Draymond Green says the Cavs came back from 3-1 down in the 2016 Finals because of Andrew Bogut's injury
When talking about the Golden State Warriors dynasty, Australian center Andrew Bogut has often been overlooked. This is unavoidable considering how stacked the team was from 2014 to 2019, with future Hall of Famers Stephen Curry , Kevin Durant , Draymond Green and Klay Thompson bannering the roster.
However, on “The Draymond Green Show,” Green said that Bogut is just as deserving of the spotlight as they are, highlighting his crucial role in the dynasty’s early beginnings.
“He was that force in the middle for us. We knew, going up against the great bigs in the league at the time, we had a guy that can guard and stop all of them,” he said, “He was very vital in his leadership. He was very vital to the beginning of the dynasty to what became a dynasty.”
Bogut brought a sense of stability to the center position as an all-around big man, with great rim protection, defense, leadership and playmaking – a type of value that numbers could not measure.
Nowhere was that value sorely missed more than in the 2016 NBA Finals when the center went out with a devastating injury.
Green believes Bogut would have changed the story
Coming off a historic 73-9 season, the Warriors barreled through their foes in the playoffs and reached the finals, setting up a rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers .
With two-time MVP Curry leading the way – and the help of a supporting cast composed of Thompson, Green, Harrison Barnes and Bogut – the Warriors gained a 3-1 edge against the Cavaliers.
They were poised to win the series until Bogut went down with a left knee injury in Game 5, sidelining him for the rest of the series. GSW’s third-year center Festus Ezeli tried to fill in his shoes in the remaining games, but to no avail.
“No one ever talks about it, but it was big… You got to try to find the fifth guy to plug in. And we just didn't really have enough time for the adjustment,” Green said. “So that was huge… That was everything.”
The Cavaliers won three straight, capped off by an iconic Game 7. Had Bogut played there, Green believes that the finals would have been a “completely different story.”
“We needed [Bogut] in that Game 7,” he said. “Nonetheless, it is what it is. We weren't able to make up what we lost in his absence.”
No Draymond without Andrew
Bogut played three more seasons before returning to Sydney, Australia, to play in the NBL. He won the NBL MVP in 2019, but recurring injuries forced him to retire the next year.
He wrapped up his career as an NBA champion, with one All-NBA and one All-Defensive Team nod. But beyond his short list of accolades, Green stressed his value as a veteran and leader who helped him develop his game.
“I could never thank Bogut enough, man. Incredible,” he said. “I was so lucky to come into an organization that had Andrew Bogut to teach me the things that he taught me.”
Green is now a four-time champion, Defensive Player of the Year, with nine All-Defensive Team nods and a four-time All-Star.
He said he owes all his success to him.
“It's paid dividends in my career and, you know, allowed me to become the defender that I've become. So huge,” he said.
Green needed Bogut to become the star he is today, just as the Warriors needed him during the last three games of the 2016 Finals. It was indeed a huge blow and arguably, his presence would have made a huge difference.
If Bogut had played, perhaps history would be looking at that 73-9 Warriors team without the asterisk and with much more respect.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
