Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Pietrus being counted on for more than fun

Mickael Pietrus is expanding his game and his role on the team.
Nobody was having more fun during the Warriors' 100-82 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday than swingman Mickael Pietrus.

He playfully gestured to the crowd to crank up the noise after he drew a foul driving to the hoop in the first half.

Later, he stuck out his tongue at the television audience after he took a spill on the floor and found himself face-to-face with a TV camera.

"That's me, man," Pietrus said after Tuesday's practice. "I like the crowd. I like to get people into the game. They came to see us play. I like to get them excited."

But the Warriors are counting on Pietrus to be more than a catalyst for the crowd. Now in his third season, Pietrus needs to energize his team consistently off the bench.

"He's a little more relaxed (this season), I think," Warriors coach Mike Montgomery said. "I think he feels like he can give us energy off the bench. And obviously, if he shoots the ball, that's a bonus. He's a good defender. We'd like him to rebound a little bit more, but he's helping us a lot right now."


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