Andris Biedrins is having the worst season of his career. Just 18 months after he signed a new, six-year contract with the team where they paid him to be a building block.
Tuesday night and then again Wednesday a frustrated Warriors Coach Don Nelson unloaded on Biedrins.
“He’s not the same player this year as the last couple -- or the same player that got him the big contract,” Nellie said. “Whatever that is, he’s got to get the passion back. I can’t do that.”
“He doesn’t really have an inside game that you could go to. When I’ve tried to go to it to get his confidence up, he hasn’t delivered. His shot’s not there. There’s a way to be involved in a screen and role, and there’s a way to hide and not be involved. I think he chooses to hide at this point. We’re trying to demand that he get the ball and do things with it and be aggressive.”
Nelson traced it all back to free throw shooting -- Biedrins has horrific mechanics on his shot and is hitting 13 percent of his free throws.
Nelson is right. Criticize Nelson for his lack of passion if you want, for his rotations or even his style of play. That doesn’t mean he is wrong here.
Biedrins averaged 12 points and 11 rebounds a game last year. Last year he averaged 8.6 shots per game and got six of those right at the rim for dunks or layups. This season Biedrins is at the rim 2.7 times again. He shies away.
And that is all something Biedrins has got to want to change. Right now he doesn’t seem to care.