Editor's note: Grant Liffmann is the co-host of Warriors Outsiders, which airs on NBC Sports Bay Area 90 minutes before each home game and 60 minutes after every game. Each week, Grant will drop his Outsider Observation on the state of the Dubs.
By now I'm sure you have heard the news: The Warriors are close to a deal with Andrew Bogut, reuniting the big man with a team he is very familiar with, but in a league that has changed dramatically.
Back when Bogut patrolled the paint in his final season for the Dubs in 2015-16, the NBA was still adapting to their style of ball. The Warriors led the league in 3-point attempts with 31.6 per game, followed by the Rockets at 30.9. Now, three seasons later, the league-leader is Houston with nearly 45 attempts from deep per game, and 13 teams shoot more threes than the Warriors did when they led the league three years ago.
So why does that matter for Andrew Bogut? Because the days of the lumbering big man cemented in the paint are over, and Bogut has yet to play meaningful minutes in the current climate.
[RELATED: One ex-Warrior happy about Bogut's reported return]
He will have to be fully prepared to switch onto smaller guards and wings, while also defending the 3-point line when put into a ball screen situations and forced to contest shots from deep. These are the issues that DeMarcus Cousins has been facing since his return from his injury, to mostly troubling results thus far.
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From everything I have seen and heard, Bogut looks to be in fantastic shape and appears more agile than before. He will need that new quicker physique in today's NBA.
But how much playing time will Bogut even see, and how will that affect the current roster?
Since Damian Jones went down, the Warriors have been lacking frontcourt depth. They have a dire need for better rebounding, and they lack a real lob threat who plays above the rim. Bogut has the potential to be a great help for both those needs, but he will be buried on the bench behind Cousins -- unless Boogie were to find himself in foul trouble, hurt or ineffective.
Since Bogut's skill set and body type are much different from Kevon Looney and Jordan Bell, it would be surprising if his presence affects those two much. When the Warriors are facing a team that is small and quick, then Looney and Bell will be counted on.
[RELATED: Report: MRI for Looney's pelvic soreness reveals strain]
When the team is playing against a big bruising center (i.e. Clint Capela, Steven Adams, Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid), then you can expect that Cousins -- and to a lesser extent Bogut -- would dominate the center minutes.
In adding a center, the Warriors have forgone another major need of finding consistent outside shooting off their bench. Many had assumed Damion Lee, a capable long-range shooter, had a strong shot at the 15th roster spot.
But the addition of Bogut does not necessarily signal that the Warriors will automatically leave Lee off the playoff roster. Golden State could always cut a player, which would in turn create a vacancy for Lee.
Coincidentally, three of the prime candidates -- Quinn Cook, Alfonzo McKinnie and Jonas Jerebko ... all of whom have been struggling with their shot -- are not guaranteed money for next season, thus making their roster status even shakier.
The Warriors will not hesitate to remove a player from their roster if it means adding one that can contribute more to their depth in the playoffs.
[RELATED: Why the Warriors reportedly are reuniting with Bogut]
Injuries can be the biggest impetus for roster changes. Last season, for instance, Steph Curry suffered an injury before the playoffs, opening a need for Quinn Cook, and thus making Omri Casspi expendable. If the roster were to maintain relatively healthy over the final 19 games of the season, then it will be up to the coaching staff and front office to determine which three of Cook, McKinnie, Jerebko and Lee would be best suited for a playoff run.
So, through the rest of the regular season, the pressure will be on those four players to be as effective as possible in their limited chances. I wouldn't be surprised if the Warriors stand pat and keep the roster as it is, but if Lee keeps shooting like he did in Philadelphia, he may force the Warriors' hand.
