Beans: Most Improved Player

The East Coast Bias takes a short break! Hard for any Warrior fan to argue with it although he says "Outside of Latvia, did Biedrins have any fans before this season?" Yeah, me! He didn't even mention the 22 point improvement in FT%!

 

Yeah Beans! I just read the article too, nice pub for him. Go Warriors.

 

Beans could be a top 5-10 center in this league once he gets stronger.

The guy is so young. He's got everything upstairs to be a good center, he needs to work on his strength and still maintain his quickness and leaping ability. Adding more offensive skills also wouldn't hurt.

 

The list can't be right. Still no Mike Dunleavy Jr. on it .

 

I think Ellis has improved more than Beans at least statiscally. I think Ellis will be better in the long run also...

 

Biedrins is a harder commodity to find though, than Ellis. Love his fight for the rebounds and he's learned to avoid silly fouls.

 

<div class="quote_poster">philsmith75 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Biedrins is a harder commodity to find though, than Ellis. Love his fight for the rebounds and he's learned to avoid silly fouls.</div>Well...he's learning. He fouled someone 25' from the basket on a touch foul the other night, that's just something that should NEVER happen. It's not the first time this year, either. I don't like how Nellie has him out playing perimeter defense sometimes, and other players could be setting those outside picks instead of him. I know it opens up roll to the basket opportunities, but I still don't like it.

Anyway, if you told me I could keep either Andris or Monta, but not both, I'd keep Andris (while wanting to keep both of course). Still not sure what Monta's role is whereas Andris is a usable commodity in any lineup. To sum up Monta's weaknesses:

-- Somewhat undefined role.

-- Can't seem to use his aggressiveness for an entire game, it comes in spurts.

-- Bad outside shooter.

-- Great at getting to the rim, but leaves a lot of layups short as well.

-- So-so court vision. Has made some great passes but not like Baron does all the time. To some extent this can be taught, but some of it you're just born with or not.

-- Slight frame means opposing players almost always have a height and bulk advantage over him. Durability is a question mark (although he did pretty well this year @ 34 minutes per game).

-- Too many charges.

-- Too many lazy passes.

-- Not a great crossover dribble.

-- Elton Brand and the Clippers figured out how you stop Monta: you don't reach for him, you wait for him at the rim and block his shot. More teams will figure this out and he's going to have to adjust, for one thing by consistently knocking down midrange jumpers. Can he?

Andris' weaknesses:

-- A bit undersized at C for today's NBA.

-- Not enough body bulk and lower strength to effectively move opposing players around on the block.

-- Poor freethrow shooter. He's over 50% now but you still can't make him an offensive option in a close game.

-- Commits a lot of fouls he shouldn't and appears to commit a lot (to the blind bats we have for NBA officials today).

-- Often flips the ball close to the basket when he could easily dunk it for a higher percentage shot with less chance of being blocked.

 

Ellis is a high energy tweener sixth man as of now. Great backup for Baron IMO until Ellis comes into his own as a point... Hopefully, at least as good as Stephon Marbury or Gilbert Arenas. Biedrins is a defensive guy that will probably be a defensive guy until he gets some post moves and some body strength so he can beat down centers. I still think his best advantage is that he's too quick for centers and he's too big for power forwards. That could be a good Pao Gasol type threat if he works on his dribble and his midrange hook shot. Maybe Biedrins could also be a toned down Jermaine O'neil type F/C. 240 lbs kind of strong. Biedrins just needs to power it down and play more above the rim for a chance. We saw some flashes of it in games. The guy could alley oop but dang we don't do that for him. Maybe his legs get tired or maybe he's afraid of the contact once he leaves his feet.... I mean the guy owns the same standing vertical as Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony... That is spectacular for a 6'11 player of 240 lbs.

Anybody have any thoughts?

 

On the Don Nelson show they discussed Biedrins jumpshot, and that it was Don Nelson first season where he's had a player to NEVER take a jump shot LOL. But he said in practice Biedrins takes some jump shots and even threes too I believe.

And apparently Josh Powell has some long range, about a week and a half ago they let practice end early if Powell hit a three, and he hit it on the first shot or something.

 

I've said this since about 30 games into the season -- Biedrins is the team's MVP. I stand by it. Now Jim Barnett is saying it, so you know it MUST be true.

But anyway, Ellis has more "exciting" upside, but Biedrins has transformed himself from a benchwarming prospect into one of the best centers in the league. Yes, best.

He averages nearly a double double on over 60% FG -- also one of the tops in the league. And he gets 2 blocks a game.

Oh, did I mention he has played EVERY game this year.

Can you also say Iron Man?

 

<div class="quote_poster">Run BJM Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I agree with you Custodian, I was thinking Andris has the potential to have a Pau Gasol style offensive game because of his quickness. Hes seems to have a pretty good handle and commonly will drive to the basket when his man is helping on someone else and he is in the mid-range area (i.e. the dunk on Amare Stoudamire's head). He'd need to have a bit of an outside game though, even just a 10 foot jumpshot or bank shot to keep the defense honest or else defenders will just lay off him and take away the drive. From the very few times I've seen him take a jumpshot his form doesn't look too bad like it does at the FT line so there might be some hope there.</div>

Yeah, the jumpshooting is really limiting his ability to grow. If he doesn't develop a consistent and solid shot he might be losing a big part of his upside to be an all-around post scorer. The short hook or fadeaway bank shot doesn't have to be pretty, just look at L. Barbosa's or Shawn Marion's shot form), it just has to go in at a high clip.

I'd hate to think Beans gets most improved player over Ellis, though. Both improved by leaps and bounds and it wouldn't be fair to Ellis to choose between the two.

Instead, I think we should give the MIP vote to guys like Baron Davis and Adonal Foyle. Why? Because Baron Davis improved on the number of games he's actually played last year. I think by about 5 at least. Wow 5 whole games and counting assuming he doesn't get injured! And I think Foyle should get the MIP because he's cut down on the number of mistakes he's made per game. Nevermind he hardly ever played this season, he improved in the mistakes he didn't commit because he wasn't on the floor to make them. So yeah... go Ellis and Beans!

 

Popovich picks Ellis as MIP over Beans because Ellis has more responsibility, he's very young, and he has to handle the rock and make decisions as where Beans plays off the ball.

 

<div class="quote_poster">custodianrules2 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Yeah, the jumpshooting is really limiting his ability to grow. If he doesn't develop a consistent and solid shot he might be losing a big part of his upside to be an all-around post scorer. The short hook or fadeaway bank shot doesn't have to be pretty, just look at L. Barbosa's or Shawn Marion's shot form), it just has to go in at a high clip.

I'd hate to think Beans gets most improved player over Ellis, though. Both improved by leaps and bounds and it wouldn't be fair to Ellis to choose between the two.

Instead, I think we should give the MIP vote to guys like Baron Davis and Adonal Foyle. Why? Because Baron Davis improved on the number of games he's actually played last year. I think by about 5 at least. Wow 5 whole games and counting assuming he doesn't get injured! And I think Foyle should get the MIP because he's cut down on the number of mistakes he's made per game. Nevermind he hardly ever played this season, he improved in the mistakes he didn't commit because he wasn't on the floor to make them. So yeah... go Ellis and Beans!</div>

LOL, good comments Custodian.

Maybe Ellis is the M.O.P.(most outstanding player)-M.I.P. of the year for the Warriors and Biedrins is the M.V.P.-M.I.P. of the year for the Warriors. Obviously Biedrins is more valuable than Ellis because Biedrins has played every game this season and he is the only post player that has played this year for the Warriors, compared to the many different guards the Warriors had this season. I think Mickael Pietrus was in this race for the first half of the season, but he has lost his shooting touch somewhere. Matt Barnes was the out-of-nowhere-M.I.P. Dunleavy was a (more improved player) but mostly because his role changed to 6th man, and then somehow the team was able to trade him in the big deal this season. I think Don Nelson has done a good job at improving the players on the team. He is definitley a matchups guy, and that is a big factor in why the Dunleavy-Murphy deal was good for the Warriors, and why the team is performing as well as they are, even with Harrington as the starting center. I am encouraged to see what kind of development this year's rookies in POB and Azubuike will have in future years (hopefully Azubuike stays) playing here with Nelson. Maybe that POB to the D-League move was a good first step. But time will be a better indicator of this, indeed.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Clif25 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">LOL, good comments Custodian.

Maybe Ellis is the M.O.P.(most outstanding player)-M.I.P. of the year for the Warriors and Biedrins is the M.V.P.-M.I.P. of the year for the Warriors. Obviously Biedrins is more valuable than Ellis because Biedrins has played every game this season and he is the only post player that has played this year for the Warriors, compared to the many different guards the Warriors had this season. I think Mickael Pietrus was in this race for the first half of the season, but he has lost his shooting touch somewhere. Matt Barnes was the out-of-nowhere-M.I.P. Dunleavy was a (more improved player) but mostly because his role changed to 6th man, and then somehow the team was able to trade him in the big deal this season. I think Don Nelson has done a good job at improving the players on the team. He is definitley a matchups guy, and that is a big factor in why the Dunleavy-Murphy deal was good for the Warriors, and why the team is performing as well as they are, even with Harrington as the starting center. I am encouraged to see what kind of development this year's rookies in POB and Azubuike will have in future years (hopefully Azubuike stays) playing here with Nelson. Maybe that POB to the D-League move was a good first step. But time will be a better indicator of this, indeed.</div>

I agree with everything you said. I had just wish we started Don Nelson thing sooner. Because if our GM doesn't have a clue what we have, it's better the head coach knows. Monty sure didn't know. He just was willing to play Mullin's lineups as they were and Mullin didn't know jack about assembling a team that fits/managing contracts at the very beginning. We'll see what he does in the offseasons to come. I'll be disappointed if he doesn't make the moves to go forward with momentum or he lands himself in undesirable contracts yet again or he stands pat.

As for Beans and Ellis. We need more of those guys at the center, power forward, and small forward positions. Sjax is good, but I want another Sjax, preferably a guy who won't get into legal trouble. PF/C is always in demand...

 

I was looking through some pics and found this... hows the weather up there?

 

My word... I'm 6' 3", Monta is 6' 3" -- I can grab the rim with my hands -- Monta can grab the rim with his forehead... I wanna do that!