| Pietrus Could Have Breakout Season Authored by Payam Jahromi - September 25, 2005 - 3:41 pm
This could be the breakout year for “The Future.”
Mickael Pietrus, who appointed himself as “The Future” of the Warriors during a post-game interview last season, is healthy and hoping to play his first full season.
Pietrus has missed 44 games his first two seasons, and last year he was hurt during all of training camp and preseason. When he came back, he was consistently inconsistent.
At times he was the best player on the floor and at other times he looked like an unsure sixth grader who looked lost, often thinking instead of reacting.
But as the season went on, Pietrus became more consistent, as was the case in his rookie year. He has finished each of his first two seasons on a strong note. One could only imagine what type of year he would have if healthy.
Pietrus is known for his defense more than any other Warrior, and that’s where he brings the most value to the team. His energy and relentless actually bothers opponents, something the Warriors haven’t really had on the perimeter since Latrell Sprewell was a top defender for the Warriors.
However, when Pietrus wasn’t playing well on offense, his defense slacked off. Offensively, Pietrus was only as effective as his 3-point shot. If that shot was going down, he was unstoppable. But when that shot was missing, his penetration, defense and energy would disappear.
His stats were either “14 points in 12 minutes” or “0 points in 10 minutes.” There was no in-between.
But that finally changed towards the end of last season.
During a five-game stretch at the end of March and beginning of April, Pietrus did not rely on his 3-point shot – he as 4-17 from downtown – and played his most effective basketball of the season.
In 27 minutes a game during that stretch, Pietrus shot 29-49 (53% FG), 31-37 from the line (84%) and averaged 16.6 points per game. The stat that stands out for me is the number of free-throw attempts and makes. He averaged 7.4 attempts per game and made a very high percentage.
Perhaps the best game he’s ever had was April 18 at home against the Lakers. Pietrus, who mostly guarded Kobe Bryant, held Kobe to 9-for-27 shooting and had him visibly frustrated. On one play, Bryant picked up a technical foul after Pietrus stripped the ball off Bryant and out of bounds for a turnover.
On offense, Pietrus led the Warriors with 25 points on 8-for-11 shooting in 26 minutes. If Kobe didn’t know who Pietrus was before that game, I guarantee you he knows now. (And "I won't be surprised if Kobe GOES for 40")
If Pietrus can be effective even when his outside shot isn’t falling, we could be looking at a special player this season. And although a five-game stretch is a small sample, it’s proof that it’s possible.
But the single most important factor will be his health. If – and it’s a big if – he can stay healthy, lookout.
If you have any questions or comments, you can reach me at pjahromi@sbcglobal.net.
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