Sean Elliott: Batum is the best SF in the league

Dude. I didn't say it. Sean Elliott did. It's a worthy comment to discuss and not ridiculous to discuss. If you read the thread, you'd see that people mentioned Melo, KD, and LeBron are all playing PF. They also posted Nic's very impressive all around stats. So who is better? Paul Pierce? Who else?

 

I know you didn't, it's just such an outrageous statement it doesn't deserve a reply. How about a thread titled.....Where does Batum at SF rank in the NBA?

Then I would answer

1-'Bron
2-Durant
3-Melo
4-Nic
5-Pierce
6-Gay
7-Deng
8-Iguadala
9-Granger
10-Galinari
The last 3 are interchangeable



How is Nic $$$$ wise in comparison to those other guys?

 

HCP, don't post without reading the thread (which you admittedly did). Eric didn't make the claim, Sean Elliot did. And as has been pointed out, your top 3 are all playing PF.

 

All it takes is for Nico to be on a shitty team, then he's a producer. Let's not forget two years ago, we were thinking he'd be the fourth or fifth best player on this team. That's how far we've fallen.

 

Nic is at the bottom of that list $ wise with Gallo. He got market rate-- those saying we overpaid simply don't know the market. Actually, if he keeps up his current production, he's probably underpaid.

 

If he continues his current production, then we're in real trouble. On a good team, Batum is a fourth or fifth fiddle.

 

Well he's third best now behind LA and Dame. Why is that so bad?

I don't think our high level talent is all that bad. It's not stellar, but I think I'd take our big 3 over at least 25 teams' top 3. But our 4-12 as an aggregate are probably worst in the league.

 

I get your point, but my problem with that line of thinking is that all of the people on the bottom half of that list are considered overpaid. Batum fits in right between the two groups. And really, SF is regarded as one of the easiest, if not the easiest, positions to fill in the NBA. So, unless you've got one of the difference makers at the very top of the list, it doesn't make much sense to pay someone like a franchise player when you could get more impact for your dollars elsewhere (small market issues aside).

 

I agree with the premise of this post.

But at this point I'm also not convinced Aldridge is our #1. We don't know if Lillard is a #1 yet either.

This team still needs another big impact player, and that would make Nicolas 4th in line. That looks a lot better.

 

Batum is among the best SFs in the NBA. Aldridge is among the best PFs. Lillard might be among the best PGs, but we haven't seen him in enough games to know that yet. Wesley Matthews is starter-worthy, but middle of the pack. JJ Hickson isn't a center, but he's not a bad stop-gap solution there.

The biggest reasons the Blazers won't win that many games are #1 no bench, and #2 lack of experience (other than Aldridge, Matthews and Batum). Batum is very good, but whether his production maintains at the current level or goes up or down a bit won't matter much to the Blazers' winning percentage. That won't improve until the Blazers can improve their depth or have a few players mature ahead of schedule.

 

But production is a lot more than just scoring. Not only is Nic's scoring average up from 13.9ppg to 19.3ppg, but his rebounding, assists and steals are all at career highs. On team where Batum would be the 4th or 5th option on offense, he can still contribute in so many more ways. He is quickly developing into the ultimate glue guy. It's only been 6 games under Stotts, but his PER = 21.9 isn't just a career high, but it's highest on the team ahead of both Aldridge and Lillard.

A guy who is the 3rd (or 4th or 5th) option on offense, but still leads the team in PER (by contributing on so many other ways) is a very valuable asset.

BNM

 

As I posted here, Nic was 48th in the league in scoring last year and is the 49th highest paid player in the league this season. So, even with last year's 13.9ppg scoring average, Nic's salary this season is in line with his scoring ability - even if he doesn't improve his scoring over the 4-year life of his contract.

But, he has improved (so far, yeah I know it's only 6 games). Right now, Nic is 15th in the entire league in scoring per game, 4th in steals, 23rd in PER, 16th in EFF, 19th in WS, etc. Basically, he's currently performing like a top 20 player in the league, but being paid like the 49th best player in the league.

And, because Minnesota's front loaded his offer sheet, this year's salary is highest of his 4-year contract. Not only is Nic earning that contract (through 6 games), but he's looking like a bargain (so far). And, he's only 23 and still has room for further improvement - as his salary goes DOWN.

He may never be a 1st, 2nd or even 3rd scoring option on a contending team, but given his versatility and the other ways he contributes, that's actually a good thing. Now that he can score of the dribble, and is no longer just a spot up shooter, he can create for himself, and others, when teams double Lillard and force the ball out of his hands.

Is he the best small forward in the game? If you consider any, or all, of LeBron, Carmelo and Durant small forwards, then Batum isn't even in the conversation. But, even if he's only the 4th best SF in the league, behind those three, he's still a pretty damn good player, not overpaid at all (based on current production), young and still improving.

BNM

 

That's a fair point, but I still want to see him perform at this level against teams other than LA/SA before I'm convinced this is his new level of production. He always gets amped up for Gasol and Parker, then lays an egg against the next opponent. Until he changes that, I'm not quite a believer.

 

Not this again. I thoroughly disproved it in the thread you cite. I showed that

 

You didn't show shit, other than the fact that you can't read.

Here is it, yet again, straight from the official source (nba.com):

http://www.nba.com/statistics/playe...itScope=GAME&qualified=Y&yearsExp=-1&splitDD=

Look who is at #48, exactly as I said. If you disagree, please take it up with the league office. I'm sure they could use a good laugh.

BNM

 

Yeah the sample size is small, but Nic has really only had 1 bad game (OKC) in 6 so far this year. Even in the games where he's only scored in the teens, he's made significant contributions in other areas. And, it's not just against the Lakers and Spurs. He put up 23 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and a block against the Clippers and 17 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 steals and 2 blocks against the Rockets.

In fact, if you throw out that horrific game against OKC and Nic is averaging 22.6ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.4apg, 3.0spg and 1.2bpg. Those are some pretty elite numbers.

BNM

 

Uhhhhhh, Batum might be our best player this year. I know from a production standpoint he is.

 

I'm not going to spend a lot of time shooting down Boob's gimmick stat. Unless he keeps repeating it all season.

 

Tonight was an encouraging follow-up game.

 

Because, you can't shoot it down, no matter how much time you waste. Better to cut your losses and run.

It is an indisputable FACT, according to the NBA, that Nicolas Batum was 48th in the NBA in scoring average last season. I have provided the link, to the official source (nba.com) on multiple occasions. I'm not sure how you think providing a link to the official source is a "gimmick". Making up counter arguments and alternate criteria in a hopeless attempt to argue something that's irrefutable sounds much more like a gimmick to me.

BNM