OT Batum in Charlotte

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Rastapopoulos, Jun 27, 2015.

  1. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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  2. Wizard Mentor

    Wizard Mentor Wizard Mentor

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    What a terrible sounding team. Ironically, it's very possible that they make the playoffs and we don't (if we don't sign LaMarcus).
     
  3. Rhal

    Rhal Well-Known Member

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    MKG/Batum will the be the wings, categorize them however you will.
     
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  4. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    This should be a good fit for Nico. They're going to love him in Charlotte and they may sign Mo Williams again. Cho, Buchannon, Batum, ..he'll have some friends from day one.
     
  5. BigGameDamian

    BigGameDamian Well-Known Member

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    Something the Blazers should have tried.
     
  6. ThugginPaulyGAllen

    ThugginPaulyGAllen Active Member

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    He can guard power forwards?

    Lol okay
     
  7. BLAZINGGIANTS

    BLAZINGGIANTS Well-Known Member

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    You're partially wrong. He can guard PF's when they're driving to the hoop on a fastbreak and he seats their layup or dunk attempts. I will miss that.
     
  8. e_blazer

    e_blazer Rip City Fan

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    The first shooting guard in NBA history that you have to beg to shoot the ball.
     
  9. HailBlazers

    HailBlazers RipCity

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    He can guard LeBron.
     
  10. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    Remember, it's him or Kidd-Gilchrist...
     
  11. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    except on that team
     
  12. ThugginPaulyGAllen

    ThugginPaulyGAllen Active Member

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    And that's one of the reasons LeBron averages 30+ against us and one of his highest ppg average is against the Blazers.. Batum is too weak and Wes is too small.

    Just sayin' I think it's a little ambitious of him to say he can guard the 1-4.
     
  13. andalusian

    andalusian Season - Restarted

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    Good luck to nico, I will always cheer for him when he is not playing Portland.
     
  14. Minstrel

    Minstrel Top Of The Pops Global Moderator

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    Andre Iguodala just won Finals MVP for limiting James to 30+ a game. And Kawhi Leonard won Finals MVP last year with a worse (but still tremendous) job on James. It's time to recognize that "good" and "great" defense mean something different against James. No one is as strong and quick, simultaneously, as he is...any defender will be giving something up to him.

    That said, Batum can't defend all fours, but he definitely fits in the current paradigm of "position-less defenders" who can switch virtually any screen. I don't know how he'll do in Charlotte, but I think he'd shine in Golden State or San Antonio.
     
  15. BrianFromWA

    BrianFromWA Editor in Chief Staff Member Editor in Chief

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    Um, LBJ averages 22ppg against us the last 3 years. It's only been in 4 games, but for every 32pt game there's an 11point one.
     
  16. ThugginPaulyGAllen

    ThugginPaulyGAllen Active Member

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    What is his career AVG vs portland? Not the last 4 games. His career.

    He kills everyone to be fair so it's not really fair.

    Batum vs LMA, you think that's a favorable matchup? Come on. He will get worked by 95 percent of PFs.

    Great defender of PGs though. Was fun watching him. I'll miss him
     
  17. BrianFromWA

    BrianFromWA Editor in Chief Staff Member Editor in Chief

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    Who cares if he abused Ime Udoka or Darius Miles? I thought we were talking Batum and Wes. I was just saying that they've done a better-than-the-league-average job defending him the last 3 years.

    And no, Batum v. LBJ is not a favorable matchup, but it's a helluva lot more favorable than, say, LBJ vs. Greek Freak/Barnes/Wiggins/Johnson/Harris/Chandler/Gallinari/Dunleavy/Pierce/Deng/Young/Parsons/Joe Johnson....

    He lit up KlayKlay and Draymond for 42 in February and 35ppg in the finals. He averaged 27ppg against ATL and Demarre Carroll in the regular season and 30.3 in the playoffs. He averaged 27 against CHI and Jimmy Butler in the regular season and 27 in the playoffs.

    So back to the point, Nic and Wes's defensive issues (?) are NOT the reason LBJ averages 30 ppg against us (he doesn't anymore and hasn't in a long time), and while you're correct that it's not fair b/c he's a great player, our defensive matchups against him are favorable to just about every other defensive combination, up to and including many of those young studs that S2 fans are ok offering max contracts for.

    (Kawhi Leonard excepted)
     

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