Something occured to me the other day when I was looking at Biedrins' numbers this year. At this early stage of the season, and at twenty years old, you could make a case that Biedrins is the third or fourth most productive center in the entire league. He's playing better than Ben Wallace, Shaq is injured, Ilgauskas is having a down year in addition to being slow of foot... am I crazy on this one? The only guy I can thinkof who's surefire going better than AB is Yao Ming.
Well, as surprsing as Biedrins has been, we just don't know Biedrins will maintain 13/13/3 pace. As a matter of fact, teams will make an adjustment, and it's more than likely that he will hit the wall sooner or later. Just for fun, if Biedrins maintain 13/13/3, you can even argue that he may be 3rd best center behind Yao and Shaq (if we remove PF playing centers like Duncan, Howard, Stoudmire, J' Oneal ect). Because there just aren't too many center, who can give that type of production. Centers like Okur, Kristic, Curry, Bogut may give points and sometimes rebounds, but their blocks are pitiful. Camby, Dampier, and Big Z are centers, who can give points, rebounds, and blocks, but their numbers aren't better than Biedrins. If you consider those factors, you can argue that Biedrins may be 3rd best center in the league. Now, back to the reality. I would be happy if Biedrins can average 10/10/2 at the end of year. If so, we may argue that Biedrins is top 10 center in the league. And, I would be even more happier if we can resign him after this season for 10 mils per year. A lot of 10s...
<div class="quote_poster">Kwan1031 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post"> Just for fun, if Biedrins maintain 13/13/3, you can even argue that he may be 3rd best center behind Yao and Shaq (if we remove PF playing centers like Duncan, Howard, Stoudmire, J' Oneal ect).</div> In a sense isn't Biedrins a PF playing C also?
Well, I always consider Biedrins as center, probably because he is 7 footer and lacks a skill to be PF . And, I don't think he played PF with us before...
I've always thought of Biedrins as a center also, simply because he doesn't have PF skills the way those other guys do, and he plays it so tough inside. I did forget about Miller, Okur, and Camby, though.
I would probably put Andris ahead of Camby and Miller right now. Neither they (nor Okur) are very efficient shooters, which Andris is. And Andris has big block numbers compared to Miller and Okur (Camby is up there though).
<div class="quote_poster">AnimeFANatic Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">In a sense isn't Biedrins a PF playing C also?</div> I've always thought of him as a Center because he has no skills outside of the paint and really has no business leaving the paint on either end of the floor unless its to set a pick. Its sort of like Camby where most thought he'd be a PF coming into the league but neither Biedrins nor Camby have played much PF in their careers. I'd say Biedrins is a top 10 C right now and is on par with guys like Camby, Ben Walace, Stoudamire, Okur, etc. and after Yao and Howard I'd say those guys are next on the list since Shaq and Kaman haven't been playing and Big Z and Brad Miller haven't been playing well.
Dwight Howard is the Magic's center. He played power forward early on but now he only plays center. I think Dwight is the best center in the league right now but then again, I'm a bit biased. Biedrins is having a good year though and he is definently showing a lot of upside.
I think POB has potential to be a decent PF and then we could play them both at the same time and be like the days when David Roinson played with Tim Duncan...
Yao is this year's Shaq-in-his-prime. Unstoppable right now. He's the best center in the league. Dwight Howard isn't producing better than Yao, but that's a moot point because Dwight Howard is still one of the best players in the NBA -- I'd say top 7.
<div class="quote_poster">AnimeFANatic Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">In a sense isn't Biedrins a PF playing C also?</div> From the time we drafted him, i always thought of him as a center.
It would be nice to see him play both positions, but we were all excited when we drafted him because he actually prefers to play down low where big men belong...
<div class="quote_poster">CLos Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Dwight and Biedrins are the best young Centers in the NBA.</div> Bynum has looked pretty good too. He is younger than both Dwight and Andris.
He doesn't have any face-up shot yet. He does have a face up move to get to the basket -- I'm thinking of one dribble spin-move and lay-up -- apparently when he was playing over seas his coach made him play face up and go to the rim. But he still has no jumper or 12 foot bank shot, and IMO until he does he's better suited at center. My reasoning is that at center, he's facing taller, slower defenders that he can use his quickness against (I'm thiniking of his up-and-unders and back-door cuts he's used to shake guys like Tim Duncan and Jarron Collins). However, if he plays PF, he'll be facing quicker defenders who have a better chance of staying in front of his pump fakes, spin moves and up-and-unders (more or less). With a decent mid-range shot, defenders will have to honor that a bit and come out away from the paint to guard him closer. Consequently, it will make it easier for him to drive or make his moves, providing a little more wiggle-room to get to the basket.
Andris Biedrins 06-07 first 15 games highlights AB is one of the top centers in the NBA. Proof is in the pudding. Shows blocks on Tim Dunkin Donuts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9rui2vQJQc
Thanks for the video. It's amazing to see how he can jump twice when other centers can jump just once. Once, he learns how to post up, he will be very hard to defend due to his speed. However, I can see that he will no longer cheery pick like he used to and maintain his fg% to 80 anymore, because all the attention he will get. It just has been 15 games, and somebody made 6 mins video on Biedrins...
I love how he defended Duncan. First he didn't let Duncan get the ball anywhere close to the basket. Second he let Duncan give contact and Andris gave him some room yet kept with every move Duncan made and then at the right time he gets his long arms in there and knocks the ball and blocks the shot. By doing this he is not drawing so many fouls yet he still is playing defense, and good defense at that - blocking shots and everything else he is doing. I'm happy to see this clip from youtube.
