Andris speaks out

Interesting comments from Biedrins. He covers his relationship with his teammates, coach, injuries, trainers, how long he thinks he'll play and more.

http://www.warriorsworld.net/andris-biedrins-speaks-out/

 

I just lost a lot of respect for the guy. He's one of the worst free-throw shooter in the history of the game. If someone rips him for it, he should just man up. And then he rips the teamwork. He should be more vocal and try to lead instead of going home and pouting. Looks like he's not really interested in sacrificing his body for wins. Makes sense that he's afraid to bang down low anymore.

 

Yeah, it's pretty discouraging. It's not like he shot up a strip club, but that doesn't sound like a leader, or even a high character guy. Unfortunately his trade value is at an all-time low though (why do the Warriors constantly seem to be stuck with this situation?).

 

I recall people posting about what Nelson did in calling him out on this and saying it was in effect disrespectful. Didn't Nelson also say he was going to fine him for each free throw he missed or something?

I think the main thing is that he is very discouraged playing here. He's not best buddies with most of the players and it's hard to when the whole roster changes each season. He's discouraged with the team for misdiagnosing his injury and discouraged with Nelson.

Biedrins was never going to be the team's mental and vocal leader. He was the player who lead by playing hard each night. It's just hard to do that when you are injured and don't want to be with this franchise. Let's face it no one except the d-leagures wanted to be on this team. As a fan they weren't even worth watching.

 

I think you guys are reading too much into it. First of all, you're basing it off a translation. I believe a lot is lost in translation. While a few things may be discouraging, I haven't lost any respect for him. Who's to say that it's the fans' right to criticize the organization but when a player does it, it's wrong?

Notice how the interviewer didn't ask him about the off-season moves or the current roster or anything positive that's happened? The interview instigated negative events that happened last year. I wouldn't read too much into the translated innuendo.

As long as Beans comes ready to play, I'll support the guy.

Wins will cure everything.

 

Yeah, exactly. Andris was just being brutally honest in what seemed like a pretty intimate, casual interview...in Latvia.

 

Some of this doesn't sound like AB that we are used to in years past, but things changed last year. And I'm sure some of what he said got lost in the translation, but "discouraged" is a good word to explain AB's feelings and it comes through in parts.

At this point, I'm not going to jump to conclusions as some of you from one interview. I'm just going to let sleeping dogs lay as we do not know what's going to happen under Lacob and Guber. If it was Cohan continuing to be the owner, it would be different. It would be just more of the same ol', same ol'. As far as I'm concerned AB is our starting center if he's healthy and Don Nelson is still the head coach unless he gets tossed under the bus (of course, I'd like to see him tossed under the bus and the steamroller is right behind it ).

 

The guy was shooting 17% from the free throw line. That's like when a few years back they tried to get teachers to stop correcting papers with red ink because it was too stressful to the children. This is a man's game.

Beans was so afraid to bang last year...maybe it was because he was afraid of hurting his wrist, or he was trying to stick it to the training staff, either way he stated that he doesn't want to play much further than 30. There's no mention of playoffs, of working on his weaknesses. It's everyone else's fault. The egos of his teammates and the coach who told him to learn to shoot free throws. Sure maybe it didn't translate well...but he said he doesn't expect to play here. I just expected that he'd be the guy that would be talking about how he's gonna bounce back next year, that he's working hard on his game, instead of whining about how badly it went last season.

 

I agree with you, CH, but you need to put the interview in context. It was in Latvia, in Latvian, and we don't really know the subtle nuances of how the conversation was going and how the questions were being asked. I don't think the interview is enough to criticize Beans until he hits the floor this season nor is it enough to criticize anyone else for that matter.

 

Certainly this post deserves some red marks. I'm not even sure how you can conclude AB was "so afraid to bang last year." Second, he said he and his agent disagreed with the training staff AFTER the first injury. I can see some other player suing the Warriors for saying it was nothing special when it required surgery. Tom Abdenour is the trainer, and with all the injuries the Warriors get, one should question whatever he says. And when he criticizes Nelson for disrespecting him by telling him to shoot free throws underhanded, why that's just plain bad coaching. One doesn't toss out how one shoots free throws. You do what's comfortable to you. If shooting it like a sissy is comfortable, then you go with it like Rick Barry. But clearly it wasn't in AB's comfort level. Nowhere does he state he wasn't working to improve his FTs.

 

I don't know if this is what lost in translation means, but I think one thing that might be making us upset about this interview is that in Latvian culture it may be more accepted to be brutally honest compared to US professional sport culture where people get fined for being too hard on referees in press conferences. I know, or at least it seems, that the new Russian owner of the Nets will tell you exactly what is on his mind to the media especially. They may have not been exposed to the whole sugar-coat opinions culture that we live in to keep from hurting others feelings or to be politically correct.

However I believe Cohan Hater brings up a good point. Though I don't know if we should say that Andris was whining, I was put back on how his dreams do not appear to be about winning or being an all-star, but only playing ten-some seasons until he reaches 30. As a fan that is most discouraging to hear. In the past it seemed like he was a very hard working player. I am wondering if this has changed now that he has this good starting level NBA salary locked up for years or if he is just lost passion for the game because of the last couple seasons.

 

Watch a couple of games from 2 years ago, and watch any game from last year.

 

You should watch the movie The Invention of Lying. Pretty funny.

 

It may be semantics, but I don't think "afraid" is the right word. He may have been "reluctant," and one can see that if the trainer is telling him it's okay to bang when his body is telling him otherwise.

 

It’s like Keith Smart says to us “you start to really feel these injuries when you’re 40 years old or something, all these injuries, that you have gotten, when you were 20-25.”

Pietrus says some positive things about Smart as a coach, but then I read this. I appreciate his honesty with the players, but the way it sounds it may have made Beans less willing to bang down low.

 

Beans has been one of the most selfless players in the league. Until this article, I had never heard him complain. He would show up every night with a smile, enthusiastic to play. In 06-07, he played all 82 games. This despite being the ONLY big man in the game for most games, most minutes. That was the playoff year, and there were many, long stretches where Beans was the C, with Baron, Monta, Jax, and Barnes. This even against the Jazz. I remember him dealing with Milsap and Boozer, with Okur and Boozer, tangling with both at once because Barnes was the PF or Jax was the PF and would basically lead their man right to Beans.

Beans got WAY too much mileage that year, IMO. Yet he never complained. He suffered Nellie's crazy lineups with a smile. He was probably the most reliable, consistent player on the team (my MVP hands down for that year). The anchor that held it all together when Jax and Baron were going And-1 mix tape from half court. Yet did he ever complain? No.

He never demanded the ball. He was the blue-collar, lunch pail worker who set the screens, rebounded, and cleaned up the garbage to make everyone else look nice.

He is one of the vets on the team now, and good for him for speaking out. Lack of teamwork? Good for you Beans, sing it. Egos? Good for you. Has Monta changed...? I don't know if he's referring to that in part, but if he is, good for him. beans is one of the longest tenured (or is he now the longest!?) Warriors, and he has the right to speak out.

Has Nellie been an ass? Shout it out, my good man! There's only so much you can take, you know... This isn't a prima donna poopy pants like Baron and JAx... this is a quiet, no nonsense, hard worker saying these things. I don't mind it at all. I think this team needs some big changes, and hopefully Beans feels like that will happen with Lacob/Gruber.

I also don't blame his comments about wear and tear. Who the hell would want to come and play big man for Nellie, knowing you're going to be hung out to dry by his lineups...?

Lee came here, but he knows the change is coming... even so, he probably thinks he'll play PF under Nellie... who wouldn't think that, right? But, of course, he'll be playing C for 30 minutes a night with skinny little Dorrell Wright playing PF...

I mean Nellie played Harrington at C for long, long stretches... that sure worked out well.

Put a strong, rebounding PF (like Lee) next to Beans, and his life gets SO much easier. The game will be fun again. I really hope Beans hangs in there, and we get a semi-traditional coach in there to use this roster the right way.

I'm with Beans on this one.

 

Awesome post AO. Bill ball >>>>>>>>>>>>>> small ball.

 

AO, I'm not necessarily directing this at you but I'm just taking a few snippets from your post to formulate some thoughts.

I don't even think it's about Beans vs. Nellie. How is it Nellie's fault that Beans got "wear and tear?" He's averaged less than 30 mpg his entire career. Beans showed signs of wear the beginning of last season after he played for the Latvian national team. The same national team that screwed up his free throw technique. If anything, he should be thanking Nellie for turning his career into a productive one without major injury.

If I'm not mistaken, it was Nellie who used Beans correctly by telling him to focus on D and rebounding because he had and will never have an offensive game.

Nellie has taught Beans to stay within his means and focus on his strengths. Beans' career TS% is just shy of 60%. Dwight Howard's career TS% is a little over 60%. Not that I'm comparing the two, but as far as productive big men, you can't ask for more from Beans. But, when you shoot 16% from the line and feel disrespected because he was asked to improve, then Beans needs to look in the mirror.

I hope Beans doesn't turn into another ungrateful NBA player. I don't think he will and like I said, a lot is probably lost in translation.

His wear and tear comment should have nothing to do with Nellie's lineups as he was perfectly fine until last season. You could make the argument that Nellie didn't play him enough because of how productive he was, but it's his FT% that tells Nellie to pull him in crunch time.