Warriors Center Andrew Bogut to Miss Remainder of NBA Finals

NBA.com reports that Andrew Bogut will miss the remainder of the 2016 NBA Finals, but will not need surgery in the offseason.

Bogut sprained his left knee in Game 5 in Oakland and is expected to be sidelined from basketball activities for six to eight weeks.

The Australian center traveled with the team to Cleveland to watch Game 6, where his team hopes to be celebrating their second-straight title.

Bogut played 60 minutes in the five games of the series, starting each game.

The absence of Bogut means the Warriors could use more of a “small ball” lineup with Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes on the floor at the same time to start the game.

It also means guys like Anderson Varejao, James Michael McAdoo, and Festus Ezeli could see more playing time.

Bogut’s absence for much of Game 5 was noticeable in the final three quarters of Game 5, as LeBron James and Tristan Thompson each grabbed 12 rebounds in the final 36 minutes of action.

We’ll keep you updated on Warriors lineup changes if head coach Steve Kerr announces his plans prior to Game 6.