Batun's extension and minutes - very interesting

Ahh so its Nate’s fault Batum only averaged 8ppg with Steve Nash guarding him. Nate didn’t want him to score? Good to know.

Is Nate at fault for Batum currently shooting 37% two pointers? As a forward? Don’t get me wrong, Batum has value as a role playing spot up shooter, he is shooting a great 37% from downtown. But when he tries to create offensively he struggles to score against other teams second units. He has never created offense efficiently in the NBA, he plays off his teammates. Why should we expect he has any ability to create offensively when he’s never done it well in his career?

 

So, we have a player that is super long for his position, very fast, works hard on both offense and defense, very skilled, team player, not a head case, he shows flashes of brilliance but can not be counted on to be a super star. Right?

Isn't that what we said about LaMarcus Aldridge 2 years ago? But we at least seen what Aldridge can do as a #2 option on offense to know that he is good. Nicolas has never been anything other than a #3 option on offense in the NBA (during the season of "everyone dies" 2009-2010 - at the end of the year, when he was #3 after #1 Andre/Aldridge - he had an ungodly 0.65 TS% and 127 ORTG during this time on a miniscule 16.5 USG%. The Playoffs against PHX means nothing - he was playing hurt with shoulder injury, I can't believe he could actually play during this time at all. Reminder, D-Wade basically took a year off to recover from shoulder injury...

This kid has all the tools in the world to be a super-player. He just needs someone to give him a chance in the NBA to be that - to see if he can take it there or not. In the Euroleague (which is much harder and more skilled than College Basketball) he proved he can be an alpha-dog. Portland will be mistaken to not, at least, try him in this position for a while to figure out if he can be the #2 option on the team. Heck. Make him #1 option off the bench instead of Jamal.

I will repeat it. We have never seen Nicolas featured on offense in the NBA. Until we see it - anyone that claims he can not be - does not remember the recent past we had with Aldridge.

 

I swear to god is everybody around here so obdurate that they can't read? I said part -- As in, a portion of his problem in that series was nothing being run through him. I freely concede that you have a point that part of Nic's problem lies within himself and his tendency to be passive.

 

Think about it this way, Batum has bounced in and out of the starting lineup for years and still Nate is not sure he can produce nightly. Crash hasn't been here a whole year and he owns the 3 spot...

I don't want to hear Batum's young and a devolping player, heard that with Webster and Outlaw. How did that turn out? Kobe, Tmac, Lebron all young instantly made impacts in the league....why? Killer instinct!

Crash has been an allstar already and he doesn't need to develop a role he brought one with him to Ptown. He's got 3 good years still in him and I don't think Nick has shown he'll ever be a solid #2 option.

You go with proven or insane talent with killer instinct. In this case Crash is a no brainer...

 

Never said I could read well haha

Guess I just don't agree that any of it is Nates fault. If anything I think Nate has given him a larger role then most coaches. How many coaches start him as a rookie? I put Batum's struggles entirely on Batum.

 

No brainer? Last year at the trade deadline, Bobcats were having trouble giving Wallace away. Heck Blazers refused to include Batum in deal with Bobcats, which initially made them decline the trade, then though better of it and gave the Blazers Wallace for nothing. Now it's a no brainer to trade Nic away and offer Wallace a long term big money contract?

Also you aren't really comparing Nic to Kobe, Lebron and Tmac are you? I doubt anyone is going to be offering Nic a max contract for max years. We aren't talking superstar, we are wondering if Nic will continue to develop and pay him for that untapped potential.

I get you think Nic can no longer inprove at the ripe age of 23, but it is anything but a no brainer.

 

No I'm saying Nic's age to that of Kobe, Tmac and Lebron coming into the league and the difference in their skill set and most importantly ATTITUDE. Now you counter balance that with what Crash brings already at the ripe age of "29" and that's where the no brainer comes in...... Do you really think that an offense anywhere in the NBA will have Batum as a second option and where? He can't even back his man down to the hoop, let alone get his own shot unless he's wide open, he can barely fight through the screens... If Batum wants to be a star he better start working out and finding what he does better than anyone else and let the league KNOW IT!! Otherwise he's not a player you'd trade a Crash for. Not even close.

 

So - on the record, you were on the "trade Aldridge" bandwagon before he blew up in the middle of last season?

 

Wallace wasn't anything special until his 5th season. He was 23.

Batum is in his 4th season. He is 23.

So: do you give up Gerald Wallace during his 4th season because he will never be that good?

Oops.

 

Top 10%? For the 2009-2010 season Hollinger's player stats lists 70 power forwards and Aldridge is #14 by PER (that's top 20%, not clearly top 10%). He was also 25 years old at the time.

This year, The same stat lists 60 small forwards but given the way the list works (you need a certain number of minutes to be included) and how early it is in the year, let's assume that the same number will be in the list at year's end. Nicolas, right now, is #18 - and he is 2 years younger than Aldridge was at the time and featured a lot less on offense.

I honestly do not see the clear difference. Wallace is fantastic and we are lucky to have him, he should start, but giving Nic 20 minutes a game and having him option #6 on offense is criminal, imho. Declaring that Nic will never be a capable #1 or #2 in this league is again baseless without having actually seen him in this position once in his NBA career.

Again, he has the tools, we have seen that in the Euroleague he can produce like that, he was often the man or a very capable #2 on the French team behind Tony Parker. It is too early, and too foolish to dismiss him at this point given that he was never featured on offense in this league.

 

oh boy... how long till nic requests a trade? you can see this coming a mile away. now eggers is in on it.

 

I will lose a lot of respect for Nic if that happens, I don't think he's a big baby like Rudy. Nic can sign in Europe this summer if he doesn't want to return to the Blazers, he doesn't need to act like DeMarcus Cousins.

 

Batum doesnt seem llike the kind of guy who would do that. Guess we will see.
This whole situation just seems like normal oregon "lets stir shit up" reporters I dont buy any of it.
Im down for giving 35m for 5 years

Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk

 

Hated the interview with Dwight who basically made it more of an issue than it should have been.

"Nic, you aren't getting a lot of playing time and your role is possibly diminishing. One could aruge that you should be getting more playing time. Are you concerned about your playing time with the Blazers and is playing time a consideration when deciding to sign with a team?"

I know those wern't the exact words, but listen to the interview and I swear Dwight is there just to stir things up for a good story.

 

I don't believe we can give him more then a 4 year extension. We can resign him for 5 years in the offseason though.

 

The big problem with this argument is that VA/EWA is minutes and role dependent - which comes back to my argument - anyone that says that Nico will never take the next step in the NBA because he has not so far is talking out of their rear-end. He might, he might not - but there are a lot of indicators that the kid has lots of talent and can actually produce when given a more prominent role.

Given that rather depressing turn of events (lack of minutes, responsibility) - a more interesting stat for me to look at is WS/48 - and see that whenever Nico was actually (by necessity) given a prominent role (2009-2010 before he re-injured his shoulder in the playoffs) - his WS/48 was 0.181 - a mark that Aldridge has only managed to overtake once - this year.

The Kid is clearly a major talent, has all the tools to be a fantastic basketball player and can actually produce when given a chance - either in the Euroleague, or in the NBA. He deserves the chance to be featured in the NBA - or at least, to be tested for this role. I just hope that the Blazers have the wit to recognize it and actually test him here before giving up on him.

 

With all this talk about YMCA and fml I have to change my opinion to "we need a better gimmick than the chalupa!". It's relevant dammit!