Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
The Curious Case of Andris Biedrins
The once promising big man out of Latvia surprisingly has his career turned after almost two seasons characterized by injuries, increasing foul rates, poor free throw shooting, shoddy defense and with almost no offensive game to speak off. Coupled with a contract that can almost scare off the likes of Isiah Thomas during his glorious run with the New York Knicks, it’s dumbfounded that his career is where it is at today. He can rebound, but it seems like he forgot how to play the other areas of the basketball game.
During the Warriors’ 06-07 exciting run during the in the playoffs, he posted a PER of about 16 but shot a TS% of .697 and .730, the highest during the 2006-07 playoffs. That confidence carried over to the next season where he posted a career high PER of 19.2, while leading the league in FG%, EFG% and offensive rating (LOL). His FT% gradually increased every year from .475 in his rookie season to .620 in 2007-08. His PF rate per 36 minutes also decreased from 8.2 fouls in his rookie year to 4.5 in 2007-08.
He got his massive extension in the summer, where he was essentially paid on his potential to improve and because good centers are a premium in the league. His free throw shooting took a hit, dropping 6.9% from the prior year, but the center averaged career highs in points (11.9), rebounds (11.2), and assists, (2). There should be no surprise in those offensive numbers as he had the highest USG% percentage during his career so far. He also missed 17 games due to injuries, which would plague him the following season.
In 2009/10, everything went wrong with Biedrins. Beginning with injuries that only limited him to 33 games and 23 minutes per game, the 7-footer shot a career low FT% of 16%! Now absorb that for a second. There should be no way that a professional basketball player, let alone one in the NBA, that shoots 16% from the free throw line. Head coach Don Nelson repeatedly tried to change his free throw shooting stroke but was unsuccessful. He was also very critical of Biedrins for his lack of intensity and aggressiveness on the floor.
Biedrins was involved in multiple trade rumours from as early as 2008/09 when the Warriors pursued ex-Raptor Chris Bosh. In the offseason, he shot back and criticized the team in an interview in Latvia.
The current 2010/11 season presented a fresh new start for the Golden State Warriors with new ownership, an all-star big man in David Lee and a new coach. However it was the same story with Biedrins. And while Biedrins was a good rebounder, he was never that good at defending centers, as they posted PER of over 20 the last 4 years. It was his worst season in the rebounding department since 2005-06.
So what happened?
It should be hard for anyone to believe that at age 24 he forgot how to play basketball now but at age 21 and 22, he is posting PER of 19 and career highs across the board. Biedrins has lost the one thing you can’t lose if you are a basketball player. And that is confidence in one’s abilities on the court and he is not reclaiming that in Golden State. He is playing scared and timid.
My solution to his problems would be a trade to another team that presents a fresh new start for him. He is too young to be washed up now and teams like Toronto could use the old Biedrins. White Vegas is euro friendly and could possibly help him regain some of that ‘Euro-Swag’ back. This is a buy low situation for a team at a critical position where Biedrins is clearly not performing to his capabilities due to whatever reasons.
Either that or become DJ Pauly D’s apprentice. Look at the difference in his swag when he was ballin’ during the recent golden years in the Bay Area and now.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
He needs to get on that hair gel again.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Interesting Development Regarding Colangelo's Extension
Sources say Silvestri, who took a seat on the board last year, has emerged as an atypically opinionated presence around the Air Canada Centre. Along with criticizing Colangelo’s record as GM, Silvestri, one league source said, has also been heard to deride Colangelo’s career as the product of nepotism. Colangelo’s father, Jerry, was owner of the Phoenix Suns when Bryan became that franchise’s general manager in 1995.Bryan Colangelo, who was GM in Phoenix for 11 years before he succeeded Rob Babcock in Toronto in February 2006, has had success outside his father’s shadow. He was named the NBA’s executive of the year in Toronto in 2007 for inheriting a 27-win team and turning them into the 47-win champions of the Atlantic Division.
He has made plenty of missteps in the wake of that triumph, to be sure. The Jermaine O’Neal deal, which insiders pin on Colangelo’s wish to assuage then-coach Sam Mitchell’s constant harping for more defence and rebounding, was a miss. Ditto Hedo Turkoglu. And Colangelo’s call-out of Chris Bosh, this in the wake of Bosh’s exit to Miami last summer, raised eyebrows among those concerned about the team’s ability to retain and land free agents.
Finally someone with some balls in the organization. It's quite clear the likes of Mr. Peddie and Mr. Tanenbaum, both supporters of Bryan Colangelo, are willing to give Bryan his extension despite the massive miscalculations and lack of foresight on his roster moves. Colangelo has often tried to mask his failures, one of his job responsibilities, connecting it to 'bad luck' and 'unpredictable circumstances' as opposed to his flawed 'vision' that led to the sub-par yet often overrated product on the court that MLSE tries to sell to Toronto year after year.
I'm still waiting for the game to evolve when big men can play like guards and not have to worry about the responsibilities required up front. Unfortunately the man is out to lunch.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Miss Afzal Displays Her Affection For NYK
*Switches allegiances to the Knicks*
Oh and they have won six of their last nine games since the Melo trade.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
2011 Slam Dunk Contest Exposed?
Clippers star Blake Griffin is on such a roll that he won the Slam Dunk contest ahead of participating. The NBA sent out a press release BEFORE the contest started announcing that Griffin was the winner.
The NBA sent out an itinerary for the NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by Adidas on Sunday Feb. 20 It ran down the highlights of the day.
In this official media advisory it listed the “KROQ BLAKE GRIFFIN SHOWCASE” from 1:20 pm to 2:00 pm with the following description: “Five middle school students will showcase their dunking talents in front of 2011 NBA Sprite Slam Dunk Contest winner Blake Griffin.”
Nothing wrong with this right? Except for the fact that the release was sent via email at 5:28 pm PST on Saturday Feb. 19, over an hour before the Slam Dunk contest’s scheduled 6:30 pm PST start...
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