Why isn't Batum playing well?

It's still early in the season. He was fitting almost effortlessly and looked like our future SF. Lately, he's a non factor. I don't understand what has changed. Why can't he keep playing well? It's far too early to be hitting a wall. We've only played 24 games. The wall shouldn't hit til around 50.

 

Because he's a smelly Euro!

 

Probably because he's a rookie and coaches have adjusted on how to play him?

 

Rookies don't always play well, all the time.

 

By all rights he ought to be in the same position as Bayless. Both of them have a great deal of talent and show flashes of brilliance, both of them are the same age, but both of them have a long way to go before they'll have a truly significant impact. If Webster had not been injured Batum probably wouldn't have even played. But I'm very confident that Batum will become a fantastic basketball player. So much so that it's tempting for me to call him the future starting SF over both Webster and Outlaw (and actually deserve it).

 

19 year old rookie that is now being scouted.

Like our offense, he will not perform very well until he adjusts

 

Spot on. It's not just Batum, opposing teams have been playing better D on the entire team now that we have been scouted.

Teams have taken away our easy shots not we just settle for 3-pointers. This is the time where Nate needs to earn his salary and retool things.

 

I think he's an average to poor shooter who was on a hot streak earlier.

 

Again, sorta like our team. It's what happened last year during our streak. We got hot from the outside. It's not that we were really that good. We still aren't because our coach has no concept on how to run effective sets on either end of the floor.

 

He could be hitting that rookie wall too

 

lol....i know you guys too well

 

Scouted for what though? I'm not attacking your position, but just trying to frame the assertion. His early production was a result of causing turnovers, running the lanes on potential breaks, and sweeping in for rebounds and putbacks. It wasnt a case of hot shooting or taking people off the drive, so what kind of adjustments have been made for him?

I think he's just hit the wall. We havent played a typical schedule, so it maybe it feels like the 2/3rd point in the season to these guys. He alluded to the drain of the schedule in his blog, so he must be feeling it. I'm confident his production will increase again toward the end of the long homestand. He just needs to re-fuel.

 

He's never played this many games before. Think about how many back-to-backs and road trips he's already been on. He's hitting the wall, folks.