Warriors center Andris Biedrins has not had a good season since their playoff run and is hoping to have a breakout season this year. He has been playing with the Warriors for eight seasons, and as of now he is seen to be a loss cause. So why do they keep him around?
[caption id="attachment_102" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Photo Credit: Rocky Widner"]
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Biedrins was a vital player in the Warriors playoff run during their 2007 season and has yet to make an impression since then. We have seen what Biedrins is capable of, but how long is it going to take for him to bounce back? He is a good rebounder and has been the Warriors main center for the past five years. He is able to be a well-rounded center and we have witnessed that. Biedrins is able to defend the big men and has been sufficient in doing so. It seems as though Biedrins has had a mid-career break down. He's been missing, a ghost of his former self.
Biedrins has repeatedly said that he will have a breakout year in the upcoming season. But, he has yet to follow through on what he’s promised. This season, Biedrins said he's back! He's ready and he is going to play better than ever, but lets not act like we haven't heard that before. Every year we hear the same things from Biedrins. He tells us exactly what he’ll do the upcoming season to be better but he never actually does it. Warriors’ fans try to be optimistic but how much longer can they keep it up? Nobody is sure exactly why Biedrins has been going downhill for the past few years but it is said that his free throw shot could have something to do with it. If you’re a Warriors fan then you’ve seen Biedrins at the free throw line. I know that I squint in pain each time he steps up to the free throw line, and I think he does too. His confidence has decreased drastically due to his free throw shot. On Warriors media day Biedrins said that his confidence level is a lot higher than last season. I think he said that last season too and the season before that. Biedrins needs to pull through this year and show us that he means what he says, but, if he doesn’t bounce back, there’s always Festus Ezeli.
Ezeli seems to be taking over Biedrins role already. Ezeli wants to be good. He strives to be the best he can be and you can see that in him when he plays. He asks the other players for advice on how he can succeed. He has started both preseason games for the Warriors since Bogut is still recovering. The Warriors need a strong back up and if Biedrins doesn’t follow through this year, Ezeli would be their man. Although our hopes (or my hopes) are with Biedrins and hoping that he bounces back, Ezeli seems to be taking over. Biedrins has done it before, so there is nothing stopping him from being the player he was back in 2007. He needs to boost his confidence up and with only two more years left on his contract, Biedrins needs to step up big time. At times it seems that Biedrins himself has given up hope on himself, but Warriors fans are right behind him cheering him on. Maybe its time for Warriors fans to give up too. This season we’ll see if Biedrins sticks to his words, but unfortunately for those rooting for Biedrins, this upcoming season we’ll probably be seeing Ezeli get more time on the court than Biedrins.
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