Andrew Bogut is getting blood manipulation treatments

• Bogut has been slow to come back from his ankle surgery
• The treatment uses the body's own proteins to reduce swelling
• Bogut's surgery was more extensive than what he expected

When the Golden State Warriors boarded a plane for Minnesota and headed out on a three-game road trip on Thursday, their most important player remained alone in Los Angeles.

Center Andrew Bogut continues to rehab the surgically-repaired left ankle that has him out indefinitely, and USA TODAY Sports has learned that he has been taking yet another measure to get fully healthy.

The Warriors have confirmed that Bogut has received Regenokine injections, a blood-manipulation treatment on his ankle that is similar to the one Lakers star Kobe Bryant had on his right knee during the 2011 offseason and to which he credits his physical revival ever since. The procedure is expected to assist in Bogut's recovery and diminish the inflammation in the ankle.

Regenokine injections, according to its website, is a program that uses "the body's own proteins to reduce inflammation." It is used to treat osteoarthritis, joint pain, low back pain and some muscle and tendon issues.

The Warriors, who gambled on Bogut as the centerpiece of their rebuilding effort when they acquired him from Milwaukee in March and sent fan favorite Monta Ellis to the Bucks, had always hoped Bogut would be ready to contribute at the start of the season. But the left ankle that he fractured in January ultimately required arthroscopic surgery in late April.

The surgery, as Bogut has said several times, involved far more extensive clean-up than was originally expected and pushed his recovery time back to the point that he hoped he'd be ready for training camp. He played four of the first five games this season, but had a 20-minute-per-game limit that clearly frustrated him and limited his impact. The Warriors announced on Nov. 8 that Bogut would miss the next seven to 10 days, then later said there was no timeline when he didn't return. The Warriors, who so badly want to make the playoffs for just the third time in the franchise's last 18 seasons, downed Atlanta on Wednesday night to improve to 4-4.

Bogut is doing some on-court activity while also resting the ankle, and he is being monitored by Warriors consultant Jerry West during the basketball sessions.