The Golden State Warriors are one win away from their first NBA title in 40 years. And they’re going to get the job done without their 7’0″ center Andrew Bogut.
Bogut did not play a single minute in Game 5’s 104-91 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, after only earning four minutes of playing time in Game 4. Andrew has been professional about his lack of playing time, but you can see that the frustration could be building.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr has decided to play with a smaller, faster lineup which puts Bogut on the bench.
The Australian-born Croat was kind enough to give CroatianSports.com two minutes of his time after Game 5. This is what he had to say.
@Bobby
Also, let’s not forget that Croats generally develop later.
Guys in the past like the Kovac brothers, Dado Prso, and even current players like Mandzukic and Rakitic took MAJOR strides in their careers only once they were older than age 25.
That 21-25 age range may be the main strength of many national sides (ie. Brazil, African teams, etc), but historically it has not been ours.
@Byt
So he played a bad half.
That means there is zero chance for him?
He’s played excellent for us before (both seniors and juniors).
@Bobby
If you can get 3 or 4 impact players in a four-year age range, you take it and RUN.
Do you actually expect to field 11 starting-caliber players from any arbitrary four-year age range?
In the Euros, we’ll probably have players ranging from age 18 to 37. It doesn’t really matter if we don’t have more than 3 or 4 impactful players from age 21-25.
It may signal a bleak future, but that is debunked by the fact that we have some very skilled, blue chip prospects in the 18-21 range.
Rebic is still a possibility?
Watch the game again before making a homer statement.
Don’t know how you can disagree – Perisic and Vida are 26, Lovren will be as well in a few weeks.
Looking at the 21-25 group, you have Kovacic, Brozovic and maybe Vrsaljko that can make any kind of impact – that’s about it.
That age group should be the main strength of any national side.
Take a look across Europe and you’ll see a huge talent gap between our players at that age and the rest – it is not even close.
Start with Belgium and go on from there.
Serbs have done well in the past, and it lead to nothing.
These youth competitions mean shit. I highly doubt that Mali, Senegal, and Hungary are forces to be reckoned with I’m the future.
As for that 21 to 25 year old talent gap… I have to disagree.
We have Kovačić, Vrsaljko, Brozović, and Kramarić who look like they’ll have decent careers. Rebić is still a possibility. Not to mention we have Lovren, Perišić, and Vida who are still 25 or barely 26.
Plus we have a lot of talent in the 18-20 age group in Jedvaj, Halilović, Ćorić, Pašalić, Balić, Vlašić, Perica.. Of which we really only need a couple of them to pan out.
No less than 3 and no more than 6 points is my guess.
Serbia into the World Cup U-20 final – and all I hear and read about is Croatia talented youth.
Outside of 1 or 2 players, we have a serious lack of talent from the ages of 21-25. A five year lost gap.
I think the swastika incident was mostly a big FU to Davor Suker for announcing the Croatia – Italy game was to be held in Split while knowing beforehand that it was to be played behind closed doors.
Interestingly, the stadium has 80 security cameras and the head groundskeeper the HNS supplied for the days before the match is from Dinamo Zagreb.
My guess is 3 points.
The Serbs got 3 deducted, and they rushed the field (players, fans, stewards) attacking the Albanian players.
I doubt they penalize us for more than that, but there’s no point in a one or two point deduction, since it would make no impact to our standing. Three seems perfect.
Plus a monetary fine and playing our final home match without fans.
How many points do you assume will be taken away? 9? 6?
@ Elvis hahahaha
@Ziva You are correct, I am a Hercevovac. Maybe your predictions are better than I thought.
We have one home game left (against Bulgaria) which will likely be a closed doors match as well.
However, I would expect incidents to occur at one of our Norway, Azerbaijan, or Malta matches.
This is one big mess and it will end with a nice fine and points deduction. Everything in the country stinks from the political leadership to the soccer leadership. Its amazing we are able to produce talent in the country.
And here we are…several days after the fact and not one arrest…plus all of these contradictory statements….definite inside job
Wouldn’t Balic and the half bosandzero have a tough time getting a work permit in England?
shave that beaver off your face picka ti materina
Bilic also going after Alen Halilovic.
Bilić going after Andrija Balić.
Valencia would be a better fit, but it’s good to have Bilić as your biased Croat coach giving you minutes to develop (even if it’s at the expense of West Ham).
☺
No Ziva is Trans-Croatian. You see he was born a Serb but he feels Croatian. Kinda like the issues Bruce Jenner and that NAACP white women are having. He feels Croatian but his birth record and physical apperance says he is a Serb. Who are we to judge his feelings?
@ Ante B
I know but they bus in these people from other countries to. Our boys did confront them in Split and a few in Zagreb but the weak government is cracking down on dissent. They want to force feed this crap to us. Did you read their communist Yugo agenda in the articale? Family is strength!!! and the progressive left wing scum are trying everything to weaken it.
I suspect Ziva is akin to Holiga. Kinda short, chubby, and werid. Wears darks socks and Reebok high tops with shorts. No skills with the ladies and watches WWF.
Ziva must be a real beauty. Disapora Dalmatians have always been harding working. Many have broken their backs when they came to America. Now the ones in the motherland may be more beach influenced. Wouldn’t you be by such beautiful beaches and women from all over Europe who show up in bikini’s? Histrorically Dalmatian men are considered great lovers. Women from all over Europe would come for our gigolos. No doubt they can lay the pipe.
Not true, not true at all. But, thanks for following along. Let me guess, you must be a hercegovac or, better yet, a hard working dalmatian (they do exist? )
Ziva the Serb – keep ripping Croats and keep giving them less than flattering nicknames.
“Folically challenged” Rakitic wins the Champions League with Barcelona and “Porcelain” Bogut wins a NBA title.
Here’s my new nickname for you :Ziva “Smelly bastard who loses almost every bet he makes which keeps him tied to his mother’s basement” Istina
Congrats indeed…….I got them on the future line at 8-1 early in the year. Now, I plan to place all that on a Wimbledon parlay of Serena Williams and Djokovic.
Dubs Win. Oakland/Bay Area Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, a team finally wins, Congrats to Bogut!
No name……Human Victory Cigar Bogut.
Ok so we’re looking good for the next few tourneys, we should qualify with no problem. We just have to start making an impact at these events, in order to raise our credibility In the eyes of the footballing world.
And The Croatian Checkered shirt must be synonymous with the World Cup just like Brazilian Yellow or the Dutch Oranje shirt. The Checkered shirt must reach iconic status (and not just some cool looking shirt from a “smol kantri.”). To do this we will have start making a splash at these events.
Radicu,
They have them in Zagreb and Split now where there are more cops and politicians than actual participants.
Croatia is a top seed with the Italy loss! Now that what I’m talkin’ about, finally some good news as it’s been fireballs since Friday.
Sramota!!!
http://dalje.com/en-lifestyle/gay-rights-parade-to-take-place-in-zagreb-saturday-for-14th-time/546963
That’s what I’m saying. I don’t want Croatia to play a bunch of crappy teams. I would actually like them to play teams like Germany or England, to see where they’re at as a team.
the only people who care about seedings are those who are worried about not qualifying or playing tougher teams.
I don’t care if are in the first or second pot. I prefer to play attractive matches.
1-0 Portugal over Italy in the 64th minute. If it holds, Croatia is a #1 seed for the World Cup qualifying draw. In a way, it would be nice to be a #2 seed. Better quality of games. As a #1 seed, it’s possible to have a group of Croatia, Iceland, Albania, Faroe Islands, Moldova and Andorra. Although some of these teams are getting better and better, especially Iceland.
Well, a beer in Chicago is still on the table! It’s on me.
@naprid bili……..i hope hajduk doesn’t bring back Kranjcar. Don’t see how he would help them. At this stage in his career he needs to go to the highest bidder. He doesn’t have many years left and he needs to collect all the cash he can because there is always the chance his old man drinks it away or gambles it away.
negative
Nobody mention the Blackawks in my presence please. I’m in mourning right now. 🙁
Anyway, professional as always from Kvartuc. You guys can learn a lot from him! Here’s to Cleveland going another 40-whatever years without a champion in that city!
Isn’t Ziva a (former) Cleveland boy? Did the only smart thing a Clevelander will ever do: Leave Cleveland.
Anyway, I’ll be in Chacago next month, boys. Any Midwest Hrvati there to meet up for a beer and not talk about the Blackhawks?
Faroe Islands in Pot 4, that’s funny.
How about my Blackhawks! Third Stanley Cup in six years! Tako se to radi! Wooooooo!
Everyone knows the solution was just days from being accomplished in 1995, but clinton told us to stop at the bosnian border, we had the serbs on the run back to belgrade, the bosniyaks we would have taken care of afterwards easily, we would have let them go live with their mosques in sarajevo or turkey or iran, then the situation would have been resolved and complete, instead bih is a pathetic no mans land joke full of bosniyak and serb shit.
bosnians are shit ppl like serbs, except they’re called bosniyaks, is there going to a fifa reply to this, or only almost invisible signs made by who knows who
https://www.google.ca/search?q=bosnia+soccer+jews&client=safari&rls=en&biw=1280&bih=580&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAGoVChMI_OKb-OWSxgIVwQmSCh27HA1l&dpr=1
Niko Kranjcar returning to Split!
Does it really matter what seed we are? I’d be surprised if we played in another major tournament again. We can’t play a home game without incident, don’t see that changing anytime soon.
Yes, but Wales? And Romania? It’s all because it’s based on FIFA rankings, which are crazy, instead of the UEFA coefficients. This list makes more sense. Croatia would still be a #1 and Wales would be a #3 seed, which is about where they should be. Here are the coefficients:
http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/competitions/General/02/25/84/05/2258405_DOWNLOAD.pdf
http://www.index.hr/sport/clanak/foto-dana-gorjelo-smece-pred-hnsom-/825702.aspx
I’m sure people could say Croatia being a #1 seed is a joke.
Outside of the top of the top in Europe, the rest of the continent is interchangeable
Here’s a link to the 2018 World Cup qualifying pots. Looks like Croatia’s top seed status depends on an otherwise meaningless friendly tomorrow between Italy and Portugal. If Italy wins, Croatia goes to pot 2. If Italy loses Croatia is a top seed. If it’s a tie, Croatia is probably still #1. My favorite thing about all of this is that Wales is a #1 seed. Wales? And Romania as a #1 is also a joke.
http://www.weglobalfootball.com/2014/08/28/2018-world-cup-qualifying-pot-projections-uefa/
Maybe Bogut should get his ring and leave the Bay Area. Andrew Benchgut Bogus.
At least he doesn’t have to shower after games.
The Porcelain man.
Heard him talk on Melbourne radio, you can tell he is frustrated but at the end of the day he has played his part during the season in winning the title.
Total professional.