The issue some people(to include myself) have with Nic has nothing to do with offensive concepts. You generalize quite a bit from up there on your pedestal. What I point to is Batum's inconsistency, which is in not tied to the offensive scheme entirely. He disappears for long stretches, and this isn't a new thing nor is it blatant hating on the guy either. As i've stated many times, I love what he brings to the table in so many facets on the court. What I think he lacks is intensity, consistency, and self-motivation. When you've been in the league as long as he has, you're getting paid as much as Nic is, and you have the ability to shoot like he does, the amount of time he spends hiding in the shadows in inexcusable to ME. Does that mean it's a fact? No, it's called an opinion. I really have no idea where you get off thinking you're some basketball messiah that you truly aren't, especially to the point where you attempt to talk down to people.
Nic is consistent in that he basically runs our offense. He might not look to score all the times, but that's really Lillard's role, or Aldridge, or Wes. Nic basically plays point guard for us. I would also like to point out that he's averaging career highs in points, rebounds, and assists this season. 14 ppg, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. I have no beef with him at all. He's a really good third or fourth option on our team. I think people need to stop trying to make him into something that he's not.
Again, i'm not dissatisfied with his overall game. His ability as a defender, facilitator, rebounder, turnover creator, all of those things are very nice. Having said that, do you really need your coach/teammates to come tell you to "turn it to 11", or should he be able to figure it out on his own? When your team is down double digits, the 3s aren't falling, percentages in general are down, as a veteran why would it take someone else notifying you to step up? MY perception is that he's content just playing his game, watching Lillard and co. continue to miss shots and not be assertive. Now I understand this also falls on Stotts for scheming, playcalling and what have you, but no one should have to coax assertiveness out of him. It's not JUST this quote that led me to this conclusion, it's been happening for years. Even with what he's giving the Blazers, Nic is an exceptional player, but I think he could be a lot better than he all ready is, honestly.
Nic is fine. People will always find faults with him for whatever reasons, but he helped win us a game a lot of us didn't think we would. Leave it at that, who gives a fuck how or who got him to get going. He did it.
The thing is, we all have flaws. This is just who Nic is. It's part of his personality. A lot of people take for granted something that comes easily to them, and basketball clearly comes very easily to Batum. The guy can do virtually anything on the court, when he puts his mind to it, and at times he just sort of coasts. That's just his personality. I would rather have a guy who CAN turn it on when the team needs him, rather than have a guy like Mo Williams who hurts the team by shutting out his teammates to get his own shot. It's pretty clear that Stotts has asked Nic to be the facilitator, and he has embraced that role completely. Like I said, I'm content with who he is and I'm happy with his progression. The dude is still only 25. He's having a great year.
Adorable. I'm glad you think so highly of my opinions. To sum up your thoughts, you thought my post was about you personally (when it wasn't, but we now know it should have been) and you wanted to tell me that you know what you're talking about when it comes to basketball and Blazers, and more so that you think very highly of my opinions. And that the reason behind your complaining about Batum is that he makes millions and you don't. I had not considered that angle. Interesting. I will remember to include that generalization for what could possibly compel a "Blazer fan" to read into a statement made by a French speaking player during an interview, and cast assumptions to disparage that player's effort, who just won a game, on a back-to-back and 3rd game in 4 nights, in which he shut down the most prolific scorer in the NBA for an entire quarter, and out scored him in the final 2 quarters... the next time someone wants to make a silly thread why they don't like Batum.
Are you drunk? If you read literally anything i've posted on the subject you would know that i'm not pointing to this as an isolated incident. What Batum being a french speaking player has to do with any of this, i'll never know. It's not just what he said, it's what his teammates said to, and once again this isn't an earth shattering revelation, he's been like this for multiple years. He has made it a pattern to disappear and require outside motivation/pep talks/ what ever you want to call it to step up and take over a game. And no, I didn't think your post was about me personally, I responded as someone who is in the same school of thought as the OP as well as others. Nate - I agree that it's just who Nic is, and i'm more than happy with how good he plays. I have almost(it's hard to commit to it when he shows flashes of being so dominant) accepted that he is what he is. What Batum does as a member of the Trailblazers is exceptional, what I think he's capable of perhaps he will never reach. Is that okay? To an extent sure, I can't be upset with how well he's playing but knowing that he could be even better is a bit bothersome to me.
I don't think we can know what level Nic will reach. I never thought Aldridge would do what he's currently doing this season. Nic is only 25 so there's still a lot of time left for him to take it to another level. I think I accepted Nic because we have Dame. We don't need Nic to be the #1 or the #2. He can just be Nic. We have our superstar duo.
I agree, and I know he's still young. I would concede that with the players that are on the team along side him, he does not NEED to be anything more than he currently is. What I would like to see is Nic knowing situationally WHEN and WHERE to turn it up a notch. Your team is down anywhere from 11-15 points, your team is not shooting a great percentage collectively, a star player(s) is resting on the bench, etc... These are the kinds of situations where he should take it upon himself to lead the charge, take more shots(I wouldn't fault him if he shot a piss poor percentage so long as he was at least putting some attempts up), proactively calling his own number via coach/teammates. He's capable of a lot more, particularly when option 1 or 2 aren't doing so hot, and i'd love to see him be more active in that sense.
That's a leadership trait my brother. Some guys have it, some don't. Damian Lillard is a guy who understands when his team needs him, but that's what makes him Dame. It's also key to point out that LA understood that it was his job as the leader of the team to take Nic aside and tell him the team needed him to step up. LA never would have done that a few years ago. He is progressing as a leader and that's a huge development for the team. We need to lock him up this summer. LA is the kind of guy that could be effective well into his 30's. Tim Duncan is going to play into his 40's. This team might not be a championship team this year, but I have all the faith in the world in Neil to keep adding pieces until this team wins a title.
Ever play/coach/officiate organized hoops? This is simple communication given to a player who was struggling. It literally happens EVERY game. All of you are REALLY reaching for something to complain about.
Disappeared? Nonexistent? Burden? Whatever moron wrote that doesn't know shit about basketball. What a douche.
Maybe Aldridge wrote it since he teased Batum that he must have missed the bus for the first half . . .
Valiant? He was guarding the second toughest player to guard in the entire NBA, on a third game in four nights (four games in five nights) road trip, on the annointed one's home court. If my hyperbole was as extreme as the jerk-off who wrote that, then mission accomplished.
My problem with these kind of "my problem with x player" threads is that they're usually exercises in cherry picking. Something gets said by a player or coach that fits with the poster's preconceived notion of a "problem" with a given player and that quote, even if taken completely out of context, becomes validation for the preconceived "problem". In this case, Aldridge's comment to Nic was clearly intended to motivate and encourage a guy who is essential to the Blazers' success, who was at the time getting his butt kicked by one of the best players in the league, and who was discouraged by not seeing his own shots drop. The motivation and encouragement worked and the Blazers won a game they would probably otherwise have lost. Seems like we ought to be happy about that. Nic's played very well this year and is a key to the success the team has attained.
Remember how he got worked during the Kahn hi-jinx? Haynes has repeatedly supported your above statement over the last couple of years. I think Drama Queen Quick is smarter and better.
This... I may have been a little hard on him in the past, but this season has been wonderful so far. There is so much he gives this team that doesn't show up in the box score. If you watch games and closely pay attention, anyone with half a brain would realize just how important he is to this team
