Bogut encouraged by progress after surgery
OAKLAND, California (AP) — Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut fully expects to be in the lineup for the season opener on Oct. 31 at Phoenix after undergoing surgery this year on his troublesome ankle.
How much the Australian plays during the exhibition schedule, he’s still not sure. Bogut believes he will be nearly full strength by the start of training camp Oct. 3, but might still be limited during the preseason as a precaution.
“I definitely want to be ready for training camp. I think it will be close,” Bogut said Sunday before heading to a Monday morning workout in Australia.
“The immediate goal with all of this is to make sure I’m ready for the first game. Whether that means playing only half the preseason games, it’s just about being smart with my ankle. There’s no point in trying to get ready for Oct. 1 when an extra week could significantly help. It’s just a matter of monitoring it very smartly and not doing anything stupid.”
Last week, Bogut began light jogging on a treadmill as part of his recovery — and plans to do more this week at a higher intensity.
Bogut underwent surgery on his fractured ankle April 27 to clean out loose particles and bone spurs. The 2005 No. 1 overall is yet to play for the Warriors since being acquired in a trade from Milwaukee on March 13 that sent Monta Ellis to the Bucks.
Bogut broke his ankle Jan. 25 when he landed awkwardly against Houston and missed the rest of the season. That was another injury to plague Bogut during his career. He missed the end of the 2009-10 season when he dislocated his right elbow, sprained his right wrist and broke his right hand in a hard fall to the floor. The injury bothered him for much of last season.
Bogut, averaging 12.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots for his career, also missed significant time with an injured lower back in the 2008-09 season.
He is eager for a fresh start out West in the Bay Area.
“The last couple of years I’ve had some previous injuries,” Bogut … [read more here]
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