Cleveland Cavaliers center Andrew Bogut fractured his tibia in Monday night’s game against the Miami Heat. He played just 58 seconds before being forced to leave with the injury. Bogut signed with the Cavaliers last week, and tonight was his first game in uniform. He was supposed to be a key piece to the Cavaliers championship run as the primary backup center.
Andrew Bogut Fractures Tibia in Cavaliers Debut
Bogut got tangled up with Okaro White of the Miami Heat early in the second quarter. Bogut’s left leg collided with White’s left knee. LeBron James told the media after the game, “As soon as the collision happened, I heard it break. It took the air out of the whole building.”
The Australian big man spent the past four seasons with the Golden State Warriors, the team that faced the Cavaliers in the Finals the past two seasons. It would have been interesting to see Bogut face off against his former Golden State teammates in the Finals should the two teams meet once again.
Bogut was one of three key pieces that GM David Griffin acquired at the trade deadline after LeBron James’ rant to the media about the need for a better supporting cast. Along with newly acquired Deron Williams and Derrick Williams, Bogut helped create a very talented team surrounding James. Bogut was signed by Cleveland after he was bought out by the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers had acquired Bogut in a trade that sent Nerlens Noel to the Dallas Mavericks.
While Bogut could have been an important piece to the Cavaliers in a potential matchup against the Warriors, his loss shouldn’t be too significant. He’s averaged just 3.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 22 minutes per game this season with Dallas. The Cavaliers should look to hit their stride once Kevin Love and J.R. Smith return from injury.
Main Photo
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JULY 14: Andrew Bogut of the Boomers looks on prior to the match between the Australian Boomers and the Pac-12 College All-stars at Hisense Arena on July 14, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
