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OAKLAND, Calif. -- At the beginning of training camp, Andrew Bogut set a goal to play all 82 regular-season games and regain his place among the NBAs best centres. Hes on pace to come awfully close. With his health no longer holding him back, Bogut has been a force in the middle for the Golden State Warriors (29-19) entering Tuesday nights home game against the Charlotte Bobcats. He ranks near the top of the league in blocks, rebounds and defensive ratings, and he has begun to silence the chatter that hes a player who is always hurt. "I havent felt this great in while," Bogut said after Mondays practice, then quickly asking not to jinx his good fortune. "Touch wood," he said. The 7-footer from Australia, who has a well-documented history of injuries, has played in 47 of 48 games -- with his lone absence stemming from a suspension handed down by the NBA for his role in a scrum against Portland. Bogut had played in only 44 games the past two seasons combined. Boguts presence has been especially big considering his primary backups, Jermaine ONeal and Festus Ezeli, have been out most of the season. "Hes been spectacular, protecting the paint, setting screens, rebounding the basketball, being a leader, being durable," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. "If hes not here, youre asking basically a power forward to be a (centre), and to do it for a lengthy period of time is a recipe for disaster. But hes been awesome, and certainly should be in the discussion for Defensive Player of the Year." The Warriors took a big risk by signing Bogut to a three-year, $36 million extension in October that could be worth up to about $42 million with incentives. They also took a gamble when they acquired Bogut in a trade-deadline deal in March 2012 that sent guard Monta Ellis to Milwaukee. Bogut did not play for Golden State that season while recovering from a fractured left ankle. Bogut battled back and knee injuries while averaging a career-low 5.8 points to go with 7.7 rebounds last season, but he was at his best in the playoffs, making a major difference on defence to help the Warriors advance to the second round. Bogut missed the end of the 2009-10 season with the Bucks when he dislocated his right elbow, sprained his right wrist and broke his right hand in a hard fall to the floor. He also missed significant time with an injured lower back in the 2008-09 season. Bogut has repeatedly called both injuries "freak accidents." "People that label me injury-prone, its fair enough, I understand it," Bogut said. "But to say that theyre chronic injuries, those people are idiots. Two injuries that have hurt my career and probably shortened the length of my career and probably a little bit of my playing ability are completely out of my control." Even still, the setbacks have taken a toll -- physically and mentally. At one point while rehabbing his ankle last season, Bogut said he was in a "dark place" and even considered retirement. Instead, Golden States surprising playoff run -- and his big role in it -- left him rejuvenated. He lost about 15 pounds this off-season, and the only real injury scare cost him some practice time in January after he strained his right knee. Bogut is averaging 10.6 rebounds and two blocks per game, and he has the NBAs third-best defensive rating -- which is calculated by how many points are given up per 100 possessions while a player is on the floor. Offence is still something that has eluded Bogut since his elbow injury, though on a Golden State team stacked with shooters, hes not asked to score much. Bogut is averaging 8.2 points, which is sixth on the team, but he leads the Warriors with 64 per cent shooting -- with most of his points coming on pick-and-roll dunks or put-back rebounds. Hes also rediscovering his passing ability -- once considered among the best for NBAs centres -- lately, including tying his season high with five assists in Fridays win at Utah. "Hes talented, man," point guard Stephen Curry said. "Its not often you see a big man get the rebound, push in transition, change directions a couple times, read the defence and make behind-the-back passes and one-handed passes for a backdoor cut. That creativity he has, Ive rarely seen it for a guy his size." Bogut, now 29, has concentrated on becoming a more versatile defender. Hes not just guarding centres near the rim, but often going out against power forwards, including holding down All-Star starter Blake Griffin in a win over the Clippers last week. Bogut believes hes "close" to playing the best defence of his career, and hes making a strong case to be on the first or second All-NBA Defensive teams. The only time Bogut could remember playing this well was before his injury in the 2009-10 season, when he finished second behind Orlandos Dwight Howard in blocks per game but didnt even get a vote for the defensive teams that season. "Hopefully, I can make up for that this season," Bogut said. "But awards are predicated on how the team is, how the success of the team is, so if we go to the playoffs and make some noise, I think all that stuff will take care of itself." Best Site Buy China Jerseys .K. Subban and Matt Duchene will be the two skaters sitting out the teams opening game. Where To Buy Cheap Jerseys .C. - Alberta prop Andrew Tiedemann will captain Canada against Uruguay on Friday, the opening day of competition at the IRB Americas Rugby Championship. https://www.cheapjerseysreview.com/ . The Brazilian heads into Saturday afternoons race coming off a close runner-up finish to Ryan Hunter-Reay in the Indianapolis 500. Cheap Jerseys Review . -- Arizona pitcher Bronson Arroyo is expected to miss a week to 10 days because of a back injury. NFL Jerseys From China ... as usual. Even with the salary cap being set lower than many general managers expected and hoped for at $69 million and whats considered a shallow pool of top-end players available, this unrestricted-free-agent period figures to follow the familiar script of teams bidding up prices to keep up with each other.HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - Jason Brown was all revved up, ready to put on a show for his home crowd.It didnt quite work out.Brown fell early in his routine, and Japans Tatsuki Machida dominated in the Skate America mens short program on Friday.On a night when there were plenty of falls, Machida kept his footing and left the ice to loud cheers after wowing the crowd. With 93.39 points, he had a comfortable lead over American Jeremy Abbott (81.82) and Brown (79.75), the Chicago-area product.I couldnt have asked for a better crowd, really, Brown said. The support, the love, it was really just awesome. I could hear everyone that I knew from home, and then I could hear different people in the crowd. I was so excited to be out there and skate at home.But Machida skated away with a commanding lead after Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates won the ice dance short competition.The mens long program and ice dance free skate are Saturday evening, with the pairs and womens short programs earlier in the day. Gracie Gold, the 2014 Olympian and U.S. champion, leads the womens field along with two-time junior champion Elena Radionova of Russia.Abbott stumbled on a triple axel early in his routine, and Brown went down performing the same move.It was an especially difficult development for Brown, who is from Highland Park and drew attention with a silver medal at the U.S. championships in January. That and his ponytail make him one of the most recognizable skaters.Once I fell, I had that choice: Will I let this affect me or can I make up and try to get every single last point I can out of my program? Brown said. Thats really the way I looked at it. Im going to get up, Im going to finish strong, Im going to hit every note after this and Im going to really focus on every detail so I can make up points along the way. I reallyy feel like I was able to do that, so in that I feel successful.ddddddddddddBrowns homecoming also was the first time that music backed by vocals was allowed in a major singles or pairs event. Its a shift in a sport where instrumental pieces rule, but a desire to appeal to younger audiences sparked the move.That wall came crashing down when Russias Artur Gachinski performed to Michael Bubles rendition of Cry Me A River.When you skate you can bring about the song, you can feel what the song has inside, he said. I think its a good idea.Even so, switching to music with lyrics was not an easy decision. He said its easier to get distracted.You start dancing like youre in the club, Gachinski said.In the ice dance, Chock and Bates scored 68.96 points, outclassing the field in a competition that featured the Flamenco and Paso Doble.The brother-sister combo of Americans Maia and Alex Shibutani (64.14) were second, with Russians Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin (56.37) in third.North Americans have dominated ice dance in recent years, but reigning Olympic gold medallists Meryl Davis and Charlie White and 2010 champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are not competing this season.That leaves Chock and Bates to carry on the winning tradition, along with the Shibutanis, and the teams are holding the top two spots heading into Saturdays free skate.I think obviously the long goal is the 2018 Olympics, but this year is really important for us, said Bates, who placed eighth with Chock at the Sochi Games. I think what we saw and really learned from Meryl and Charlie was we got a first-hand experience of what it is like to be the elite team in the world. We had the opportunity to train alongside them but also compete alongside them. I think our experience with them in Sochi was more than anything inspiring. ' ' '