Who's the better athlete Martell or Nic?
by lickety brindle on Sep 18, 2009 9:52 AM PDT
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Print So a friend and I are debating the small forward position for this upcoming season. We both agree that Martell is the shooter while Nic the defensive specialist. However we differ on the basic question of who is the better athlete. I decided that the only fair way to resolve this question was to put it to the 10,000 resident experts on BE. So the question is posed, who is the better athlete Nicolas Batum or Martell Webster (assuming a return to preinjury form)?
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Strength and Leaping Ability
Both strength and leaping ability are huge factors in atheleticism as far as I’m concerned and Martell has Nic beat in both of those. Nic has height, length, and maybe quickness. I give the nod to Martell.
strength ya, leaping ability maybe not
If you watched any of the Eurobasket games, you may have seen Nic with some pretty impressive leaps. He not only gets high, but he gets up there very quickly. Plus, do you remember some of those blocks he had coming out of nowhere last year.
by filiwickers on Sep 18, 2009 10:32 AM PDT up reply actions
Two great Batum blocks against New Jersey
Start at 2:50 and watch thru 4:00.
You forget how long his arms are..
If his arms were normal sized he would never be as good as martell. Athletisism alone, i go with Martell.
What about this.
The only glimpse we got last season:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXGb1yd86zA
Martell will prove to everyone, that chose batum, that they are wrong about him.
by philthebballplayer on Sep 18, 2009 6:20 PM PDT up reply actions
Martell is fast
In 2007, he ran Nate’s four conditioning drills at the start of training camp faster than anyone else on the team. I couldn’t find the results from last year, but seems like he was fast last year, too.
http://www.blazersedge.com/2007/10/5/41226/8895
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
He beat those conditioning records again in training camp 2008
Founder of the "Crash Batumcoot" Movement.
Champions need role players!!!
If one looks at the champions there is always a defence stopper who takes pressure off the stars. They don’t ask for a lot of shots which allows the stars to shot more. Lakers-Rambis
Chiago-dennis rodman Spurs-bowen Chiago/Lakers-ron happer Pistons-Rodman/big Ben/Prince.
These player knew there role, accepted there role and played there role. The problem with the 2000 blazers was due to no role players. Everyone was a star and nobody wanted to be the role player. Batum will be that role player for us. Martell thinks he is a star, needs to shot, Not Clutch. Playing the D role and only shooting if the big 3 don’t have decent shot is not a role I see in Martell. Best to keep him as a spark plug off the bench
The question wasn't about roles
but about athleticism, and I was just pointing out that Martell’s speed shouldn’t really be in question. Your response leaves me a little confused.
But in any event, I don’t think Martell has a huge ego, and in the past one of the problems was that he was actually too hesitant to shoot. He certainly doesn’t try to take over the game or be the main guy on offense. He seemed to be a role player indeed. His last year he improved his defense, and his offensive role was to be a three point threat. If anything, I would hope he will be a little more aggressive on offense and take it to the hoop a couple more times a game.
Both of these guys are excellent role players. Nic especially on defense, though Martell was improving. Martell especially on offense as a deep threat, though Nic improved offensively as the year went on. Neither is likely to try to make himself into a superstar.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
That Marty dunk
is one of my favorites…..I literally got a noise complaint at my apartment because when i saw that i screamed my head off.
If you screamed your head off
it would have left a mess, too, blood dripping through to the floor below and all that.
Blazer fans aren’t good neighbors, I guess.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
yeah, i bet my neighbors hate me.
as it’s a little later here
"Fernandez, to my eyes, is the Blazer who walks that walk most comfortably. A lot of Portland's fans (egged on, dare I say, by their local broadcasters) lament things like how Ron Artest or Yao Ming get to hit Brandon Roy's arms.
But I suspect Fernandez sees all that and thinks: We get to hit arms! Cool!"
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-39-135/On-Playoff-Experience.html
I don't think ANYONE can answer that question right now
Martell was cleared for 5-on-5 what, a week ago? I don’t think anyone outside of Blazer personel could answer the athleticism point at this time
Martell was tremendously athletic before he was hurt, not on the level of Travis Outlaw, but impressive (he did a baseline dunk in preseason last year what was pure nasty). But who knows where he is now coming of an extended lack of training and condition. I definitely hope he is back at 100%, but foot injuries are tough so we’ll see.
Nic gets some extra love because of how long he is, it makes him seem more athletic. But even with the length taken away, he is impressive, no doubt, and probably has gotten a little more so with all the playing and training this summer.
Pre-injury, I’d say Martell was the more explosive athlete/leaper of the two, with Nic being a smoother and more fluid athlete. After the injury? We’ll have to see! Either way I’m really glad Martell is back and ready to go
by rip_city_swagger on Sep 18, 2009 12:18 PM PDT reply actions
Nic is a better natural athlete so I put him. From what I understand, though, Martell is more of a gym rat, so Nic needs to but in work to bulk up and not become complacent
Dictated, not read. The management.
what do you mean by "natural athlete"
i know Martell has been out a bit, but look at the link in Royster’s post above…
he was tken #5 overall for a reason. Nic is a smoother/fluid player and athlete, but before the injury Martell was an explosive dude, more so than I have see nout of Nic at any point
by rip_city_swagger on Sep 18, 2009 12:28 PM PDT up reply actions
I would go with Batum but I don't really care
What I care about is who is the better basketball player, and in my opinion its Batum by a pretty healthy margin.
by jksnake99 on Sep 18, 2009 12:29 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
This was my first thought, too
Although we haven’t really seen the new Martell, but if athleticism was the key, we would have Tyrus Thomas instead of LMA.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
Even if Webster is a better athlete by strictly measurements.
I think Batum’s athleticism translates much better on the court. Aside from a couple of nice dunks from Martell, I have yet to see his athleticism make him a better player.
"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith
agreed
i think part of it was the role they designed for our SFs…all 3 of our SFs are crazy athletic…yet its frustrating seeing time and time again we only use our SF to camp in the corner to catch and shoot. Martell is probably the most guilty of not using his athleticism to his advantage.
Senior Asian ambassador of Blazers Edge
by Philthyanimal on Sep 19, 2009 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions
Nico
He wasn’t measured in pre-draft camp, but in training and game videos or pics they showed him dunking from almost the free throw line and rising very high on blocks against the boards. Martell ‘only’ had a 30.5 inch max vert. His sprint times of 11.39 (agility) and 3.39 (3/4 straight court) also were good but e.g. comparable to Rudy with a 35.5 max vert, 10.48 and 3.33. Roy brings a 40 inch vert and times of 11.13 and 3.27. It’s doubtful Martell has added tremendously to that. And he is a fairly weak ball handler continuing to decrease his real game speed.
"I think he can still play" - Kevin Pritchard on Juwan Howard
Very Good Question,
and the answer is: All good for the Blazers
[hereby poaching intangible property rights to “torqued responsive” style; that is fun]
Its a valid debate because they are both so good. Having two small forwards who are skilled and athletic competing will make them both even better. That’s another thing I really like about the Blazers two-deep roster – they will be pushing each other; imagining an exchange of tricks and one-upsmanship (’zat a wurd?) between Nic/Martell; Roy/Rudy; Oden/Przy; Blake/Miller; and now, LMA/JuwanaBaBlazer. Should make them all better at defense. (Ok, the kids too)
oh yah, Martell is my vote because of strength, shooting, and control, and, of course, I’m hoping for the stories to be true about him coming back strong, but I am a bit surprised that he is not more vertically gifted. Should Roy be able to improve his shot-blocking? Nic is Quick and wiry and does make those Kersey style run-down blocks; he cetainly has room to get better. I envision 40-48 fun-filled minutes from these two.
These are not athletic measurements.
Webster’s combine numbers:
Height w/o Shoes6’ 6"
Height w/shoes6’ 7.5"
Weight 230
Wingspan6’ 11"
Standing Reach8’ 10"
No Step Vert28.0
Max Vert 30.5
Bench Press 7
Lane Agility11.39
3/4 Court Sprint 3.39
Come on you gotta listen unto me,
lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be. ~Johnny Cash
Yeah, Nicolas Batum is much, much more of a pure athlete compared to Martell Webster.
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
Nic is longer, Webster is stronger.
I’m not sure all that length makes him a much better athlete. Webster is pretty freaky in his own way. He’s also in much, much better shape since his rookie year.
Different body types. I would give the edge to Batum, but I don’t really know, they seem pretty close to me.
by Nick Van Excellent on Sep 18, 2009 6:37 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, it's hard to compare them directly due to the differences in body type.
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
Look, I can jump about as high as Webster
and I’m a 5’10" 250lbs guy!
It would not surprise me if nic had a 36-38" vertical. Lets say he “only” has a 34" vert, that’s still 3.5 better than Webster!
Webster is strong, but he has never been explosive. Slow feet, low vert, slow lateral quickness, no first step to speak of, these are not words used in reference to people with elite athleticism.
Now, if Webster were working out, maybe doing Olympic lifts and the traditional power lifts, maybe then he gets more explosive, but not elite.
Nic is quick footed and graceful, he can fly above the rim and help keep Tony Parker in check. That is athletic.
Come on you gotta listen unto me,
lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be. ~Johnny Cash
by HurraKane212 on Sep 18, 2009 10:32 PM PDT up reply actions
It would not surprise me...
if Webster had a 36-38" vertical. He’s lost a lot of weight since his rookie season, so I don’t really trust the Rookie combine numbers anymore.
Actually, I always thought those numbers were a little deceptive. Monta Ellis doesn’t look very speedy at all if you look at his numbers and yet from watching him in the NBA we know that the Mississippi Bullet is probably one of the quicker guys in the whole league.
Webster was guarding Kobe, Lebron and the like before we had Nic. His strength and size makes him a better candidate to guard the more powerful wings in the NBA. I think Nic has the edge for sure overall, but you shouldn’t discount Webster either.
by Nick Van Excellent on Sep 19, 2009 1:57 PM PDT up reply actions
Part of vertical is leg strength
And if a guy doesn’t have stronger legs at 22 than at 18, something’s wrong.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
this was
when Martell was coming out of high school, and a year younger than Batum. Who spent time in the professionals in france. a big difference. but i agree that Batum has the athletic advantage over Webster, especially after his injury.
by raging WebTed on Sep 18, 2009 5:20 PM PDT up reply actions
It depends on how you define athleticism
but in basketball terms, I chose Nic Batum.
Webster is clearly stronger and has better stamina and endurance, but I don’t think that makes him more athletic. He clearly can play and run for long periods of time, but he doesn’t have the explosiveness that Batum has. Watch Webster play offense or defense because his lateral movement is pretty slow.
On the other hand, Batum can jump really high and moves gracefully. We don’t know how long he can play in one period because Batum only plays about 20 minutes a game, but because of this explosiveness that we typically use to define basketball athleticism, I chose Nic Batum.
The Kings have the best bench I’ve seen. There are easily 14 guys on this team good enough for every bench in the league. Now if we could only get some starters, I’d totally jizz in my pants.
Kings fan
no explosiveness huh
did you watch this?
by rip_city_swagger on Sep 18, 2009 3:50 PM PDT up reply actions
He had a running start from the three point line
impressive dunk nevertheless.
The Kings have the best bench I’ve seen. There are easily 14 guys on this team good enough for every bench in the league. Now if we could only get some starters, I’d totally jizz in my pants.
Kings fan
by dyshooter182 on Sep 18, 2009 4:06 PM PDT up reply actions
I can't vote...
because I seriously can’t remember how either of them play having not seen them for a while (especially Martell).
I choose Nic.
But I always choose Nic. What was the question?
by Sean M on Sep 18, 2009 3:28 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
The question was
who would you rather waive from the team?
The Kings have the best bench I’ve seen. There are easily 14 guys on this team good enough for every bench in the league. Now if we could only get some starters, I’d totally jizz in my pants.
Kings fan
by dyshooter182 on Sep 18, 2009 4:07 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My short attention span screws me over again.
Hilarious exchange, guys
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
Nic obsession
Batum is am excellent defender I have no qualms in saying that, and he does have that Prince like build, but as far as both an athlete and player goes I would go with Martel (assuming a full recovery of course). I know Webster’s had moments where he has frustrated us, but let’s face it, Batum is NEVER going off for 24 pts in a quarter now is he? Now as to which of the two should start, that is a good question. I suppose it depends on the matchup and whether more O is needed early on, or if we want a better defender.
Just to point out...
Steals, blocks, rebounding, and pinpoint -passing (which Batum regularly demonstrates)
shows a higher level of athleticism than a 24 point quarter.
by spencerbutte on Sep 18, 2009 7:09 PM PDT up reply actions
" A 24 point quarter"
is not good in my book for the SF we need.
1) It smacks of “shooter” and not the “team player” we need.
We have Roy and LA and soon Greg as the main scoring threats
2) Martell has only gotten hot like that once. What has he demonstrated as the “glue” type player needed on the starting team? Second team is where a want-to-be “shooter” skills are most needed.
by spencerbutte on Sep 18, 2009 7:23 PM PDT up reply actions
Absolutely we need a shooter at SF
We don’t need a “scorer”, but a shooter on whom the defense can’t sleep is great.
And those points were almost all from the deep. The threat to go off like that is really valuable.
Finally, in regard to the 24 point quarter, it is ludicrous to say that it isn’t a team player, and then turn around and say he’s only done it once. The situation in that game was that Brandon had just gone out with an injury. The TEAM was running plays for Martell because our star had just gone down earlier in the game. The TEAM player Martell stepped up to the plate when the TEAM needed him to be a scorer for them.
I love Nic, and think in the long run he may be better than Martell, but no one should criticize that 24 point quarter, or criticize that it only happened once. That is the only time I ever remember that we ran plays for him over and over.
And yes, he only scored 26 in that game, and he gets criticized for that, too. But of course, he was just being a role player in the first half, and then Brandon went down, and Nate obviously decided at half time to run Martell off pick after pick and get him some shots to compensate for Brandon being down.
And how much did Martell play the rest of the game, after that third quarter explosion? If I remember right, he went to the bench at the quarter break. Considering he’d been running non-stop for the whole quarter, running his man off of screen after screen, that’s hardly surprising.
And we went on to win the game easily — there was no need to have Martell carry the team beyond that quarter.
Yes, it only happened once. But it was a great performance within the team concept, and one that may never be repeated because we have too many weapons to need it again, so Nate will probably never run so many plays for Martell in one quarter again. But there is absolutely no basis for any criticism of Martell on that, in any way. He is a team player, he isn’t a gunner, he plays fully within the team concept, he took the scorer’s role when we needed him to, he hasn’t taken it again like that because we haven’t needed him to.
He’ll not get enough shots within the team concept to duplicate that performance except in rare circumstances. So no one should object that he only did it once.
It doesn’t prove he’s a better player than Nic. It does prove that he brings something that Nic doesn’t yet bring — the threat to explode offensively if we need it.
You predicted Nic’s success before anyone else, but you shouldn’t let it blind you to the things Martell can do.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
I agree
It’s completely unfair to knock him for that performance.
"Goals are good. Plans are better." -Ben.
by Sabonis4Ever on Sep 19, 2009 1:57 PM PDT up reply actions
if Martell went off ever qt or at least one qt a game for 24 points u would have a valid
argument. As it stands however, Martel didn’t do that. He had his best season in which that 24 pt qt occurred and in which ended up averaging 10 points a game………..
no defense and 10 pts a game vs. excellent defense 2 assists, steals, blocks and 6 pts a gm ..
Nic wins
s
The Princess of Blazersedge
Sport is my boyfriend
if batum didnt have his huge wingspan, his amazing blocks and dunks would be far less
so webster
"shaq and zach randolph have the same trainer... "
best one liner i ever heard.
Webster's isn't much less that Batums!
webster’s is just shy of 7 feet.
Blocks and steals require skill, timing, and BBIQ. Batum has all that, better athleticism, and handles.
Come on you gotta listen unto me,
lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be. ~Johnny Cash
by HurraKane212 on Sep 18, 2009 10:34 PM PDT up reply actions
The new useless debate
at least it’s not travis and martell…
In my opinion Batum makes Martel irrelevant. Whether one is more athletic than the other is totally useless. Batum is a better player and best fit for the starting lineup with more upside.
Furthermore, Martel’s contract will make him easier to move in a trade if KP feels so inclined.
Sophia
The Princess of Blazersedge
Sport is my boyfriend
A Batum (21 in Dec) - Webster (23 in Dec) rotation if both are healthy and developing sounds nice to me for the next years
They still have a long way to go before even reaching the typical prime of an NBA player. Maybe at some time there is not enough money and time available for both, so in that regard it might even be helpful if Martell doesn’t develop into some star but just a reliable rotation player. Just fitting in those two is fairly easy with a clear primary position on SF, and the ability to play SG in a stretch. The problem gets rather complex when also trying to find minutes for Travis on 3/4, Rudy and Roy on 2/3, etc.
"I think he can still play" - Kevin Pritchard on Juwan Howard
Since neither will play 48 mpg
neither makes the other irrelevant.
Martell’s contract has four years to run. It only makes him easy to move if his play makes him worth more than he is being paid. If that is the case, then we obviously would love to have him in our rotation.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
That's just crazy
Batum doesn’t make Martell irrelevant. Martell may actually end up being the starter. He’s the best pure shooter Portland has, and if Miller beats out Blake at PG, my money is on Webster to start.
Plus, none of us really know for sure what level Webster’s game is on since the last time we saw him.
by BlazerNation on Sep 19, 2009 10:46 PM PDT up reply actions
Also , travis outlaw has what some would consider to be extraordinary athleticism
more so than Brandon Roy to be sure, but that doesn’t make him a better basketball player.
Sophia
The Princess of Blazersedge
Sport is my boyfriend
Yes,
he can jump higher but he has asthma; as a result, Outlaw can’t play heavy starter minutes. So, is he athletic? He has one aspect of athleticism, but we commonly cite Outlaw as a very athletic player. Same goes with Webster. He can’t jump high, but he has terrific conditioning.
The Kings have the best bench I’ve seen. There are easily 14 guys on this team good enough for every bench in the league. Now if we could only get some starters, I’d totally jizz in my pants.
Kings fan
by dyshooter182 on Sep 18, 2009 11:08 PM PDT up reply actions
If reaction time counts then Nic leaves Martell and Travis in the dust
More to the game than who has the highest vertical
by southern oregon on Sep 18, 2009 9:25 PM PDT reply actions
i think that
it is pretty safe to say that batum is clearly more athletic as of right now. Martell is just coming off an injury. Batum has been playing all summer in europe. I also think that batum is more valuable than martell, batum can guard players like kobe and take preseure off of brandon on the defensive end. this was brandon does not have to guard the other teams best player for the entire game and thus will be able to expend more energy on his offensive game. Batums offensive game is developing, and nate likes his small forwards to stand in the corner and hit threes which batum does just fine. its more important to have a defensive specialist on the team with all the other options the blazers have for offense.
"The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later; in a dictatorship you don't have to waste your time voting"
"I don't like jail, they got the wrong kind of bars in there"
Charles Bukowski
We don't know
We haven’t seen Martell for almost 2 years now. The reports I’ve heard are all about how explosive he is now.
Is it okay in life to just say, “I don’t know” sometimes?
by BlazerNation on Sep 19, 2009 10:48 PM PDT up reply actions
All things being equal, defense will tell the tale.
All I can say is Webster will be 23 in December and Batum will be 21 in December. Webster’s lost year leaves him entering his 3rd year in terms of experience whereas Batum is starting his 2nd year. Batum started out looking pretty much like the kid he was, and has added 15 lbs or so according to his blog since he joined the Blazers. Batum will continue to mature and I’m willing to bet that he will eventually be playing at around 220 lbs or so. Webster plays at around 235, but he’s two years older. Batum was a rookie asked to start on a 54 win team, and did so by focussing on defense – not offense. So, we call him a defensive specialist, and assume he’ll never also be a scorer. If, however, you compare Nic’s performance to Websters first year, you see that Webster played 21 minutes a game, and averaged 7 pts and 2.9 rebounds, whereas Batum in his first year played 18 mpg and averaged 5.4 pts and 2.8 rebounds – and was likely the better defender. Batum led Martel slightly in the assist column in their first year, and Martel came in at 1.2 per game in his second.
In Martel’s second year he averaged 28 minutes, 10.7 pts and 4 rebounds. If Martel’s trajectory had continued without the injury, then if he’d been given 35 minutes or so like most starters, it wouldn’t have been much of a reach to expect him to have gotten 14-ppg and 5 rpg.
In Euro ball, we’ve seen Batum’s scoring pickup because they ran plays for him, something the Blazers didn’t do as often, and if you look at both player’s 1st year field goal %, Batum was at .446 whereas Webster was at .396. You cannot, in sum, say that Batum can’t be as effective a scorer as Webster, given he was more efficient with the ball and had fewer plays run for him.
Nate has described Batum as the “proto-typical” small foward given his length and body type.
In sum, by bet is pretty straight-forward. Batum can play within the context of the team, is efficient in his scoring, and has a trajectory that indicates that if he gets 28 mpg, then his second year statistics are likely to be close to Webster’s second years stats. If Webster is to take and keep the starters position, then it won’t be enough to score. He must improve his defense – because for the Blazers to take the next step – they must play better defense. At the same time, remember that Martel is packing 235 lbs on a 6.7" frame (6/6" w/o shoes). He has strength and power, but weight on that frame affects his lateral quickness, and to be a very good defender you have to have that quickness, because most players you guard aren’t going to try to run you over to get their shot, they’re going to finesse you. Further, team defense more often leaves the SF switching off on the other teams SG, than PF. Weight at the SF position, as a result, can be a little over-rated. The SF, after all, isn’t playing under the basket where power and muscle are at a premium.
In the end, defense will tell the tale.
The funny part to me
Is that one of the knocks on Martell is that he WASN’T athletic enough for a lottery pick SG. I always argued against that.
I think his pre-draft scores aren’t reflective of the type of athlete he had become later on; he was much quicker, stronger, and more “solid” his 3rd season. He was soft his rookie year. He could body up Lebron his 3rd season and not get bowled over.
So to me, Martell’s athleticism has traditionally been UNDERRATED, but he isn’t an athletic marvel. He’s a good athlete, whose vertical I would say is higher than 30.5 now, and likely higher than Batum’s.
Batum is a very good, fluid athlete, who is much lighter on his feet than Martell. His length does make it appear he is skying on his dunks, but I say he’s more of a glider than a skyer. I would be surprised if he can jump higher than Martell, but perhaps his length enables him to reach much higher. I am sure he can jump longer.
Batum is also a more natural all-round player, though it remains to be seen if Martell year-4-take-2 is better than Batum 2.0. But dribbling, passing, off the ball, defense, Batum is clearly better at age 20.
Different athletes, both good, with Batum maybe being overrated with his raw athleticism and Martell usually being underrated— of course now, with this sort of talk, maybe he’s being overrated. It’s funny how the pendulum swings.
I think the most athletic player on our team is clearly Juwan Howard.
Mortimer
Clearly you are just saying that to anger me
Juwan Howard – 1994 6’ 8.5" NA 253 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 5
"I think he can still play" - Kevin Pritchard on Juwan Howard
He was too athletic for the tests
"Goals are good. Plans are better." -Ben.
by Sabonis4Ever on Sep 19, 2009 2:16 PM PDT up reply actions
And he's clearly better since then
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
C'mon
Is this what the long summer PTB drought is causing? Maybe I missed it, but did anyone define “better” in the “who’s the better athlete?” question?
Better…. hmmm…. better….. better…. uh….. what is the point of asking this question?
"Junk is not, like alcohol or weed, a means to increased enjoyment of life. Junk is not a kick. It is a way of life." William S. Burroughs
If you count grace and fluidity of motion under the label "athletic"
Then I think Nic has the slight edge. Martell is probably stronger and maybe even faster north-south and might even have the edge in raw leaping ability, but the difference between them seems pretty neglible, especially when you factor in that Nic seems to be better at anticipating an opponent’s movement on defense implying quicker reaction timing and better lateral movement.
Frankly, I just hope Martell can come back and provide some competent second unit play and makes it hard on Nate to decide who should be getting the bulk of the minutes at the 3 spot. Who the better athlete is means as much to me as which player is taller; neither necessarily translates into the better player.
Who else is in the game???
I am sorry if I keep harping on the concept of matchups and how important they are, but try this.
Nic is a better athlete if he is matched up against Kobe or Kevin Durant. Martel is a better athlete if he is matched up against Ron Artest or Lebron. Who cares who is the better athlete in an empty gym???
There is more to an athlete than how fast they can run, they also better be able to see what they are doing and know why they are doing it.
that brings us to a goooooood question....
giggle…
am I the best athlete in that empty gym if no one is around to see me dunk?
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
The best at everything, wink, wink. As a matter fact, you would be, "The greatest of all tiiimes!"
There is more to an athlete than how fast they can run, they also better be able to see what they are doing and know why they are doing it.
by KINGofMACct on Sep 21, 2009 10:52 AM PDT up reply actions
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Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Days of NBA Lives: Wherein Roy Hibbert tap-dances to Maine
- Grizzlies Valentine’s Day cards are the key to love
- Kevin Love would like the NBA to take the MLB’s approach on All-Star games
- Kobe Bryant fires a few hilarious salvos at Jeremy Lin
- Brandon Jennings states the obvious regarding his 2014 free agency, everyone goes nuts
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