rio, averaging 11.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in group play. On Wednesday against Lithuania, the center tallied six points but led the team with seven boards and six dimes, a couple of which really stood out. See below.
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Not only is it impressive that Bogut, a 7-foot center, has the floor vision and passing ability to pull off such plays, but that talent will also help his coach and teammates. Rick Carlisle can design offensive sets similar to the ones above to get players like Harrison Barnes, Deron Williams, Justin Anderson, and Devin Harris going downhill toward the rim for easy finishes, which could open up the Mavs’ already well-spaced offense even further. Bogut isn’t a three-point threat by any means, but if the offense can flow through him 25 feet away from the rim, it can turn a defense upside down. Add Dirk Nowitzki into the mix, and that could really shift floor geometry in ways we haven’t seen around here in a while.
Because Bogut possesses such great vision and is a willing passer, plays like the ones above send a message to his future teammates: If they get open, he’ll find them. Sometimes players might not feel involved in a particular set, or maybe they won’t expect a pass on the weakside from a 7-foot center at the opposite elbow or, heck, the three-point arc. But with a guy like Bogut on the team, every player has the chance to receive a pass — if he’s willing to move to get open. And with so much space in the paint to take advantage of, the Mavericks could find plenty of opportunities to create easy points this way.
Nowitzki has developed into a very good passer over the years, but with Bogut in Dallas, there’s a chance the German might only be the second-best 7-foot passer on his own team. I don’t think he — or anyone else in Dallas — will be complaining about that, though.
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