Andrew Bogut left the NBA in disappointing fashion—waived by the Los Angeles Lakers after just 24 games—and it didn’t look like he was going to find his way back.

Going back home to Australia to be with his family, Bogut dominated the NBL with the Sydney Kings and won the Defensive Player of the Year award and was named MVP. His highlight tapes showed a leaner Bogut effortlessly blocking shots and finishing lobs, but still, his performance had to be seen at the NBA level again in order to be truly believed.

After years of carrying too many centers on their roster, the Golden State Warriors found themselves to be a little thin at that position, especially after Damian Jones’ season-ending injury. So, in early March after the NBL concluded, Bogut signed with his former team for the rest of the season.

Many Warriors fans were, understandably, skeptical about the move, considering the last time they saw him, he was knocked out of the NBA Finals after a Game 5 injury, an unfortunate-yet-unsurprising chapter in his injury-riddled career.

Bogut played sparingly until DeMarcus Cousins’ heartbreaking quad injury ended his season just a few minutes into his second postseason game ever.

Now thrust into a larger role, Bogut has been better than anyone could have expected.

Through four games this postseason, he’s averaging more points (5.5) than he has in any run with the Warriors since 2013 on 65 percent shooting, a playoff career-high. He’s also dishing out more assists (2.8) in a postseason than any since his Milwaukee Bucks days while hauling in nearly eight rebounds per game.

Defensively, he’s been exactly what Golden State has needed. He’s recorded a block in three of the first five games. Bogut was tied with Klay Thompson for the second-highest +/- on the team at a cool +24 in Game 3.

He’s been instrumental in containing Lou Williams, who has been a walking bucket in the first round. Bogut is an elite defender with a great understanding of positioning and, now, with his body transformation, he can rise up and close space much more quickly than he could the last time he was in Golden State.

While no one can shut a scorer like Williams down, Bogut has been solid in defending the pick-and-roll, keeping him out of the paint while also paying attention to Montrezl Harrell. And though it’s not his strong suit, he’s also been effective on the permitter, switching out onto players like Danilo Gallinari and contesting shots.

Though they probably didn’t intend on relying on Bogut for extended periods of time, he averaged 23 minutes per game in Games 3 and 4 after playing a combined 18 minutes in the first two contests.

In Game 5, the Los Angeles Clippers’ small lineup with JaMychal Green gave Bogut problems because it pulled him further away from the basket. Green knocked down three shots from beyond-the-arc while Danilo Gallinari and Patrick Beverley added three and five of their own, respectively.

Bogut didn’t set the tone defensively in Game 5 and the Warriors’ couldn’t recover. He’s going to be their starting center for the rest of the playoffs—asumming health—and they’re going to need him to be better than ever moving forward. Because if and when the Warriors close out the Clippers, he’s going to have to deal with James Harden’s two-man game with Clint Capela in the second round.

It’s not going to get easier for Bogut and the Warriors, but he’s been an absolute godsend thus far.

Bogut has surpassed all expectations and now, in light of Cousins’ injury, he is no longer just a depth piece: he’s a key cog in the Warriors’ quest for a three-peat, giving him a chance at redemption after the disappointment of the 2016 NBA Finals.