http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2010/02/portland_110_minnesota_91_batu.html So I guess now, we all know why Nic doesn't play as much as most of us think he should play. Apparently he has to shoot 64% from the floor, 63% from 3pt range and 100% from the FT line for Nate to consider keeping him on the floor. Seems a little harsh, but that's why he's an NBA coach and I only coach high school basketball.
Roy chimes in.... It's all good, MM. I'd hardly think Nate and Roy had somehow conspired to keep Nik off the floor.
That quote bothered me a little bit also. It just seemed to reflect a lack of hope or lack of confidence that Batum would continue doing so well. I would have preferred if Nate said something like: "I think Batum will continue getting big minutes, because not only is he a great defender, but he has also developed his offensive game. I night even start to run a few plays for him every game."
It's all good, Mediocre. This way, when you're an NBA coach in a few years and showing Nate how it's really done, we can all say that we knew you when you were just a lowly high school coach and a mediocre internet forum poster! Don't forget us little people when you're making your NBA millions!
FTA: That's the quote that probably bugs me a little more. Mostly because I don't think Prince or Odom is the high end of what he could be. Given his age and rate of improvement (and the fact that the team hasn't yet run a play for him in two years) I think he's got the potential to be the second best player on this team. Batum can definitely fill that defensive SF role, but I think he could also wind up doing a lot more.
Maybe Roy is simply tempering the expectations in the media. Didn't he say something about Oden being better than Howard after only a few practices together last season?
I've come to conclude that mediocre man is a crappy basketball coach and thusly projecting those insufficiencies onto Nate.
How does that bug you? Lamar Odom might be one of the most underrated (although mercurial) players in the league, and Ariza is a helluva wing defender. Roy saying that Nic possesses traits of both guys is high praise in my opinion -- a wing who can handle the ball, create and score like Odom and defend like Trevor Ariza would be a damn fine player for this team to have. The more I think about it, a blend of Odom and Ariza (if Nic ever fully realizes that potential) would basically be Pippen 2.0. Who knows what the finished product will be, but considering his age, athleticism, and already well rounded game (he defends, understands the team game, passes, rebounds, etc.) I think the sky's the limit for this guy.
I love that people think Batum is being slighted and yet he's been compared to two guys who started on championship teams and two of the most versatile forwards in the league. With such lofty expectations, it's no wonder a lot of people think we're always failing or not as good as we should be.
I didn't know about the basketball coach until today. I just figured he was full of crap and projecting it.
I didn't say I expected him to be better than those guys. I said it's pretty limiting to think of him in those terms when he has the potential to be better than them. I'm not down on him or the team at all because he's not Scottie Pippen 2.0 at his current age. But I'm also a little put off that the collective quotes seem to indicate his future lies in being a high quality role player. It's not just the team/coach. I think Batum himself limits himself too much. Far, far too often the ball will swing to him on the perimeter and if the three isn't there he'll just keep swinging it. I'd like to see him practice some Travis Outlaw-type moves where he takes one dribble, rises and shoots. If he can add that to his game, he'll be so much more deadly. Because he already has the three pointer and (unlike Outlaw) he also knows how to attack the rim. It's not really the kind of move you expect from a Bruce Bowen/Tayshaun Prince-type small forward, but it's the kind of skill that can come in handy when the defense keys in on Roy late in the game.
People on this forum are great at making ridiculous expectations, then get mad when those players don't live up to their ridiculous expectations. Funny how it works like that. I don't even bother responding to people who bash Nate over the simplest things. They just don't get it and never will.
The way I read the quote was that he had qualities similar to those players. I never saw anything that said they thought he couldn't be better than AK47, Odom, etc. Did you?
While I definitely wouldn't want you as the Blazer coach, I would throw down 5$ to see you do some interpretive dancing. Your ability to read into throwaway/cliche quotes and project them into whole new wild realms is... really something STOMP
