Re****t Card: Big Men
By Marcus
Friday, April 25th, 2008
The few the Warriors do have, at least the ones who played did well. I
know
that sounds odd, considering the Warriors routinely get beat on the boards
and pounded inside and give up easy layups. But the big men the Warriors
did
what they do well. To me, it is unfair to ask Biedrins to be an enforcer.
It's
not fair to ask Al Harrington to protect the basket. It's not fair to ask
Patrick O'Bryant to run the floor. These players have never done that. I
wouldn't blame them for not providing the inside presence the Warriors'
need, but management.
Andris Biedrins: He was great this year. Led the league in field goal
percentage, nearly averaged a double-double. This is despite being down
low
by himself in most situations. That has to be a tough job rebounding 1
against 4.
Grade - A
Al Harrington: He had the difficult task of being a spot-up shooter,
something he's never done before. I was encouraged by the fact he took it
upon himself to diversify his game - shaking a fist of rebellion in the
face
of Nellie. He should have rebounded better, though. His average dropped
(from 6.4) to 5.4 per game. Though he would have a hard time rebounding
from
the perimeter, that shouldn't impact his defensive rebounding. Plus, he
shot
his worst field goal percentahe (43.4) since 2002-03. It was a tough year
for Al. His ppg and minutes dropped, too. Some of that had to do with
Nellie.
Grade: C-
Austin Croshere: He was big in spots this year when he did play. He often
was key energy off the bench. But his shot was suspect (sorry, I expected
him to be a shooter). His back is jacked up, so what he gave despite his
injury was considerable.
Grade: B-
Brandan Wright: He was surprisingly further along than I thought. He was
labeled a project so much during the draft that I was thinking he wouldn't
be able to contribute. He turned out to be better than expected. He knows
how to use his length and athleticism. He brings energy on both ends and
does what he can do, which is about what you should expect from a rookie.
Grade: B
Chris Webber: Poor guy. He was set up to fail. He should've known better.
Grade: Inc.
Kosta Perovic: Now, he is as raw as expected. He is big and long, which
definitely fits the Warriors need. He looks pretty skilled, but he is
slow.
Grade: Inc.
Patrick O'Bryant: I don't think he is as bad as he looks. He's just really
a
bad fit for here. This is a fast team that wears it's emotions on his
sleeve. He's too slow and he doesn't LOOK like he's trying hard enough. He
has some offensive skills and he can protect the rim - if his confidence
is
up. It hasn't been since he's been in Golden State. Grade: D
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