You cannot factor a rookie contract for business practice. It's a perk of bringing in young talent. Lillard could have been a role player when we drafted him; because we truly didn't know how he would fair in the nba. With batum; he played 4 seasons and we knew what to expect. Is he really worth 11 mil? And what happens when Lillard gets his payday? What happens if t rob becomes a super bench? Does our team have enough fiscal room to sign both? I think batum has the potential to live up to his contract, but he needs to play healthy all season. The moment he tries playing hurt; his stats take a huge hit.
Go back and look at his game log. He played very well even after the injury. He was hesitant to shoot, which is understandable, but he still found ways to contribute. And yes - he absolutely deserved to be our second highest paid player.
