| Biedrins Takes Advantage Of Playing Time Authored by Payam Jahromi - March 13, 2005 - 5:14 pm
Splitting the eight-game road trip may not sound like much, but it is un-charted territory for the Warriors. Even more unprecedented is the fact that, of the three blowouts, two had the Warriors on the winning end.
Baron Davis has pumped a confidence into the team that cannot be quantified by stats. The team’s record is 4-5 with Davis, but considering that eight of those games were on the road, that’s darn good.
But Davis hasn’t been the only reason for the recent surge. The emergence of rookie center Andris Biedrins was the most encouraging element that came about during the trip.
Biedrins, who at 18 is the youngest player in the league, is getting playing time and making the most of it. He’s also showing signs that maybe just maybe the Warriors have found a franchise center.
The rookie has been a force on both ends of the floor – scrambling for loose balls, grabbing rebounds, blocking shots, and dunking home anything around the basket.
The Warriors haven’t had a dominant big man since Chris Webber in ’94. Biedrins is nowhere near being dominant, but he’s 18. Can he become the big man the Warriors have waited for?
No one knows for sure, but with apologies to Erick Dampier and Adonal Foyle, there hasn’t been this type of a buzz about a big man around here since Webber.
There are so many qualities to love about the young Latvian. To start, he’s humble, wants to be great and is very popular amongst teammates. He seems to have the attitude required to become a great player.
When you look at Biedrins, you can’t help notice how long he is. He is super aggressive and loves to bang inside. He also loves playing defense, especially against opposing centers and power forwards. In other words, he’s the exact opposite of every European big man.
His hands are soft, which Warriors fans can appreciate. If you compare his hands to Foyle, Biedrins is Jerry Rice on the court, actually CATCHING passes thrown his way. Not to knock Foyle – he is what he is – but I wouldn’t want him holding a new-born baby.
Mike Montgomery has been criticized for sitting Biedrins earlier in the season, but making the rookie wait was the best thing for him.
Making young players earn their playing time is a lost art. At 18, Biedrins wasn’t ready to play 20 minutes back in November. Since then, he’s put on weight and worked hard in practice. He probably values his playing time more than he would have had he been inserted into the regular rotation immediately.
If Biedrins is this effective at 18, how good can he be in three years? The possibilities are exciting for a Warriors franchise desperate for respect around the league.
Three weeks ago, the Warriors didn’t have a game-changing point guard or big man. Now, they have a two-time all-star at the point and a rising star at center.
Along with Biedrins and Davis, the recent play of Mike Dunleavy and the leadership and competitiveness of future all-star Jason Richardson give Warriors fans something to really get excited about. I mean for real. |
