Andris Biedriņš

Andris Biedrins ( born April 2, 1986 in Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union) is a Latvian professional basketball player who is active as a center for the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association. Previously, he was active for the Golden State Warriors. They had selected him in the 2004 NBA Draft in eleventh place.

Career

Europe

Biedrins started his professional career in the 2002/2003 season at the age of 16 years at the Latvian giants BK Skonto Riga. Soon he could rely to secure a spot in the rotation and ran in a total of 41 games on the Latvian league, where he scored 2.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.32 blocks on average. He also came up with an excellent hit rate of 59.8 %. This was enough to get elected in the Latvian League Newcomer of the Year. In his second season he came to 28 league games in which he was able to increase his stats significantly ( 18.0 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.86 blocks) .. He also ran in eleven games in the FIBA Europe League and came to 18.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.82 blocks. He then signed up to the NBA Draft.

National Basketball Association

Biedrins was 2004 Draft selected by the Golden State Warriors ranks eleventh in the NBA. In his rookie season 2004/2005, however, he received very little playing time and often got in early foul trouble ( 3.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 0.8 blocks and 2.9 fouls in 12.8 minutes at 30 inserts ). He was at this time, however, also the youngest player in the league. In his second year, he already came true after all in 68 games for use, but scoring only 3.8 points, 4.2 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game and was selected for its low free throw percentage (30.6%) ridiculed. Due to its persistent foul trouble - in 1000 using minutes he committed 190 fouls he - had a hard time and was referred to by the fans as " The One Minute Man " because he allegedly could not play more than 60 seconds without challenge. In the headlines Biedrins also came when he was involved on the way to a home game in a car accident in which his Porsche Cayenne suffered a total loss.

In his third year, but luck was then Biedrins side, because head coach Mike Montgomery was fired and replaced by former head coach of the Dallas Mavericks Don Nelson. After just five games banished Nelson the previous starting center Adonal Foyle on the bench and replaced him with Biedrins, he "One of the best I have Big" referred to as. This thanked with a superb throw percentage of 62.1 % from the field (best in the NBA ) and 10.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 28.9 minutes. The final breakthrough he celebrated then in November 2006 in a game against the title favorites San Antonio Spurs, which won the Warriors with 119:111. In a direct duel against Tim Duncan Biedrins was indeed in points (18 vs. 22) and rebounds (15 vs. 16) just inferior, but came on six blocks of it three in a row in the third quarter against Tim Duncan. This season, he also presented his Karrierebestleistungen in points ( 31 against Denver), rebounds (18 against Charlotte ), assists (5 against Washington ), block ( 7 against Denver) and steals (5 against the Los Angeles Lakers ) on. In the election for Most Improved Player, he came to the fifth place, it won his teammate Monta Ellis. The 2008-09 season was his best statistically. Biedrins scored 11.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, encountering 57.8% from the field. The subsequent years were marked by injuries, so that he could not build on its previous achievements. His stats deteriorated from year to year. The 2012-13 was its poor logical and last at the Warriors. He scored just 0.5 points and grabbed 2.9 rebounds per game.

On July 10, 2013, was transferred along with Brandon Rush and Richard Jefferson to the Utah Jazz.

National

Since his youth, Biedrins is also active for the Latvian national team. So, he took part in the 2004 U-18 European Championship and came to 21.8 points, 14.4 rebounds, 4.4 blocks and 3.8 steals per game. In the game against France he met on his NBA colleagues Johan Petro and scored 21 points and 16 rebounds. Even against Georgia (28 points, 11 rebounds ) and Italy ( 26 points, 20 rebounds ) he put on impressive statistics.

Private

Biedrins is known for his social work for underprivileged children in and around Golden State. In addition, he visited during a trip away in Washington injured from Iraq returned soldiers.

Biedrins the English language has taught himself, as he prepared in the summer of 2004, six months in Los Angeles to the NBA Draft.