You have to be watching in disbelief how well Pietrus has been in the playoffs. He was clutch in the Game 7 win over the Celtics and has been the 'X-factor' in Orlandos dominance over the Cavs. Early on he was a fan favorite in Golden State with his flying act. He earned the nickname Air Pietrus and gave Warrior fans hope for a franchise caliber talent. Everyone rocked the #2 jersey proudly in the Bay. He was everything JRich was athletically, but was taller and played defense. Unfortunately it was short lived and Warrior fans soon discovered all the flaws in his game. Pietrus made a lot of bone headed mistakes on the court, abandoned his defense, and fell in love with the corner 3-ball that hit the side of the backboard more than it went in. Watching him suceed now in Orlando do you think the Warriors gave up on him too early or did Nellie's coaching ruin his confidence? Are you jealous with the success he's having or are you happy for him? Where does he rank with other Warrior players who have left GS and discovered success with another team?
Just another indication of Nellie's failure to identify good players. Now, I admit that SJax > Pietrus so there probably was not enough PT for Pietrus here, especially given that there was also Azubuike who is cheaper and younger. I'm happy for Pietrus. He made some awesome players for the W's and played his heart out. He's clearly confident now (see his very late 3 off a double stack pick?? Wow.)
Pietrus had plenty of chances to play. I don't think the problem was his PT but his actual P. I don't have Pietrus envy. He's obviously playing a lot more motivated in Orlando but that has nothing to do with Nellie. I didn't hear anyone bash Nellie for Pietrus' opportunities; I heard more people complain about Pietrus only. What pisses me off is some players become complacent, entitled, and arrogant after a while. Pietrus' role with the Warriors pretty much stayed the same his entire tenure. He wanted a bigger role, but wasn't able to get past his mental flaws so his role was limited by himself and himself only. This year, I think he experienced the same during the regular season and the first couple rounds of the PO's. No, I don't have Pietrus envy, but I am happy for him.
Not at all. He was a fan favorite largely because of his attitude, I don't think anyone thought he could actually be a franchise player or even a borderline allstar. His play in the playoffs has been pretty similar to his play in GS. He's always hit the corner 3 at a pretty good rate and was way off when shooting the 3 from the wing. He's always been able to play good D but just spaced out sometimes. He's done the same things in the playoffs for Orlandoas he did for us. Watch the replay of the game winning shot Lebron hit in game 2. Pietrus ran right past him chasing Pavlovich out past half court (although, truthfully, I didn't notice this during the game, I heard it on the radio and went back to check). Did he really think with 1 second left they were going to Pavlovich for a 3/4 court shot? I also don't think the Warriors game up on him. They knew what he was and had a much cheaper version in Azubuike. I'm happy he landed on a team where he's getting to play significant minutes.
Pietrus is great. But just like most of the players on this team, he's just a good role player. That's the position he is succeeding in right now. I don't think the Warriors gave up on him as much as there was no space for him on the team. The team has too many guards. For some time Pietrus, in my opinion, was the X-factor for the Warriors. I am not surprised he is being the X-factor in the playoffs especially having the defensive assignments that he has had. He's also been fortunate that the refs aren't calling him for being a bit physical on defense. He used to be too physical on defense, pick up quick fouls, then add one or two offensive fouls/charges and he'd be on the bench pretty soon. But now the refs seem to be giving him some more room to defend like he does, which benefits him a lot. Oh yeah, then add in that he is very injury prone, making it another reason why the Warriors didn't really need to keep him around.
Hell no I don't have Pietrus envy. I'm happy for him and he seems like a really good guy but as a basketball player I'm happy hes off the team and especially when considering his contract I'm glad hes not here. Hes pretty much the dumbest player I've seen in the NBA. He has among the worst handles of all perimeter players in the league. He can shoot from one spot on the floor. Hes a foul machine nearly every game except the occasional lock down performance. Crappy FT%. Hes getting away with more contact because hes playing in the playoffs and playing on a good team. My most fond memories of him are when he used to check into a game with us and within 3 minutes of play he'd have 3-4 fouls, most of which came away from the play. Hes known for his defense but, aside from this series, he can't defend shit because he reaches and fouls constantly. He does rebound well and give a lot of energy. He can be a real spark plug every so often but most of the time he doesn't have much of an impact on the game. When he was an FA no one wanted him back- everyone was pumped that we got Azu back at a much cheaper price since hes a far superior all around player. Hell, we would have been much better served bringing Barnes back than Pietrus because he can shoot the 3 ball from more than one spot, handle it well, pass fairly well, be a leader, add toughness, and despite some bonehead plays hes got some bball IQ. And he would have come cheaper than 5.3 mils a year over 4 years. Basically, I'm glad hes gone and stand by the fact that we had/have better players than him and most come at a better price. I'm glad hes doing well though because he seems like a good guy.
I always liked Pietrus. When he played big minutes in a Warriors game, they usually won. He was always stuck behind guys the Warriors wanted to play instead. First Dunleavy, then Jackson. The guy was the perfect guy to play against Boston. He could guard Pierce or Allen and keep either or both from getting the hot hand. I'd add his nickname was Euro Jordan, right?
LOL. The Warriors had Euro Jordan and lost him. We're back to guys getting better AFTER they leave the Warriors again .
That's right. Nelson played Pietrus and he seemed to like him except when he made the occasional bonehead play. The fans were against MP more and Mullin couldn't offer him much because of having to re-sign AB and Monta.
I am happy for him, and I wish for the best, because he is a great guy. But, I don't miss him as a Warriors either. He always plays great when he only has few jobs to do, such as shooting corner 3 pts, defend other teams' best guard/forward, and do nothing else. In a sense, he is cleaner version of Bowen. But, when he is asked to do what normal guard does, he will struggle. That's why he was demoted from the starting line up in Orlando and didn't have a great regular season till Boston/Cleveland series when he was asked to defend James or Pierce. Teams like Orlando or Spurs can afford to make Pietrus/Bowen as specialists, because they have Duncan and Howard. Unfortunately for us, we do not have that type of inside presence, and guards have to be more than role players. That's why I would rather have Azubuike than Pietrus. I don't know how Nelson ruined Pietrus' confidence though considering how Pietrus had his best season under Nelson's first year (most minutes per game, pts, rebs, shooting % and 3 pts shooting %). And, he was competing with tons of SG/SF like Monta, Richardson, Jackson, Barnes, and Azubuike that year. When Richardson was traded, many people expected a breakout season from Pietrus with more playing time. But, he simply didn't play well last season, and nobody really missed him when he left Warriors...
