AK was more of a help defense shot blocker. Batum is more of a one-on-one G/F containing defender. You can stick him on quick PG's or wings, I don't think AK had the lateral quickness to defend quick PG's.
Batum has yet to show the ability to be able to play a point forward position, which is one of the reasons Pippen was such a nightmare to defend. I like the Prince comparison, and I'd be thrilled with that sort of SF for the next ten years.
I think he'd be OK handling the rock. He has no chance because Andre and brandon are 2 of the most ball dominating guards in the game.
Agreed about Pippen, but Batum did show some of that ability for the French national team over the summer. Whether he'll be able to translate that to the NBA is an open question, but at least the possibility is there. Not to be Pippen, necessarily, but to emulate his offense style as well.
The funny part for me, in all of these arguments over who he most resembles, is that if he ends up being just 3/4 as good as any of them (Sprewell, Prince, Pippen, Hill, AK47 and even Augmon) this team is going to be in pretty good shape. ps. If he stays healthy, I predict Price-like numbers and impact with better playmaking ... or a poor man's Grant Hill (in Hill's prime).
Well, when a raw 19/20 year old looks as natural and graceful on the court as Batum did last year (with some production) and then follows it up with solid improvements the next...it's fair to start thinking of him as a potentially special talent. I don't think he'll be Pippen or Hill, but someone with the impact of a Prince of Spree is reasonable. Better play-making than Mark Price? Wow...that would be impressive, considering his defensive value. And props to using a comp with a different body type and skin colour!
I wonder who made that video. At the beginning you saw the transition that says Nic's name and then it says 3rd quarter. At the end it just says Blazers. Those are called interstitials or stitials. I use those at the beginning and end of every package I do. I have NEVER in my life used a 3rd quarter stitial. Wonder who this person is and where they got it from.
You guys all have it wrong, Batum is a one of a kind player who's skill and playing style will be used as a bench mark for future players.
Ya, I saw that, I'm just curious how he got a hold of my interstitials that have never made air. I enjoy watching pieces that guys cut, it's cool to see other editor's ideas. I saw he is friends on youtube with that Maxamillion guy that used to share his pieces with us on here. I called him out on some of his sequences. They were mine from our broadcasts (which I don't mind, because that is the only way for somebody to acquire footage of the team) But when I asked him in a PM about the fact that he was using some of my work he got all defensive and claimed it was all his work. One thing I can't stand is plagiarism. Haven't seen him on here since.
As I said in a previous post, Batum would have to regress to become Pietrus. Pietrus has been a consistent 10-13 PER player...a mediocre to okay bench player. Batum has an 18.5 PER this year, as a 21 year old. They don't seem very close statistically. Batum, right now, is blowing any season Pietrus had out of the water. Maybe Batum will regress, but that wouldn't be my expectation for a 21 year old who observationally looked much better both over the summer and now in his second NBA season.
2nd seasons Pietrus 9.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, .7 SPG, 20 MPG (Age 22) Batum 9.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.2 APG, .6 SPG, 23 MPG (Age 21) Per 36: Pietrus 17.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.2 SPG Batum 15.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.0 SPG
Chris Duhon shoots over .500 (many seasons) for the first 20 games... Not sure why it makes all the difference.
