<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The Celtics are one of four teams courting the services of Atlanta Hawks free agent Esteban Batista, according to his agent Marc Cornstien. The Bobcats, Suns and Pacers are targeting a player who made a mark for himself playing for Uruguay at the FIBA Tournament in Las Vegas. </p> The 24-year old Batista led the tournament in rebounds, averaging 12.4 boards over eight games. He was third in scoring average with 20.8 points per contest. Last season he played 13 games for the Hawks, averaging 1.5 ppg and 2.3 rpg. </p> Cornstein said he expects the 6-10, 268 pound forward/center to make his decision in the near future. </p> "I think he will be a good pick for them (Celtics)," Cornstien He's a tough banger who runs the floor. I think he will be a great fit. But all of the teams would be good."</div></p> http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/ce...ics_target.html</p>
Maybe we can just have Skinner and Batista battle it out for that last roster spot in a cage match? It would probably be the most entertainment either player would give us all year.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (peg182)</div><div class='quotemain'>i wanna see someone give Batista a chance. it'd be nice to see what he could do in the NBA.</div> He played with the Hawks, but his style doesn't translate well to the NBA game. He was a monster in the FIBA tournament because the rules allow him to play physical in the post. He outplayed most of the NBA big men he matched up against in the FIBA tournament, and ended up leading the tournament in rebounds per game with 12.4 along with 4th in scoring at 20.8.</p> He scored 20 points against Team USA and shot 64.3% from the field against the duo of Amare and Howard.</p> It's a low risk, high reward signing by the Celtics if Batista can adapt his game to fit the NBA. The Celtics need to address their size issues and Batista would fill the void. </p> Another player they might want to look at from the FIBA tournament was Adam Parada from Mexico. He's a space filler and a legit 7 footer. He's also a physical player and can get up and down the court well for a big man. He played college ball at UC Irvine and was invited to the Lakers summer league a couple of years ago. Unfortunately he got kicked off the team after getting into a fist fight, but Parada has really improved the last two years. I was surprised to see the development in his game from when he tried out with the Lakers. He's really polished his post moves and knows how to draw contact by baiting his defender into reaching and then sweeping his arms through their body for the foul call. He got to the line at a high rate in the FIBA tournament including 11 times in just 20 minutes against Brazil.</p>
According to Marc Spears, Batista declined our offer.</p> http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/ce...s/celtics_blog/</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> The agent for Atlanta Hawks free forward-center Esteban Batista said late tonight that his client has declined an offer to sign with the Celtics. Agent Marc Cornstien said this afternoon that the Celtics, Charlotte, Phoenix and Indiana had made contract offers to the 6-foot-10, 270-pounder. While Cornstien said via text message Wednesday night that Batista had turned down Boston, he didn't say why and wouldn't say where his client was leaning now. </p> "Boston could be a good fit, but there are teams expressing more serious interest," Cornstien said.</p> The Uruguay native played sparingly for Atlanta last season, but averaged a tournament-best 12.4 rebounds and 20.8 points during the recent FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas. Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge couldn't be reached for comment, but the inquiry on Batista gives the impression that his club is interested in bringing another big man to camp. The Celtics are currently expected to bring 15 players to camp.</p> </div> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (shapecity)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (peg182)</div><div class='quotemain'>i wanna see someone give Batista a chance. it'd be nice to see what he could do in the NBA.</div> He played with the Hawks, but his style doesn't translate well to the NBA game. He was a monster in the FIBA tournament because the rules allow him to play physical in the post. He outplayed most of the NBA big men he matched up against in the FIBA tournament, and ended up leading the tournament in rebounds per game with 12.4 along with 4th in scoring at 20.8.</p> He scored 20 points against Team USA and shot 64.3% from the field against the duo of Amare and Howard.</p> It's a low risk, high reward signing by the Celtics if Batista can adapt his game to fit the NBA. The Celtics need to address their size issues and Batista would fill the void. </p> Another player they might want to look at from the FIBA tournament was Adam Parada from Mexico. He's a space filler and a legit 7 footer. He's also a physical player and can get up and down the court well for a big man. He played college ball at UC Irvine and was invited to the Lakers summer league a couple of years ago. Unfortunately he got kicked off the team after getting into a fist fight, but Parada has really improved the last two years. I was surprised to see the development in his game from when he tried out with the Lakers. He's really polished his post moves and knows how to draw contact by baiting his defender into reaching and then sweeping his arms through their body for the foul call. He got to the line at a high rate in the FIBA tournament including 11 times in just 20 minutes against Brazil. </p> </div> </p> daaaamn what are you an NBA scout??</p> haha, awesome. I think that Batista has the possibility of getting used to the NBA, and becoming a good rebounding and down low player...but it seems he really hasn't been given much of a fair chance with the Hawks. </p> Batista's only 24 years old, so maybe he could learn something from KG if he went to the Celts, or Amare if he went to Phoenix about getting used to the NBA game. </p>
