Agreed. You can see the distaste on his face whenever a coach tries to give him instructions. Also, people say how unselfish he is. I disagree. He looks for the pass, to the exclusion of all else (maybe for stats?), the defenders know it and it hurts the team as a whole with the resulting turnover. (2.7Tpg) If he just played less forced, and didn't pass-over on attacking opportunities when they are there, the assists would still come - naturally when he draws defenders on his way to the hoop. He would then be more of a help to the team as more of a scoring threat, plus would still get around the same amount of assists I believe. (5.3Apg)
"If a few Blazer fans can't avoid busting his chops about not being Kevin Durant, they should seriously consider being Thunder fans." This adds nothing to the discussion Besides, he's not "hands down" better than Parsons, and the starting SF position is weak in the western conference anyways. It's not saying much.
There isn't a better fit out there than what Nic does, outside the obvious - James, George, etc. Melo would give you a legit 1st/2nd option but he is a total ball-stopper and doesn't make anyone around him better. He kills the flow with all his ISO's, something Rocket fans are experiencing and hating now with Harden.
At the same time I remember those Denver teams with Melo when they were killing it and really challenged the Lakers in the WCF (2008-2009 season). I think the difference there was the Nuggets had a true vet with Billups at the point that could control the offense.
I actually squirted 12 year old single malt scotch out of my nose after reading this one, (it's my weekend) and laughed about as hard as I have all day! Thank you BF...you've added a few hours to my lifespan!
Sometimes people forget that the real rock star in European football (soccer) the nation is thrilled with a 0-0 draw and the goalie (guy who stopped the shot) is the rock star they aspire to be! My Parisian friends explained very clearly the difference in logic from the French perspective. They just take a different path to achieve the same goal but it's not linear in design. (Thank you Gille and Fabien for that bit of insight) Nic is first and foremost loves the stop and the assist..scoring is ok if it is part of the bigger picture, but it's not a priority!
"less-than-faithful" ? You really are assuming a lot. Also, I never claimed to be an expert on body language. This is an issue I have had with Nicolas for the past 3 years, he disappears as a scorer and in my opinion he DOES need motivation/whatever you want to call it too often. You think your coach and teammates should have to tell you to assert yourself? That's your opinion, and I strongly disagree. He's been in the league long enough, he can see the score board, he doesn't get paid as much as he does to have the game explained to him on a regular basis. Again i'd like to point out that I love Batum's overall game, but he could be much more prolific if he didn't accept sinking into the shadows/disappearing as often as he has throughout his entire career.
I'm having fun. I love what this team is doing. I like Nic Batum. I have problems when I read a quote that says I 'decided' to come to play when I have noticed and many others have noticed he has been highly inconsistant. Is him being inconsistant due to him 'deciding' not to bring it? Or is it because he is just an average ball player. I can accept it if it comes down to him being average. I don't believe it is. I think he is better than the product he puts out. The biggest issue is this teams outcomes comes down to just a few points. So had put a lil more out on the defensive end or if he was more aggressive offensively, would we be sitting with 7 losses? Not so sure.
\ I thought about this and I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt..but when he 'decided' it was time to play, you saw the difference last night. So I take him for what he said
Sorry if this article has been posted. "Zero points. 0-for-3 and three turnovers was his statline at the end of the first two quarters. Not to mention his assignment on the defensive end being Durant, was scoring at will with 22 first half points. Batum had disappeared. He was nonexistent and quite frankly, he was a burden to the team." http://www.csnnw.com/blazers/batums-flight-arrives-second-half-thanks-jackson-help-durant
Well, thank goodness basketball games are 4 quarters long and not 2. With all the big 3rd quarters and amazing 4th quarter comebacks this team has had, imagine how much worse our record would be if the games were only 2 quarters long. The author forgot to mention that Nic had all 3 of his assists in the first half. With 3 assists and only 3 FGA, Batum was clearly looking to play the role of facilitator, but because the OKC defense was targeting Lillard and Aldridge, it wasn't as effective as usual. As I said in my first post, his teammates recognized this, communicated it to Nic and he made the necessary adjustments. This is the definition of teamwork and why the Blazers came from 11 down at half time to win on the road. Batum The Burden completely shut down Durant in the 4th quarter, outscored him 7-1 in the 4th and matched him with 15 second half points. Are people forgetting Kevin Duirant has been the most prolific scorer in the NBA over the past 5 and a half seasons - with 4 scoring titles and well on his way to his 5th? The Blazers would not have won that game without Nicolas Batum. They would not have won without his defense on Durant. They would not have won without his 15 second half points. What an odd time to criticize his play. I still don't understand all the negativity after an improbable comeback win, on the road, the 3rd game in 4 nights, against the team with the best record in the league. Anyone who can find something to complain about after that WIN, should consider re-examining their priorities. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a Trail Blazer's victory more. I watched it live with my daughter and have watched the replay of the 4th quarter 3 times since. I love this team, their resilience, the way they play unselfish team basketball, communicate with each other and never give up. I haven't enjoyed being a Blazers fan this much since the early 1990s. Those teams had more talent, but we haven't seen this brand of team basketball in Portland since 1977-78. BNM
Yep. The game was a great comeback, which made it great fun. Maybe Batum engineered it that way on purpose.
Some of the negativity comes from those that have not played competitive/organized team basketball, or who lack an understanding of things like the CBA, offensive/defensive concepts, team chemistry, etc., and thus are able to ignore and reject explanations from more experienced or knowledgeable fans as to why things might not be worth complaining about. But the need for attention seems to be the root of the most of the negativity. People relegated to complaining about anything and everything for the attention they seek, because they don't have anything else to contribute. It's why when you (BNM) do take the time to explain things, you'll get responses from people like, "I don't care about that", or "that doesn't mater", or "that doesn't make sense" or simply no response at all that they understand what you wrote. The Blazers are so good this year, and yet the negativity persists. Thankfully, its only coming from a few posters. And likely even less, just the same few under new forum names. It could even be a SlyPokerDog move, like the guy they pay to dance by himself to try and and get encourage people to get on the dance floor, and posting comments like the dollar the Barista throws in the tip jar to let people know it's ok to put money in. I ignore most of it, but it's too fun to pass up sometimes.
