Veteran center Joel Przybilla said Nicolas Batum has made "huge strides" since arriving in Portland last month to play pickup games with teammates at the team's Tualatin training facility.
"It's not like he was struggling, but what he's doing now ... wow," Przybilla said. "He's kind of like a Andrei Kirilenko. He can do a bit of everything. He's long, athletic and agile. And he's young. He's going to keep on improving."
With starting small forward Martell Webster out another 7-9 weeks following surgery for a stress fracture of a leg, Nate McMillan may look at Batum to fill a starting role.
"Once he is hitting his shot consistently, I think he would be a forward you could start," McMillan said. "Because defensively, he's ahead of the game." -- The Portland Tribune
This blew my mind.
over 3 years ago
Winchester
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Dang
What happend to the 2-3 year project we drafted? Is it too soon to start the all-star hype?
by Steve The Hedge on Oct 13, 2008 10:29 AM PDT reply actions
It's never too early to begin your campaign.
You just have to make sure you don’t peak before the timing is right
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
good point amlmart1 they could just give the Trailblazer's the ROY trophy
and let us decide which one of our four rookies we want to have it
# 10 Top Charles Barkley Quote: On the Portland Trail Blazers (back when they were known as the Jail Blazers) serving Thanksgiving meals: "In between arrests they do community service."
by BlazermaniacAndy on Oct 13, 2008 3:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Start 3 rookies ....
Oden, Rudy and Batum, and still get to the playoff’s? That would be something to behold. Could happen though as Rudy is anything but a rookie and Oden is Oden.
Man, that would be crazy
I ain’t read the article yet, but if we started Batum, wouldn’t that mean Roy is the SG, Blake the PG, and LMA and Oden the bigs, and thus Rudy was coming off the bench still?
Is Rudy the co-PG with Roy, as some of us hoped would be possible?
Man, if Batum is good enough to START on a GOOD team, that just ain’t fair for the rest of the world— forget the NBA, we’re going after the whole damn WORLD.
I can’t allow myself to think that is possible, even if I am waaay on the side of Batum being a good player someday. Batum’s definitely got the tools and athleticism and seemingly the BBIQ to be a PERFECT role player, but now?! I’d go crazy if he was just a rotation player at this stage. If he is ahead of that, it ain’t fair.
If Batum is good enough to start (which I’d be shocked if true), I’d still imagine Rudy comes off the bench to be the main dude on the 2nd unit, and if Batum ain’t ready (which would be just fine of course) and Outlaw still should come off the bench, I could see going out with a 3 guard lineup to start the games (Blake-Rudy-Roy).
I don’t see non-injury-forced situation that has Rudy and Batum sharing the same starting lineup, but like I said… man. That would be crazy if it worked.
Mortimer
by Mortimer on Oct 13, 2008 1:09 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I heard that interview with Nate and he had love in his voice, he's got
a full on mancrush on Batum.
I´ve heard Stern is talking with the NASA...
… He wants to know if they can find new developed civilizations out there in the space, sooner than later, so he can send the Blazers to the interplanetary league, where they belong, so they let the rest of the league playing fairly and peacefully.
PS: I love Mike Rice, I want to be a homer, can´t stop, sorry.
Sergio + Rudy = 16
Sergio + Bayless = 16
Batum 8+8=16
He´s falling in love with his Euros. Who could imagine two months ago?.
It´s also that our Euros are helping each other and many people don´t understand how much useful it is. Ask Bayless.
Sergio + Rudy = 16
Sergio + Bayless = 16
Batum 8+8=16
3 rooks starting
That’s crazy talk. Maybe a few games, but not full time.
The one thing we do have going for us now, is that we have a system, a base to help rooks understand just WHAT exactly their suppose to be doing. My example is Rodney Stuckey. Does anyone think he would have played as well last season if he was playing for say, the Timberwolves? Or Memphis? Or Seattle? You get my point……..We’re becoming the youngest veteran team in history. Haha…..
Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game
Theoretically, we could have four rooks out at a time
C- G.O
PF – Hill? Is he a rook?
SF – Batum
SG – Rudy
PG – Bayless
He who laughs last thinks slowest.
Yes he is a rookie
and thats bonkers.
Man I love tongue tacos - Mortimer
Only thing better is Trout on a stick roasted over an open fire - annthefan
I have a pic like that of my dog - tominhawaii
by Outlaw is Rejector on Oct 13, 2008 11:56 AM PDT up reply actions
that's me!
He who laughs last thinks slowest.
by prezofdeath on Oct 13, 2008 11:49 PM PDT up reply actions
Thank you
Needed that.
Man I love tongue tacos - Mortimer
Only thing better is Trout on a stick roasted over an open fire - annthefan
I have a pic like that of my dog - tominhawaii
by Outlaw is Rejector on Oct 14, 2008 10:58 PM PDT up reply actions
I doubt Nate thinks starting 5 rooks
Is that great an idea but as a charter member of the Batman bandwagon I love what Joel is puting down.
by southern oregon on Oct 13, 2008 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions
yeah where is that mama cita at tonight?
She told me she went to the game yesterday, but was too cool for school for sit with this fool.
# 10 Top Charles Barkley Quote: On the Portland Trail Blazers (back when they were known as the Jail Blazers) serving Thanksgiving meals: "In between arrests they do community service."
by BlazermaniacAndy on Oct 13, 2008 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions
My mind is wrestling to grasp this.
How can he possibly be ready? He’s a 19 year old rookie. But at the same time a lack in defense is what keeps most rookies off the court.
If somebody hits you with an object you should beat the hell out of them.-Charles Barkley
Actually, ...
players are oftentimes either good or bad at defense from the get-go.
For example, Kevin Durant is a god-awful, hideous defender and, in all likelihood, will be utterly abysmal on that end of the court for his entire career. Nicolas Batum, on the other hand, is entering his rookie year in the league this season as a defensive stalwart; that positive trait of his should continue to exist throughout the next decade.
greg would have started as a 19 y.o. rook last year
the Spanish contributors on this board are hella cool
Kp said Defense = minutes for Batum
Batum is defending well.
Who else on the Blazers would you put up against taller, offensive minded SFs like
Kirilenko or say…. Kevin Durant? Outlaw? Rudy?
Defensive SF
One of my first glance of a weakness is our defensive ability at the SF position. Batum alone seems to be my pure long term answer to a necessary need. Yet what I have noticed since witnessing him is that his arms pan alone causes a disruption no one else on the team has. He seems to know what he’s looking at and searching for. If midway through the season we notice that teams start to tear into our SF void i wouldn’t be the least surprised to see him get a good twenty minutes of playing time just to let the rest of the team flow uninterrupted.
"Once he's hitting his shot consitstantly"
Sounds like Nate isn’t convinced yet that Batum can hit his shot consistently, and that that is the biggest thing he needs to work on before he is ready to be a starter.
Batum has the potential to eventually be a starter, but it sounds like he still has some work to do before he reaches that point.
Yep
http://www.blazersedge.com/2008/10/9/632173/batum-interview
Scroll down for link, followed by nifty translation.
the Spanish contributors on this board are hella cool
One Grain of Salt
Remember what Coach Nate said about Green last year? Either he meant it and was wrong, or he was just trying to push/motivate the other guys. I’m leaning towards the second option. I think Batum will be good and play this year and I think Nate is saying some of this to push Outlaw.
Blazers Edge has an alarmist vision and a poet's heart.
Part of the reason for all the talk out Batum....
Is because Outlaw has looked so uninspired. His all around game hasn’t improved at all! Yes he’s athletic, and can score on a mid range pull-up, but that’s it. Batum looks to have a the potential to have a much stronger all around game.
The key for any rookie to play is defense
and we have three who look ready to contribute with two of them (Oden and Batum) perhaps really good there. Bayless has the tools to get there but does seem to be slipping while Sergio prospers. Hill can play defense as well but with two players ahead of him much better he is likely to be an injury/foul trouble player only.
Starter = Oden
Rotation = Rudy
Possible rotation = Batum and Bayless
Injury reserve = Hill
Given the above only Oden has a real chance for ROY. Can anyone name a rookie sub who won ROY?
when you’ve been in a dry land even a little dew looks inviting —Dave
"When you want to win a game, you have to teach. When you lose a game, you have to learn." - Tom Landry
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