Batum says he's back

Listening to the 5th quarter. Nic says he feels great and they are taping his wrist differently and he feels better now. Says that Lopez was huge for him and the team on BOTH sides of the court. He said he really helps the offense a lot.

 

Batum played pretty well tonight. Having RoLo back really opens up our offense since those two really click on that end of the court. I'm still waiting for Nico to start connecting from downtown like he was last year.

 

S2 be like

 

Nico obviously learning from Swayze "pain don't hurt"

I now expect more made 3s and roundhouse kicks.

 

Body language and effort were much improved from Batum this game; and it translated into a much better game for him.

 

I thought the whole offense was smooth flowing and looking great. The side pick and roll between Nico and Rolo was good to see again; Rebounding was better tonight
I felt confidence in the team all though the game.

Hg

 

It's nice to hear some confidence from Nic. He played pretty well last night, but I think he should have saved the "I'm back" talk for a night he shoots a little bette than 2-7.

 

I'm tired of players saying they are back or they are pissed. Just keep quiet and let their play do the talking. Talk all your shit after we are holding the Larry O'brien trophy

 

+1, glad to hear he's feeling a lot healthier, let your on court play tell us you are "really back" as opposed to stinking it up

 

Show me the money batum.... we showed you.

 

Actions > Words, last night was a start.

But yea, I knew Lopez was going to have a huge impact on both ends.

 

Batum is pretty honest. He called it when his play was, in his words, "unacceptable". He never made excuses when his wrist was badly sprained and it clearly affected his ability to shoot or pass. He's a good guy, a team player, and he doesn't deserve the shit that gets dished out here.

He had a good game and, like Aldridge, likes having Rolo on the court. So, yeah, he was feeling good right after the game.

If Batum and Dame both get their confidence back, as we were teased last night, things could escalate quickly.

 

I'm a fan of Batum, so please don't take my concern to heart. My frustration lies on players talking before they produce. 1 game will not end the shitty season he's had so far. I am rooting for his funk to pass because it only makes us better.

 

I hope his shooting returns to norm, but you gotta keep in mind that he's our 5th scoring option and shouldn't be measured by his scoring output. His defense, passing, and getting Rolo easy points is what's most important. If those are all markedly improved and his shooting is still off he'll still be a benefit to the team. But by the time the POs start we definitely need his 3-point shot to be on target.

 

I totally get that. Batum doesn't do a lot of chest thumping, so I'll take his comments about feeling better than he has, as him being as relieved as the rest of us.

I think Dame is starting to get it too. In his recent quotes about missing the All Star game, he was probably only saying the same self-motivational stuff he's always said. This time it was taken differently by many. Dame is no longer that unknown, underappreciated underdog he's always seen himself as. He just needs to keep it to himself and let his actions speak louder than words.

 

Exactly. We don't need Batum to shoot often. But we need him to shoot accurately. We need his wrist fully healed and his shooting "en bonne forme" for the playoffs.

 

He was asked if he felt better and if the new taping was better and he said yes.