Batum deceived not having been drafted by the Spurs

by Blenzer on Jun 28, 2008 3:25 AM PDT

In a french interview Nicolas Batum is saying that he really wanted to join SA, that he had talked to Popovich and that they planned to put him in the rotation sarting next year because their forwards are getting old and that they planned to make him one of their main forwards in two or three years...

He's saying that he was praying NOT to be selected until the 26th pick and that his selection one spot prior to that one was even tougher to swallow... He's saying that his goal IS to go to SA and that it's a real shame it's gotten played within one spot.

Then after the interviewer is saying that Batum looked very deceived which Batum confirms before saying the important thing is that Portland is a good team, with an interesting game and lots of players of his generation, and that he thinks there's gonna be some beautiful game next year. He's saying the team is very young and that it's the second best choice for him (seems pretty sincere...).

The interview ends with the journalist asking him what's he gonna give to Portland, to which he answers his vivacity and his team play, and that since it's a very young team, he's gonna try to fit in the mold to take full advantage of this experience.

I must admit I'm a bit disapointed by these declarations. Though I can understand some of the reasons he wanted to go to the Spurs, I find it very awkward to express it so clearly, very unprofessionnal. Why did he work out for other teams than the Spurs if he wanted so badly to join them ?

I hope he's gonna do well in Portland because I follow this player since his beginning and like him as a player, and if he succeeds with the Blazers there's gonna be a lot of Portland coverage in France, but.... Shut your mouth or try to think before you open it.

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First thought when we picked Batum...

“There he goes Blenzer”.

The Midnight Rambler

by amlmart1 on Jun 28, 2008 3:45 AM PDT 0 recs

It sounds like he expects

to play here this coming season and not go back to Europe for a season or two first. From everything I hear about him it doesn’t sound like his game is developed enough to play in the NBA just now. KP??????????

by VinnyB on Jun 28, 2008 4:21 AM PDT 0 recs

His game may not be developped enough

but I think it’s msotly his frame that’s underdevelopped…

by Blenzer on Jun 28, 2008 4:39 AM PDT up 0 recs

He will be our Josh McRoberts

He will play very little, especially if all goes to plan and we are battling for a playoff spot. But there’s room for him right now on our 15 man roster, and he will probably go to NBDL.

by Jason3123 on Jun 28, 2008 12:38 PM PDT up 0 recs

Hey, a honest answer! What's not to like?

Look at if from his stand point? First, they already have a French player at SA (Parker) and their line up is getting old! He probably has a better chance playing sooner their compared to Portland which is loaded at the SF position.

Especially, if Mac goes with the 3 guard line up combining Roy, Rudy, and Bayliss or Martell. His chance of actually hitting the floor next year would be as good as McRoberts last year.

Plus, he’s a foreigner, sometimes the translation and communication comes back different than you expect!

by RIP CITY on Jun 28, 2008 5:54 AM PDT 0 recs

foreigner

Blenzer who wrote this fan post is French. I suspect his take on Batum’s French comments is probably accurate.

It’s not like we’re talking about Scots here. Nobody understands Scots, and other Scots even less.

Other people don't have as much practice at being wrong as I do -- HT, timbo

by jscot on Jun 28, 2008 6:04 AM PDT up 0 recs

Perhaps?

I’m an American and I get misunderstood all the time?

by RIP CITY on Jun 28, 2008 6:06 AM PDT up 0 recs

At least it's honest, you're right...

As I’ve said, I can understand his reasons, I just find it’s poor communication choice…

About the translation thing, I’m indeed french myself and have watched the interview three times to be sure I didn’t make mistakes… Now I may make mistakes in english, but not to the point of making someone saying something else than what he was actually saying… The interview was in french, and I decided not to transcribe it in the first person form, rather in the third person, but it’s as close as I could have done to exactly what he’s said…
The only thing I didn’t mention is that the interview starts with :
“Interviewer :
Nicolas Batum, you’ve been drafted by Houston, and finally you’re gonna end in Portand.
A :
Yes, that’s it. Actually, I think that before taking me Houston had a deal with Portland to trade one of the blazers’ player for me.”.

It’s a lot longer to write in that way, hence my third person transcription…

By the way, his interview’s translation in oregonlive a few days ago was very accurate, word to word, I was suspicious as well about translations so I found it interesting to compare the video interview in french and its translation and was very surprised by the accurancy of it.
Of course it’s just one translation, but I’ll be more trustful in the future.

by Blenzer on Jun 28, 2008 8:03 AM PDT up 0 recs

The oregonlive journalist

who speaks french speaks very fluently

by Blenzer on Jun 28, 2008 8:33 AM PDT up 0 recs

Thank you for your insight

You are one of the reason why BE is one of, if not the most impressive most unique sports blogs out there. Such knowledge, variety, respect, and great banter… Im proud to call my self a Blazer Edger

The pictures kinda small, but Im giving the C's a big thumbs down

by Blazermaniac77 on Jun 28, 2008 9:14 AM PDT up 0 recs

"...Portland which is loaded at the SF position" WHAT?

The Trailblazers’ starter for most of last year (Webster) is a shooting guard who was playing out of his natural position. The projected starter this year (Outlaw) is a natural small forward, unlike Webster, but one whose best minutes in the past season were when he was playing PF in a small lineup, not the minutes he played at SF in a big lineup. And, whereas the Trailblazers are three deep at PG (Blake, Bayless, Rodriguez), at SG (Roy, Fernandez, Webster), at PF (Aldridge, Frye, Diogu), and at C (Oden, Pryzbilla, LaFrentz), where is the third SF?

by monkeysuncle on Jun 28, 2008 9:12 AM PDT up 0 recs

All In the Game

Read KP’s take on Batum today. This explains much. They like him, and think he has the upside to be a good defensive performer with some sound offensive skills – given his size and wingspan. It doesn’t bother me that he expected to go to SA. So did others. Keep in mind that Houston/Portland, gamed the board so Portland could get him, and Houston could get another pick (our #33). Thus, Houston drafted him at 25, Portland drafted the player Houston wanted, Arthur at 27 (which the Spurs could have done), and then they swapped with the 33. San Antonio simply didn’t know what was going on.

by Eben Calder on Jun 28, 2008 5:55 AM PDT 0 recs

Almost correct

Apparently Houston wasn’t really sold on Arthur, so they further shopped him around for Donte Greene to Memphis. Which is a bit odd since he was on the board when NO/Portland picked, so they could have had him and Dorsey instantly.

Coach, I promise I wasn't running hard ...

by Norsktroll on Jun 28, 2008 10:05 AM PDT up 0 recs

yeah, but

they got another asset out of it (a 2nd rounder next year) from Memphis. So why not?

by douglast on Jun 28, 2008 10:23 AM PDT up 0 recs

Missed the point

Why didn’t they just have Portland pick Greene, rather than Arthur, if that was who they wanted? It is odd.

Other people don't have as much practice at being wrong as I do -- HT, timbo

by jscot on Jun 30, 2008 12:31 AM PDT up 0 recs

Maybe they didn't know who they wanted

But they DID know they wanted to prevent the Spurs from getting the guy they wanted, so they took part in KP’s plan.

Arthur had the most value at the 27th spot, and was BPA, so why not him? Then, they decided they wanted Greene instead, and didn’t they get a draft pick out of it also?

Or perhaps Memphis decided they wanted Arthur over Greene, but couldn’t draft him because he went one pick too soon, and perhaps Houston wasn’t married to the idea of drafting Arthur so they made the trade?

It’s prolly something sorta-complicated like that, or more likely something I’m not even proposing. I think they just weren’t exactly sure who they wanted, and were just going BPA and were open to dealing Arthur after getting him from Portland.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Jun 30, 2008 1:47 AM PDT up 0 recs

How are you decieved in a draft?

I could see being disappointed but not deceived. At least he didnt try and control the draft like a Yi Jianlan.

Also, tell Batum to get some elevation on that jumper toute de suite!

Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.

by jonestr on Jun 28, 2008 8:13 AM PDT 0 recs

My mistake

disappointed is the word I wanted to use, deceived is a false friend in french…

by Blenzer on Jun 28, 2008 8:23 AM PDT up 0 recs

no worries

I figured it was just translation. I was just being a jerk as usual. Thanks for the post and translation.

Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.

by jonestr on Jun 28, 2008 8:26 AM PDT up 0 recs

Thank you

for correcting my mistakes, maybe one day my passion for the Blazers will be useful as I should improve my english posting on this site…

by Blenzer on Jun 28, 2008 8:29 AM PDT up 0 recs

give yourself some credit

I’d say your passion was quite usefull here

by douglast on Jun 28, 2008 9:19 AM PDT up 0 recs

I like his jumper

it’s true it lacks some elevation, but since he’s got so long arms, the point of release is still pretty high in my opinion…

by Blenzer on Jun 28, 2008 8:27 AM PDT up 0 recs

We will have to agree

to disagree on this one.

Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.

by jonestr on Jun 28, 2008 9:53 AM PDT up 0 recs

or Danilo Gallinari...

Only NY or NJ…
Where do you think you are…

On a side note we tend to think that since they’re getting paid millions players should accept to be treated like cattle, it’s kind of an interesting thought by us as well…

by Blenzer on Jun 28, 2008 8:39 AM PDT up 0 recs

My issue with

controlling the draft is that the draft is in place to make weak teams better and a lot of the weaker teams happen to be in small markets, which some players try to avoid. Tactics such as hiding players and not working out tend to hurt these weaker teams and destroys the intent of the draft.

You are right in that we should, at bare minimum, brand each player as they are drafted. This would make the post pick hat wearing debacles seem tame in comparison.

Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.

by jonestr on Jun 28, 2008 9:58 AM PDT up 0 recs

It's not the end of the world but

my own deception is coming from the fact that I’m a big blazers fan since I’m 12 (I’m thirty now…), and believe me, before internet it was HARD here in France to get any information about the Blazers, so after 18 years of following so carefuly one team you get a player from the country where you leave joining your favorite team, thus possibly creating the kind of coverage the Suns or the Spurs have here for the Blazers, moreover a player I like, only to have it on french healines as “Batum deceived not having been drafted by the Spurs”, that’s kind of a tough pill to swallow…

But of course the guy still have the freedom to say what he wants and it’s not like he said something horrible.
And I surely don’t want to give him a bad rep solely on that fact.
The guy is nice, gentle, and quite bright for his age, not à la Noah, Turiaf, Piétrus…

By the way, I posted two years ago on oregonlive forum a french interview of Piétrus saying he wanted to join Portland (or Chicago), and at the time the blazers didn’t have Roy, Aldridge or any kind of forseable future, I was quite surprised by his claims…
Of course I don’t see where we could play him now but at the time I was pleasently surprised.

by Blenzer on Jun 28, 2008 8:22 AM PDT 0 recs

I love how he's wearing Spur colored suit

BINGO, BANGO, BONGO

by blzrfan on Jun 28, 2008 8:50 AM PDT 0 recs

Oh yea, about Batum.

I think he got Pritch-slapped. Didn’t see it coming. The slap extends around the globe far and wide. The repercussions of the slap left him in a stupor state. The Spurs were slapped so hard that they sent a mass email asking for trades.

BINGO, BANGO, BONGO

by blzrfan on Jun 28, 2008 9:01 AM PDT 0 recs

It sounds as if Batum will be on our team this year

Because he is a first round draft pick and gets guarenteed money. The article today in the Oregonian quotes KP saying his probably isn’t NBA ready to come over but his overseas contract doesn’t have a buy-out clause so he WILL be on our roster this year.

I guess we have our new human victory cigar, a frenchie no less

Woof

by Charles Barkley McLovin on Jun 28, 2008 9:34 AM PDT 0 recs

Did the Spoors REALLY want him that badly?

And he wanted to play for them?

Awright then, Sandy Auntie: Whatcha gonna give us for him?

Blazers have a five-on-three...and they pull it back and wait for help.

by QualityPie on Jun 28, 2008 10:21 AM PDT 0 recs

Could be...

...it ain’t over yet.

"Lenny Suckerpunch Never bet on me" - Elizabeth "The Lizzard" Lowblow

by Lizzy Lowblow on Jun 28, 2008 10:28 AM PDT up 0 recs

He was targeted as Bowen's understudy and eventual replacement.

That’s why it hurt them so much. KP not only gambled on improving the Blazers, he also saw an opportunity to make the Spurs a little bit worse.

Blazermania - It's not just for die-hards anymore.

by Blazerholic on Jun 28, 2008 12:38 PM PDT up 0 recs

Nickname

After watching his highlights, and hearing the correct pronunciation of his last name (Ba-TOOM) I officially give him the nickname of: “KA-BOOM”.

by johnv59 on Jun 28, 2008 10:54 AM PDT 0 recs

Are you really on the Nickname committee???

Cause that would be cool.

GO says " Sir, you fornicated vertically…observe the consequences!

by 92wastheyear on Jun 28, 2008 11:34 AM PDT up 0 recs

Sorry...

His nickname is BATMAN

by spencerbutte on Jun 29, 2008 11:59 AM PDT up 1 recs

We are lucky to have him

His frustrations are somewhat justified. Especially if the Spurs were promising him PT. I think he shows though that he is no dope, and that the chance to play in Portland is almost as good as SA, he will definately be on our roster this year, unless KP and Nate are able to somehow convince him to go back over seas, which is unlikely considering both him and his agent want in the NBA THIS YEAR.

This is why Tony Parker was in the Spurs war room. Nicolas Batum. Can it feel any better than to witness a Pritchslap on Larry Bird, and the Spurs?? I mean.. CMON!!!

Trail Blazers are really cool

by Outlaw is Rejector on Jun 28, 2008 11:33 AM PDT 0 recs

Technically we should be upset at his agent

For allowing him to say these things. But I don’t think it’s a big deal. He’s a foreigner and 18 or 19? 19 I think, SA had talked to him many times probably and he was probably looking forward to playing with fellow frenchy Tony Parker. He’ll love playing with us though. He’ll get over it. I’m sure once he truly understands his new current situation he will be thrilled.

by Jason3123 on Jun 28, 2008 12:41 PM PDT 0 recs