Jackson says Biedrins can ‘get it back'

Warriors fans might be at their wits end with center AndrisBiedrins, but coach Mark Jackson isnt there yet.Not even close.Jackson made it clear on Thursday that Biedrins, whose gamehas become perplexingly poor over the past two years, is very much in the plansfor this years Warriors team.I truly believe he can get it back, Jackson said. Imexpecting him to get it back. When you watched this young man on the floorduring his great stretch, he was a dominant big man, rebounding the basketball,blocking shots, finishing at the rim.
He had flashes of absolutely being a starting center on asuccessful team. I believe he can get that back.Biedrins decline has been the Bay Areas unanswered riddle.He averaged 11.9 points and 11.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in 2008-09,building on what was becoming a nice, little career.RELATED: Riley says Warriors' roster will be 'nearly same'
But thats when the bottom fell out. Biedrins has averagedjust five points per game in each of the past two seasons, and his reboundingand minutes are down, as you would figure.Hes struggled from the free-throw line and that has madehim less aggressive around the basket. Conventional wisdom is that Biedrins isthe type of center who needs to be spoon-fed by a distributing point guard like he had back with Baron Davis.But Biedrins best stretch of basketball actually came atthe very beginning of the 2008-09 season, when he strung together a dozenproductive games to start the season. That was the season after Davis hadleft.RELATED: Warriors to open season at Oracle on Christmas
What has happened to himI can only go by my research,Jackson said. I think a lot of times you lose confidence in this league. Iveseen great players become average players just because they took a blow to thechin and forgot how awesome they were or can be.Ill say thishes probably lost his confidence. But thegreat thing again, just like the rookies, is hes going to have everyopportunity. Its a new day. I believe in him and Im excited to be able tocoach him and give him an opportunity to get back to what he once had. Imlooking forward to it.