Andris Biedrins raised questions about the Warriors medical staff, albeit tacitly—and in Latvian. I’m not saying Biedrins is right to eschew GSW medicine, but who can blame him? Warriors players get hurt while getting hurt. I’m not faulting the medical staff, but it would be reasonable for Andris to take his tendons elsewhere.
And it would also be reasonable for Warriors management to try a different avenue–in how they talk and act regarding the health issue. The negative fatalism of Cohan’s reign was what depressed, and the anemic basketball was a byproduct of that mentality. Warriors HQ’s favored media meme was how “unlucky” the GSW mash unit was. Every year. More proactivity, please.
Bad luck can lead to bad injuries, just as how bad luck can lead to bad losses. But the mentality of the Warriors boosters was to almost celebrate awful health in the way Nubians worship crocodiles. You could picture Rowell on the phone: “What is it…torn ACL? Out for the year? YESSSSSSS!”
Over the course of the Cohan era, you rarely, if ever, heard Robert Rowell confidently hold court on how GSW would keep players in jerseys. Where were the new training methods, new doctors, new staff? If health is all luck, then we wouldn’t have suffered through an agonizing, two-year national debate over health reform. Peter Guber can do much to change the Hegenberger culture. My preference would be a new plan on keeping the surgeon away.
Who got hurt and is it a torn ACL?!?!
You’re right about the Warriors almost celebrating their injury problems. Bob Fitzgerald in particular has probably used about 100 radio hours in the past three years doing his “I’m going to ask a question to myself and then answer it while giggling” routine:
“So, if you’re missing your starting center, both of your power forwards, a 25 ppg SG who should be an all-star, a backup center who’s one of the best shot blockers IN THE LEAGUE and both of your small forwards, is that going to affect you? Probably! (hahaha)”
Supposedly the Suns have this awesome training staff. Maybe Lacob and Guber should send a spy down there to find out what they’re doing differently.