Nic's wingspan numbers are +1.75" actually, but Martell has a 1.25" advantage in the standing reach. Blunders in measurement taking & transposition happen but are rare, so is growing after the age of 18. my point was that both are about the same size. They are. I'd consider them about average sized for a starting NBA SF. Martell is older which just naturally adds strength to any player. Batum's weaker body rebounded and defended at a higher level last year then Martell ever had. This year MW has put up nearly identical per minute rebounding stats to rookie Batum and I'd still give Nic the edge on D http://www.basketball-reference.com...m=1&p1=webstma02&y1=2010&p2=batumni01&y2=2009 If I had to guess which of the two would turn out better I'd go with the one who at 19 equalled or surpassed everything the other did up to age 23 until two weeks ago... his rookie season stats still are superior to 09/10 MW's in more ways then not even with the hot two weeks. Of course as Blazer fans we want both to do well so here's to hoping they make strong arguments for themselves in the future. STOMP
I agree with most of what you wrote. However, you are exaggerating their age difference by a year. The both have early December birthdays. Nic was only 19 for the first month of his rookie year. Just like Martell was 22 for the first month of this season. So, yes, Nick put up similar numbers at 19/20 to what Martell was putting up at 22/23 (until very recently). Every player develops at a different rate. Martell is looking like a "late" bloomer. A big part of that is mental (confidence) in Martell's case, but he had a bigger leap than Nic. Martell went straight from high school to the NBA. Nic had played professionally in Europe before coming to the NBA. So, he had experience playing against older players. Martell didn't. BNM
I was not arguing otherwise. I too think that Batum will end up the better player. But, at this very point in time, I think that Webster is edging him out. If Webster continues to play his current 2010 clip, when Batum returns he will not be as good as Webs. If Webs regresses, which has happened before, then perhaps they would be more on par or Batum may even be better. This is a good thing that Webster is currently better. Batum was excellent for a rookie and a huge surprise last year, but he was still the weak link in our starting offense. Martell (of old) on the other hand, had he been healthy, would have been a weak link on the defensive end. But now Webs has been improving on both offense and defense. Now, I think Martell, as long as he continues at 2010 clip, will perform admirably as a starter while Batum backs him up and continues to improve until one day he is able to overtake Webster. I still believe that by the 2011/12 Batum will become better than Webster. He is just not there at the moment.
thanks for the correction how many seasons did Nic toil in the French leagues as a teenager? I doubt it matches the level of competition that Martell's had in his 3 previous years going against older players in the NBA. Dude didn't just rot on the bench either, every year he enjoyed a healthy slice of minutes. How many NBA players are from Lisieux compared to Seattle? If you're comparing who's background better prepared them for success early on in the league, I definitely would argue it was Martell. STOMP
Why should a guy who showed as much as Batum did last year suddenly be stunted in his 2nd especially with what he showed ballhandling/playmaking this past summer representing France? The sophomore year is often the season talented players take a big step forward as they know whats what with the league and what their coach wants. Nic will be in his 2nd year lifting weights and working out with PA's extensive support staff. Coach Monte has relayed his shot is much improved from his rookie year... and of course his rookie year %'s were already at or above sharpshooter Martell's career numbers from the line, field, and 3 point land. Per minute his rookie year stats were above Martell's career #s in rebounds, steals, blocks, assists, and had fewer turnovers. We'll see soon enough whats what with Nic's game and if Martell is on a hot streak or past his mental barriers and on a new plateau. STOMP
Batum played two years in the French professional league and 3 years before that on the French U18 national team. I'd say his U18 Youth League experience alone prepared him better for the NBA than anything Martell saw in high school. Batum traveled all over Europe playing in tournaments against the other top national teams. Throw in two years playing professionally, and I'd say Nic was definitely more prepared for the NBA than Martell when they were drafted/rookies. That was my point - that Batum was better prepared for the NBA as a rookie than Webster. Not that 1st year Batum was more prepared more than 5th year Webster. And that's one reason Nic was able to contribute more to the team immediately and it's taken Martell 3+ years in the NBA to catch up. BNM
catch up almost... MW's 4th year in the league stats (having missed his true 4th year) still only arguably match Batum's rookie year stats. I think we're down to splitting hairs and pretty much on the same page in our analysis STOMP
Yes, both players were measured at 6'7.75 in shoes. I guess Batum seems taller because he plays bigger, like a forward. Until this season, Webster played outside like a guard. Now someone on the slow coaching staff has finally told him to make rebounding higher priority than shooting, so his stats look better. Only a couple of years till they teach Oden some offensive moves. While checking, I noticed how similar they supposedly are. Wingspan is Batum 7'0.75, Webster 6' 11. But standing reach is Batum 8'8.75, Webster 8' 10. So Webster reaches up farther, despite less girth. The distance between the two shoulders must be less for Webster than Batum. Or the distance between the top of the shoulders and the top of the head must be less. Webster must be a pinhead. Either that or the guy who measured him was the pinhead. Supposedly Webster weighed 230 (I remember him as high school thin as a rookie), but Batum was only 214. http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pHDi7zrKuf5zRhnAoxstLcA http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?page=&year=All&sort2=ASC&draft=0&pos=0&sort= Damn, and now I see Post #42. Well, I'm posting this anyway. Spent too much time on it not to.
Webster was fat his first couple years in the league. He noticeably lost weight his 3rd offseason and spoke to changing his diet STOMP
Yep, my main point was that the age difference is 3 years, not 4. Although if Martell keeps playing like he has been this month, his stats this year will significantly exceed Batum's rookie numbers - but, that's a BIG "if". That's another difference between the two players - Batum was more consistent as a rookie than Webster has ever been (so far). BNM
