Mickaël Piétrus (born on February 7, 1982 in Les Abymes, Guadeloupe) is a Caribbean-French professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the NBA. He is listed at 6'6" and is a swingman, playing both the shooting guard and small forward positions. Piétrus was drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the 11th pick of the 2003 NBA Draft, and is originally from Guadeloupe, a Caribbean island that is a part of France.
He has averaged 9 points and 3.3 rebounds through his first four seasons, always showing some improvement, with 2006–07 being his best so far (27 mpg, 11 ppg, 4.5 rpg), and is more renowned for his defensive play than for his offensive skills. His older brother, Florent Piétrus, is a professional basketball player in Spain.
In September 2005 he won the Bronze Medal at the 2005 European Championship with the French national team. With ÉB Pau-Orthez he won the French championship in 2001 and 2003, as well as the national cup in the year 2002. During the 2008 off-season, he was signed by the Orlando Magic.[2][3]
Piétrus is also known by the nicknames MP, Air France, and Puma.[4][5][6] He speaks French and English fluently.[4]
Pro career
Golden State Warriors
After leaving his native France, Piétrus was drafted by the Golden State Warriors. He played there for 5 seasons with the last being the 07–08 season.
Orlando Magic
During the 2008 offseason, he signed with the Orlando Magic.
In Piétrus's debut he scored 20 points against the Atlanta Hawks and continued to be a key player for the Orlando Magic, with one of his best games being against the Dallas Mavericks where he made 5 three-point field goals to lead the Magic into a comeback and their first win in Dallas.
Piétrus has since had two injuries which meant he lost 25 games out of his season. He is now back playing for the Magic and is starting to pick up his form again.
Piétrus helped the Magic throughout the 2009 NBA Playoffs where the team reached its second Finals appearance. Known for his competitiveness, Piétrus notably lost his composure in the tail-end of the series, as he appeared to attack Pau Gasol after the Spaniard dunked on the Magic for a definitive lead late in the match. Piétrus' attack was a double-fisted punch on Gasol's back as the Lakers player hung from the rim.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
| Year |
Team |
GP |
GS |
MPG |
FG% |
3P% |
FT% |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
BPG |
PPG |
| 2003–04 |
Golden State |
53 |
22 |
14.1 |
.416 |
.333 |
.693 |
2.2 |
.5 |
.6 |
.2 |
5.3 |
| 2004–05 |
Golden State |
67 |
3 |
20.0 |
.427 |
.344 |
.698 |
2.8 |
1.2 |
.7 |
.3 |
9.5 |
| 2005–06 |
Golden State |
52 |
18 |
22.7 |
.404 |
.318 |
.608 |
3.1 |
.8 |
.6 |
.2 |
9.3 |
| 2006–07 |
Golden State |
72 |
38 |
26.9 |
.488 |
.388 |
.648 |
4.5 |
.9 |
.7 |
.8 |
11.1 |
| 2007–08 |
Golden State |
66 |
16 |
19.9 |
.439 |
.361 |
.673 |
3.7 |
.7 |
1.0 |
.6 |
7.2 |
| 2008–09 |
Orlando |
54 |
25 |
24.6 |
.413 |
.359 |
.709 |
3.3 |
1.2 |
.6 |
.4 |
9.4 |
| Career |
|
364 |
122 |
21.6 |
.436 |
.354 |
.668 |
3.3 |
.9 |
.7 |
.4 |
8.7 |
Playoffs
| Year |
Team |
GP |
GS |
MPG |
FG% |
3P% |
FT% |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
BPG |
PPG |
| 2006–07 |
Golden State |
11 |
0 |
19.0 |
.347 |
.259 |
.694 |
3.8 |
.5 |
.4 |
.8 |
6.0 |
| 2008–09 |
Orlando |
24 |
0 |
25.8 |
.483 |
.385 |
.723 |
2.6 |
.6 |
.8 |
.5 |
10.5 |
| Career |
|
35 |
0 |
23.6 |
.453 |
.358 |
.713 |
3.0 |
.6 |
.7 |
.6 |
9.1 |
References
See also
External links
