Greatest unsung hero in every NBA team’s history

Golden State Warriors: Andris Biedrins

Before finding success with their current cast of characters, the Golden State Warriors spent much of their history as cannon fodder for the other Western Conference teams. However, the franchise did experience some bright spots during that extended dormant period.

While some will look back fondly on the “Run TMC” years, the 2006-07 team that upset the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round stands out as one of the most memorable in the pre-Stephen Curry days.

Most fans remember such eclectic characters such as Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, Jason Richardson, Al Harrington and Matt Barnes occupying roster spots on that Golden State team. But do you know who let that team in win shares?

That would be Latvian center Andris Biedrins. Beidrins indeed led the team in cumulative win shares and defensive wins, while finishing slightly behind Davis in WS/48.

While Biedrins wasn’t much of a scoring threat, he did most of his damage on the defensive end (1.7 blocks per game) and on the boards (9.3 rebounds per game), particularly on the offensive glass (3.1 offensive boards per game).

Biedrins had plenty of shortcomings. His free throw shooting deteriorated as time went on. However, his impact on the glass and defense the paint helped an otherwise moribund Warriors team slide into the playoffs to pull off one of the greatest upsets in league history.