5 Free Agents the Golden State Warriors Must Avoid
By Sam Sutton
Andray Blatche
May 4, 2013; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Andray Blatche (0) dunks over Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) during the first half in game seven of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
The Warriors need another big who can hit mid-range shots consistently, and in that respect, Andray Blatche fits the bill perfectly. He shot an efficient 45.4 percent from 16-feet to the three-point line last season, according to basketball-reference.com. He was also quite productive at the rim, where he converted 215-of-317 attempts, most of which came off the bench. That level of production would represent an improvement on what Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli offer on offense, particularly when you take into account Bogut’s injury history.
But here’s the thing about Blatche: He’s just not very good.
He’s a decent basketball player who has earned a reputation for being the absolute worst — for good reason. Blatche was the face of the Washington Wizards during their horrific 2011-12 season. While having to play for the Wizards is a fate few deserve and even fewer relish, Blatche turned his moderately successful NBA career on its head when he showed up for the lockout-shortened season out of shape and bitter, going on to average only 8.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in 2011-12 after averaging 16.8 points and 8.2 rebounds the previous year.
Washington amnestied his contract, and he went on to put respectable numbers as a role player in Brooklyn. Being amnestied from an awful Wizards team has left him even more bitter, and he has admitted to wanting a smaller contract that would leave the Wizards on the hook for as much of the money they owe him as possible.
The Warriors pulled off their spectacular 2013 playoff run with a cast of young stars who put the success of the team above their own accomplishments. At 26 years old, Andray Blatche hasn’t convinced me he’s mature enough to do that.