Expect a vigorous offseason for Warriors' Udoh

The 23-year-old from smack dab in the middle of Oklahoma (Edmond) has had to do some serious adjusting to life in a big city, and he has done it while some of the biggest guys on the planet are trying to knock him down.

"It's really physical," Udoh said three times before settling on his rebuttal, "but I'll be back and ready to battle with the big guys next season."

Udoh has held his own in his debut. After surprising everyone by returning from wrist surgery in mid-December, the forward has earned 15 starts and has provided a long-sought defensive presence to the tune of 1.3 blocks per game.

His best two offensive games - 16 points against Phoenix and 15 against San Antonio - were separated by 18 games, 17 of them single-digit outings. He also ranks nears the bottom of the league in rebounds per minute for players of his size.

"Some of the stuff he has done is surprising, and you start thinking about the possibilities. If he had summer league and training camp under his belt, what would he be like?" coach Keith Smart said. "Weight training is going to be big time for him this summer, and he knows it.

"You can see him go up for the first effort, and it's great. Then on the second effort, he gets pushed away and ends up in a folding chair under the basket."

Udoh was limited in the offseason because of torn tendons in his wrist. He was steadfast in his core workouts and conditioning during recovery, but he wasn't able to lift weights.

None of the setbacks has appeared to affect Udoh. He flashes a consistent smile, and because he is the first player to breakfast every day, he offers a boisterous morning salutation to each teammate as they arrive.