from thebatumconnection [video=youtube;1BdDfI5bnUo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BdDfI5bnUo&feature=g-u&context=G23d324dFUAAAAAAABAA[/video]
I think it's mildly awesome how the day after he gets a lowball offer from the Blazers he goes out and does this. Ball's in your court Paul/Larry/Bert/Nate/Chad.
I don't really buy much into the idea that he's not consistent. His per minute production has always been about the same. Give him 30-35mpg, and he'll give you 15-20pts, 5+rebs, and good defense. This is his Aldridge-esque breakout year, and the team needs to realize that. OH, and PAY THE MAN!
Hey, Chad and I keep telling them, but Larry and Nate are fighting us on it. Nate is generally clueless on how to use a SF with Nico's skills, and Larry eats babies. I'll get back to you.
Man those Houston announcers were in love with Batum, even before he went lights out. They'd give him what he wants, yesterday, LOL.
I know 12 games is a small sample size, but Batum's per 36 minute scoring, rebounding and shot blocking numbers are all at career highs. As is his current PER = 17.6. I don't really care if he starts, or not, but he needs to get 30+ minutes per night EVERY night. He just turned 23 and is still improving. It sure would be nice to see the Blazers run some actual plays for him, and not just a 4th year in a row of his offense being limited to stand in the corner and shoot three combined with occasional hustle/broken plays. In addition to the wide open 3, he can now catch, turn and shoot. So, run him off some screens and get him the ball more! He also seems much more comfortable posting up smaller players in the low post. With his length, any time he has a shorter player on him, the Blazers should automatically post him up. This kid has skills and his offensive game continues to evolve. It would be nice to have a coach that could take advantage of that. BNM
+1. It's why you give him $8 million/season, and re-sign him now. I think it'll be a great deal for all sides in the end. Fans here keep acting like he's already reached his ceiling. He's nowhere near at 23. And he's a damned good player now, even when not playing to his strengths. Get it done. He'll cost more down the road, otherwise.
...he is the antihesis to Travis Outlaw so instead of the patented "TO must go!!!" chant, we should be chanting "Batum must bloom!!!"
Isn't of of those Houston announcers Clyde Drexler? The one gushing about Batum. Did you know that Drexler averaged 15.0 ppg on 30.9% shooting in his last season in the league? All in about 35 minutes per game.
He's been on a nice little three game run in terms of shooting. Before that it was pretty dreadful. So his PER is up now, but it has been much lower until this stretch. Given how few games have been played and that until this last stretch he was only playing around 25mpg. Anyway, with Camby out and this team on a really nice suckfest, it's time to change up the lineup and go smaller ball. Felton/Matthews/Batum/Wallace/Aldridge should be the starting lineup, with each guy getting 35 mpg or so. Usually when you go smaller like this it hurts interior defense and rebounding, but that risk really isn't there for this team. We've got tons of long arms to clog lanes, and Gerald Wallace is a pretty decent rebounder at any position. Against Dwight Howard and Bynum we'll have problems, but even there the added speed may make up for some of that. Nate has been ludicrously slow in making these sort of lineup changes in the past. In his rookie year, Aldridge sat most nights in favor of Former All Star Jamal Magloire. (People usually shrug over this fact, but in hindsight it was a monumental mistake. That was a 32 win team with nothing to lose, and our one chance to see if Aldridge could've coexisted with Zach Randolph.) It took him forever to start Miller over Blake. He was the last guy in the building to notice that Brandon Roy was no longer starter material. It took him 8 games last year to realize Gerald Wallace was a starter. (We went 4-4 over that stretch.) This is just off the top of my head. McMillan is good at making lineup adjustments when they are forced on him because of injury or trade or a really nasty losing streak. But he's really, really lousy at shaking up a rotation opportunistically. Hopefully he proves me wrong here and moves Batum into the starting lineup quickly.
I don't care about Batum starting. What I do care about is: 1. him playing MORE MINUTES. 30 minimum 2. him not spending most of his time on the floor with Crawford as his "point guard". Perhaps part of the reason Nate is keeping Batum in the bench unit is because Batum has some PG skills, so it helps to balance out Crawford's inadequacies. But that hurts Batum. If it helped the team, then he'd have to suck it, but I'm not sure it does.
Am I the only one who CRINGES everytime freaken Crawford is the PG? The guy isn't a PG he is a SG and theres a reason for this. Yes he can make passes but he would rather score, we go back to Roy style but not as good with him on the floor as the PG.
There's a reason I was in favor of trading players like Wallace for picks before the season started and going with lots of youth and eschewing picking up a high volume middling player like Crawford. I thought (and still think) that this team needed to find out what they really have in players like Nic, Elliot and ... hmmm ... well maybe those two are it? Anyway, they needed to figure out if they've got anything the can really build around and they needed to see Nic in a prominent role to help determine what kind of contract or extension he's worth. The reason I felt so strongly about getting the hard truth in evaluations about Nic and some of the younglings on the team is because losing a cornerstone player like Roy and getting nothing in return for him just can't be pasted over with some bondo and strapping tape -- metaphorically speaking -- This team probably needs to tank and get back into the lottery for a year or two to refresh the talent pool ... unless one of these guys like Williams or Nic has something that can be developed or relied on. I have no idea if Nic's outburst last night was just his annual "I could be amazing if I got the opportunity game" or if it's more of an annual "how the fuck did I just do that?" game, but they need to lean on him early and often to see if he can take it.
You're not the only one. Unfortunately, for me at least, I have the same reaction when Felton's in the game.
I'm always impressed with a post that includes a word like "eschewing", but I don't think that the "tank and get back into the lottery for a year or two" model is going to work unless you're willing to part ways with Aldridge. With him in his prime, I don't think this team is likely to finish poorly enough to have a good shot at a top-3 pick (unless there's a concerted effort made to lose, and that would be a disservice to LaMarcus). At some point this season, the Blazers will have to decide whether they think that they can get far enough in the playoffs this season to go all-in with the roster they have, or whether it makes more sense to look to the future by seeking trades near the deadline involving guys like Wallace and Camby. It's too early to make that decision yet, but either way, I don't see a trip to the lottery being likely for this team. Instead, I think that they'll look to keep Aldridge, Batum & Matthews and try to pick up another piece in a trade.
Lock him up! I think most know my position when it comes to Batum. Interesting because I was on here last week and the tone of a thread was to lock up Wallace long term and trade Batum. Now on the raod there is kind of a reversal of that. What happens when Blazers go back home and Wallace feeds off the home crowd? I don't consider Batum being part of a "big 3" but I do think he is a very important piece to a championship roster because he plays a lot of positions, is young and improving and is a team guy. Allen should pony up the money to keep him and still be looking for a max contract player to add to the team. He can afford it, does the new CBA allow it?
Nice post Nik, though I don't necessarily think tanking is the way forward. Perhaps if we moved some pieces at the trade deadline for draft picks, looking to get younger and building around LMA, Batum and Wes, then we could look to make a big signing next offseason to complement the draft (Deron would be the ideal situation). This all hinges on a coaching regime change though. Even if we get some talented young players, McMillan has knack for not extracting the most from the talent he has at hand. (Oh, and I agree Treaty, Lock up Batum long term!)
