Batum interview (Jan 13)

Basket-ball - Nicolas Batum : « Je remonte la pente »

I played my best game of the season against the Lakers. In all aspects: scoring (17 points), minutes (34)... The dunk on Pau Gasol was the only thing people talked to me about for a few days. I have the impression that my exhausting December is over. I'm cautious but I think that the hardest is over. I'm back on my feet.

We had to play four games without Brandon Roy. On the court we have good chemistry. But my role didn't change much in his absence. We got out of it with two wins and two losses. Beating two big teams like Boston and Detroit proves that we're there.

Soon we'll have reached the halfway point of the regular season. Boston, who started well, are sort of treading water (4 consecutive losses recently). The euphoria is starting to fall. Watch out though, maybe they'll catch on fire during the playoffs! But, I don't know why, I'm just not really feeling them.

For the moment, the two teams that I find the most solid are the Lakers and New Orleans. The Hornets have Chris Paul, the best point guard in the world. Period. Los Angeles have very good players at each position. And there's Kobe Bryant. He's not like the others. I generally defend the other team's best player. He's the one who has impressed me the most. You even know what he's going to do and he still manages to score. I don't know how he does it. Dwyane Wade is also very good. What speed and control! On the other hand, I was a little disappointed with Tracy McGrady. I was expecting better.

Apart from the game, winter is harsh in Portland. There were 40 centimeters (ed. ~1.3 feet) of snow. They haven't seen that for 50 years.

The snow... they barely even know what it looks like. Result: impossible to get around, we haven't had practice for two days. We were supposed to go to Denver, and instead of taking off at noon, we left at 6. The highways weren't even cleared. When it started to melt, there was flooding... Basically, they weren't ready for it at all and it was a total mess!