After reading that report, I’m not too worried about his FT shooting. I think you can’t ask too much out of a Center. Who knows, maybe I’m biased from having Ben on our team for so many seasons.

If the strength is a concern and we were to sign Biedrins, it might make sense to keep Ratliff around for another year while Biedrins shares a diet plan with Amir and Samb. That’s getting ahead of ourselves though…

For more interest, here is Biedrins’ hotspot chart:
http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/7715/biedrinshotspots0604200mr2.jpg

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2006-07 season: The master of field-goal percentage struck again, hitting 59.9 percent from the field to keep his career mark over 60 percent. The Latvian lefty is actually a terrible shooter — just watch him shoot a free throw some time — but thanks to his shot selection and finishing ability around the basket, he converts an incredibly high percentage.

Speaking of free throws, he improved enough to make more than half of them last year, which was a huge improvement on the 30.6 percent he made a year earlier. Opponents are still far better off hacking Biedrins than they are letting him try a close-in shot, but at least the difference is shrinking.

Biedrins made more impact on the boards last year, finishing 14th among centers in rebound rate while providing one of the team’s few steady sources of boards, especially after Troy Murphy was traded.

Scouting report: Biedrins lacks muscle, but his activity around the basket makes up for it. He excels at putting himself into position for easy layups and dunks, and has a nice lefty hook shot from close range that he’ll bust out in his rare catches on the block.

Free throws are an adventure, though. Biedrins may have the ugliest form since Chris Dudley, shooting one-hand line drives that often fail to clear the rim and only sporadically have any backspin.

Defensively, Biedrins’ lack of muscle is a problem because it prevents him from defending elite post players one-on-one — which is really what Golden State needs. He’s an active rebounder and shot-blocker and holds down the middle better in zones, but the hope is that he’ll fill out and hit the weights so he can fill a more traditional center role. He also needs to work on transition D — he jogs back too often and gets beat by opposing big men.

2007-08 outlook: If you’re curious, he figures to shoot a high percentage again — the projections have him at a league-leading 62.9 percent. Of greater interest to the Warriors may be his scoring and rebounding numbers, both of which also project to improve as the 21-year-old big man starts heading into his prime years.

The Warriors are due to give Biedrins an extension this summer and based on his age and production would be completely insane not to. Although his game is a bit unorthodox, he was a quality player at age 20 and could be much, much better a few years down the road. It may cost the Warriors as much as $60 million to find out how much better.

The other obstacle for Biedrins may be his coach. As well as he played last year, he saw only 29 minutes a game and Don Nelson seemed to get oddly impatient with him — like the time on Dec. 9 when Nellie yanked him 15 seconds into a game against Hornets.

Nelson’s passion for smallball may be entertaining, but Biedrins figures to be one of the Warriors’ best players this year. If he’s not playing well more than 30 minutes a game, it’s a mistake.

Most similar at age: Al Jefferson

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Here’s a highlight reel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_JY6MGyXvU

Disclaimer: In that video, a lot of what Andris is doing is against a lot of not-playoff-material clubs.

I’d argue that Biedrins is a better option across the board.

I’m a little surprised at this discussion of Izzo. College coaches historically have a difficult time adjusting to the NBA. I also didn’t disagree too much with Rosenberg. Stuckey is a young Billups, with potentially more upside. I think at some point he’s going to be traded.

The key is: what do you get for these players? I’m not as into this as many of you, but the only guy that we could possibly acquire who is a great fit with our team is Brand. OTOH, watching how the Pistons were built, I wouldn’t worry too much about Dumars making a bad trade.

Then thank God Rosenberg isn’t our GM either.

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080604/SPORTS03/806040405/1051

@Kevin S:
“Well, then he’s used to divas.”

+1

Well, then he’s used to divas.