Andris Biedrins Draft Capsule

Okay I'm not sure how we're going to do this yet. But this essentially is a draft capsule we're going to leave about how Biedrins looked in his limited amounts of play in 2004-05 season. Maybe we'll do strengths/weaknesses or observations (what he showed during a game). So I'll start off with some things I've noticed about him.

He's a really long and laterally quick player. Almost moves kind of like a Jeff Foster or a Kevin Garnett going side to side. Has very quick hands. When he swats shots it's so quick because he's got that long reach and fast hand/eye coordination. Has really soft hands and plays very active and at the same time doesn't try to do too much. Doesn't have much range on his shot, doesn't look like he has any touch, but he can really catch and dunk the ball. Seem to be a pretty decent defensive rebounder, pick pocket and shotblocker in limited minutes. Hardly any offensive game.

Most memorable play thus far:
Steal against the Pacers, he pushes the ball himself and the breakaway dunk.

Against Philly's Rodney Rogers, he managed to draw a push off foul in the post against Rogers and blocked his shot as he was falling backwards. The quickness and reach is awesome.

Second most memorable play:
As a 7 foot player, he dives on the floor for the loose ball against the Wizards

Third most memorable play:
He gets the defensive rebound off a missed free throw and hits Jrich who takes the ball along the baseline for a dunk.

Fourth most memorable play:
He hoists a shot at the end of a quarter against the Knicks and almost banks in a 3 pointer.

Fifth most memorable play:
He gets low, dribbles with his left and his head down against Toronto's Rafael Araujo (who is obviously slower) from the key and finishes with a little left side armed hook shot as he pulls ahead of him leaning into him slightly. It was a nice finesse move. ***Edit: He's a lefty it turns out, not a righty.
His presence: When he's subbed out of the game the Warriors seem to get killed on the boards when Foyle goes back in for him.

Strengths:
Good reach and nice finesse on tips and putbacks. Excellent lateral quickness. Good hops. Plays aggressive and is very active around the paint. Soft hands.

Weaknesses:
Free throws are way off. Not a scorer. Still undersized. Bounces off players when up in the air. Doesn't know player or team's tendencies on offense. Got alley-oop dunked on by Rasheed Wallace. Tries to two hand dunk everything rather than go for the layup.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting custodianrules2:</div><div class="quote_post"> He's a lefty it turns out, not a righty</div>
Mullin is lefty to, and he promised to teach some lefty moves to Andris.

 

Earned his first double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds against Kings on 20Mar05.

 

Pulled off his first right shoulder turn, 180 dunk on Brian Skinner on the same date

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting custodianrules2:</div><div class="quote_post">Pulled off his first right shoulder turn, 180 dunk on Brian Skinner on the same date </div>

Mullin knows his stuff. This kid is for real. Who would've thought that he has potential to be the best player on this team? Of course he's not even close to that, but he's 18!!!

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting CohanHater:</div><div class="quote_post">Mullin knows his stuff. This kid is for real. Who would've thought that he has potential to be the best player on this team? Of course he's not even close to that, but he's 18!!!</div>

He isn't the best, but within a few years he can be one of the best with the help of B-Diddy. The thought that he is only 18 makes me so happy every time I think of him because we got a long time with him

 

Good rebounder in traffic. Moves well without ball. Goes strong to the rim, unlike Murphy.

 

I was very high on Biedrins at the time of the draft, given everything that was written about him, but even I didn't think he would come in and contribute the way that the has. The fact that he was once talked about as a top 5 draft pick before falling all the way down to the eleventh spot was certainly a bonus - thank you Darko Milicic. I think he's starting to justify some of the pre-draft hype the way he's playing now.

I also think that the Warriors have to be given credit for the way they brought him along. They took their time playing him early in the season, letting him bulk up and get used to the NBA life for half a season as he waited behind CRob and Davis before getting playing time. Now, he looks like a completely different player on the court. He plays much more confidently and aggressively. I didn't think that would happen in his first season.

I'm sure that having Cabarkapa and Skita on the team now is another reason why he's playing better.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting goldenstatefan:</div><div class="quote_post">I was very high on Biedrins at the time of the draft, given everything that was written about him, but even I didn't think he would come in and contribute the way that the has. The fact that he was once talked about as a top 5 draft pick before falling all the way down to the eleventh spot was certainly a bonus - thank you Darko Milicic. I think he's starting to justify some of the pre-draft hype the way he's playing now.

I also think that the Warriors have to be given credit for the way they brought him along. They took their time playing him early in the season, letting him bulk up and get used to the NBA life for half a season as he waited behind CRob and Davis before getting playing time. Now, he looks like a completely different player on the court. He plays much more confidently and aggressively. I didn't think that would happen in his first season.

I'm sure that having Cabarkapa and Skita on the team now is another reason why he's playing better.</div>

Biedrins I think is doing better because he knows he will get time wheras earlier he would pray and hope Monty puts him in. Also the 3 euro thing might work as well

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting hipokrat_x(LV):</div><div class="quote_post"></div>

Love that pic. Sums what should have been the bright side of the game up

 

I'm seriously ready to see Biedrins start next year if he gains some pounds and muscle even if it means throwing him to the dogs. He is a great back-up and in his first career start, he did pretty good. Foyle is Aluminum Foil on offense and his a good defensive game but so does Biedrins and he is laterally quick.

 

Biedrins seems to have good fundamentals, excellent coordination, sound floor awareness, wirey strength and above average athleticism to compete off the bench. Although he's been limited by foul trouble too often to be a reliable starter, I love how he is just pure energy. It's fun watching how overeager he is in making the highlight play by stuffing somebody or dunking on players 30 lbs heavier than him.

I don't know how many 18 year old, underweight rookies get a double double in their first professional start, but that's quite an accomplishment for somebody that's "too skinny" and "won't be ready for a few years". He's looked good in meaningful minutes and I think it has a lot to do with his great attitude and patience.

I haven't seen very many offensive moves other than the lefty hook, the drop step/two handed layup off glass (Alonzo Mourning), or the two handed dunk (Shaq), but it's a good start when your big men can at least show they have footwork and show finesse/power around the glass. I loved that baseline, 180 corkscrew one-handed dunk on Brian Skinner. That move was awesome.

I think the team should be balanced. Have Foyle start in order to cover for Murphy's lack of shotblocking and let Fisher off the bench use Pietrus as "Kobe" and Biedrins as "Shaq".

 

Considering how foul prone Biedrins already is (add to the fact he's a rookie and refs don't give rookies the benefit of the doubt), I don't think Murphy is going to make it any easier on him when Biedrins gets out of position to cover the weakside constantly. I'm wondering how well Foyle can rebound if he wasn't shifting around so much on D and if he had Murphy box out for him. The times I've seen Foyle rebound he was surrounded and that's probably why he's been trying to bat the ball rather than come up with it. Also he can't jump that's another reason he tries to bat the ball, but unfortunately it lands to the other team's backcourt for a quick fastbreak. Let's hope Murphy gets up this season on defense and if he can't it's probably better to find a Kurt Thomas type power forward, who isn't the most athletic or fast power forward in the league, but he can give you a double double, defend the post, and play strong like a center at power forward.

 

Let's see what lineup mix-and-matches happen this season. I'm ready to see Beidrins playing next to Pietrus and Diogu for some stretches. This should be a fun team to watch

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting CohanHater:</div><div class="quote_post">Let's see what lineup mix-and-matches happen this season. I'm ready to see Beidrins playing next to Pietrus and Diogu for some stretches. This should be a fun team to watch</div>
Given the fact that a lot of nba 3's don't really create their own shot, I would like to see more of Zarko at small forward and him having some post game depending on if he can play that type of way. I'm sure he can learn it like Dirk Nowitzki learned how by practicing and getting stronger. Anyway Zarko is a nightmare for opposing defenses from midrange, possibly deeper out and he can take some dudes off the dribble with his first step or those huge strides he uses to cover position quickly for the Connie Hawkins dunk or the "show them the ball" floater. (Ahh, the benefits of having an aggressive, athletic, tall shooter that can also pass and dribble and finish at the rim. Think if we put Diogu at power forward and Biedrins at center for defense, Pietrus (defensive stopper) and Baron to pressure the hell out of the backcourt, we'd have some solid defense inside/outside, two playmakers, a small forward capable of being a triple threat and high percentage shooter, an inside threat in the post, a highly athletic center that will make his defender work extremely hard, and 5 guys that can run the break due to hustle and natural speed.

Hey BTW Cohanhater, do you want to be in charge of making the Diogu/Taft/Ellis draft capsules once the season starts and we get to see one of them actually play?

 

http://coscorrosa.com/draft/04/players/andris_biedrins.php

 

34" vertical? No way!