Hardly enough to wet my appetite. I will say this though, Batum is making my AS prediction of him look like a legitimate possibility. In the words of the great Rick Kamla: "Stat sheet stuffer"
Lillard put up his worst game, but maybe it had to do with him going back to Utah, catching up with friends, giving away tickets, all the other crap that comes with being an NBA player for the very first time. If he was going to put up a stinker (and who doesn't in preseason?) this was probably predictable.
Utah has done a GREAT job reloading their front line. Kanter and Favors make Jefferson and Millsap both trade bait. Look for one, or both, to be dealt to a contender looking for the final piece at the trade deadline. BNM
This was like the anti-Nate game for Batum. All he did in Nate's "system" was stand in the corner and hoist up 3s. In this game, he scored 17 points without making a single 3-pointer. He was 7 - 9 on 2-point FGs. So, much for the notion that he can't post up or drive. I've been very impressed with Nic's performance in the preseason, not just the stats, but the way he's playing. He looks like a MUCH more complete, well rounded offensive player than we ever saw under Nate. He may ended up justifying his contract after all. If he can become a 19 PPG scorer within the next 4 years, that will make him one of the top 20 scorers in the league and he'll look like a bargain. BNM
A lot of people complained about Aldridge's contract when he signed it too. If Batum can pull down those kind of numbers, he's a bargain.
A year ago, Kanter was being called a bust. Now, he's a total stud. He also played great (totally outplayed Meyers) on Monday. He's big, active skilled and aggressive. I hope a year from now (or even two), we are saying the same things about Meyers. BNM
Stotts is primarily playing LMA at the elbow, like Dirk. I'm fully expecting to see LMA morph back into LaMarshmallow in this system.
