Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

In a great example of honesty being the best policy, new Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut laid it on the line for Andris Biedrins. At Warriors Media Day on October 1, Bogut was asked about his opinion on the once-promising Latvian big man. Bogut told CSN Insider Matt Steinmetz the following:

He just needs to realize that’s he’s not a bad basketball player. Regardless of what people say, he can help us. My message to him would be: You can help us. What people say? Who cares? You proved that (you could play) a couple of years ago. No excuse why he can’t do it now…Whatever your past coaches, whatever your past general managers, whatever the past fans have said, who cares? He can help us. I think if he hears that from us, it will help him…We need to get his confidence level back to where he can help us. He’s 7-foot, he can move, he’s mobile. He can rebound. He can block shots. We need to get him to do it again.

Well said, Andy.

At this point, after three consecutive years of Biedrins showing up to Warriors camp talking about how his mentality has changed, it’s time for someone to give him a little push. Or maybe a giant shove. Bogut could be the man to do that.

It’s entirely possible that Biedrins is such a soft touch mentally that he won’t respond to being challenged by teammates. After all, former coach Don Nelson’s tough love approach is largely responsible for Biedrins’ career freefall. But with virtually nothing left to lose, Bogut’s honesty and encouragement could help Biedrins find himself again.

Either way, at least Bogut’s not sugarcoating it. Biedrins does need to get over himself and realize that he’s not a bad basketball player. Until he believes that himself, nobody else will.

Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

I guess this is where the list gets controversial. Andris Biedrins clocks in at No. 6? There’s a good argument for this one, I swear. Check it out:

For three straight seasons, from 2006-07 until 2008-09, Biedrins was in the NBA’s top three in field goal percentage. He also averaged between 9.3 and 11.2 boards per game during that stretch. Throw in his blocks per game averages from those three years—1.7, 1.2 and 1.5 per game, respectively—and you can start to see the case for Andris.

He clearly peaked in 2008-09, when he averaged a very impressive double-double (11.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game). But as everyone knows, it was all downhill from there.

Still, for what Biedrins did over a three-year stretch, he deserves to be this high on the list. Go ahead and try to name a center who was more productive for the Warriors over a three-year span during the 2000s than Biedrins was. It’s impossible. He was legitimately good.

Of course, he was definitely the beneficiary of relaxed defensive attention and some nifty pick-and-roll deliveries from Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson, but ultimately, Biedrins was a slick finisher with great hands during that period.

There was absolutely a time when there was a real debate over which young center you’d rather have, Biedrins or the L.A. Lakers’ Andrew Bynum. In fact, Biedrins was better than Bynum during those three seasons, during which Biedrins was in his very early 20s. The sky seemed to be the limit.

Now, Biedrins is nothing short of a pariah. He’s overpaid (not his fault) and hasn’t performed anywhere near the level he established half a decade ago. Going into his age-26 season this year, nobody expects a thing from him. But that’s not what this list is about. For the first decade of this century, Andris Biedrins was unquestionably the Warriors’ best center—and one of the most promising young big man talents in the entire NBA.

If things had played out differently—meaning, if Don Nelson hadn’t mentally destroyed him—Biedrins could have been in this list’s top three. As it is, Biedrins will have to settle for No. 6.