Appreciating Nicolas Batum on Dirk Nowitzki: A Play by Play Breakdown
by Ben Golliver on Feb 1, 2010 1:49 PM PST
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PrintThe great thing about playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, and this dates back to before I was born, is that if you're a player that does the little things, the Portland media will shower you with appreciation.
On Saturday night, Dirk Nowitzki was getting all Dirky: 28 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists on an efficient 9-19 shooting and a perfect 10-10 from the line. Another pristine example of why Germany's most talented basketball player has some commentators believing he is on the inner outskirts of the league MVP discussion.
Down the stretch, Blazers forward Nicolas Batum was tasked with guarding Nowitzki. In just his second season, Batum is developing a big time reputation for doing the little things and doing them really, really well. As in tradition around these parts, Batum received plenty of appreciation for doing the little things. Check out this brief sampling...
Dave wrote...
The second was Nicolas Batum's defense. The Blazers actually botched a couple of significant plays in the extra period. They blew the rotation getting over to Jason Terry for a three and JT put Dallas ahead with the shot. Then the next play after forcing a Nowitzki miss they let Kidd in for an offensive rebound putback. It looked like the small mistake ghost was going to haunt them yet. But in the end the Mavericks needed Dirk Points to finish the game and they got only 2 (and those early) because Nicolas Batum stood in front of him and forced him to shoot over the top fading away again and again and again. Those aren't unusual attempts for Nowitzki, but since they hadn't been falling past the midpoint of the fourth quarter you got the feeling that even he would have preferred some other kind of shot. Nic said, "Mais, non!" and made it stick. Dirk took 3 of Dallas' final 4 shots and got, in order: bubkus, nada, and squadoosh.
...
It doesn't matter what else Batum did because he shut down Nowitzki late. Whatever slice of the game ball that doesn't go to Miller heads to Batum.
I tweeted...
The BustaBucket.com store should sell a dvd of overtime titled "how to guard 4s by Nicolas Batum"
Mike Barrett noted...
And, of course, Nicolas Batum. I hope you appreciate how good this guy is going to be. In Houston he guarded Aaron Brooks for a spell. The next night he was guarding Dirk Nowitzki. He's long enough to grab big offensive rebounds, gets a ton of defensive deflections, and has a sweet touch from long range. Most of all, he's an incredibly smart player, and absolutely wants to be on the floor during crunch time. Get used to seeing that. Wow, did we miss him during his rehab from shoulder surgery.
Casey Holdahl noted...
Nicolas Batum's defense on Dirk Nowitzki was nearly as important as Miller's 52.
Jason Quick with some excellent post game quotes...
He said he was prepared for the offensive repertoire Nowitzki threw at him.
"I studied tapes and knew that he always dribbled left, left, pump fake, spin," Batum said. "Every time. So I just watched the ball -- not him at all, just the ball -- and when he shot I raised my hands, because there is no way you can block him."
On the game's final attempt, Nowtizki threw in an added twist -- a lean-in toward Batum to try and coax a foul. But Batum was prepared and leaned back to avoid the contact.
"I had 45 games with nothing to do," Batum said. "So I just watch film."
In that spirit, let's watch some film of how Batum did against Nowitzki and break down each possession one by one so that we can fully appreciate Nicolas Batum the defender. Note: Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge switched on and off of Nowitzki down the stretch so here's a tape of just those possessions where Batum and Nowitzki faced off.
Play 1
Time/Score: 90 to 88 Blazers, 4:43 to go in regulation
The Mavericks run a high screen and roll with JJ Barea and Dirk. Bayless gets caught slightly on the pick and Batum leaves Dirk to show a little bit as Bayless recovers. Barea, realizing that it's his duty in life to give the ball to Dirk any time he's got 3-5 feet of space, picks his dribble up and passes to Dirk. Batum closes the gap quickly and effortlessly, bodying Dirk with his chest on the catch. Dirk creates some space for himself with a reverse pivot and offers a one-dribble hesitation and step-through move that takes him all the way from 17 feet to nearly the baseline. Batum rides him out of the lane, keeps his arms extended straight up and avoids the foul. Dirk, fully committed to the drive, makes the running layup over the top of Batum. In real time, Dirk makes it look easy. In reality, that's a superstar move and a superstar shot from start to finish.
What to Like and Dislike about this Play
In his book Blind Side, Michael Lewis makes a great observation about offensive linemen in the NFL that easily applies to defenders in the NBA . To boil it down, the overall play of linemen is judged starting from the results and working backwards rather than on its merits alone. This places too much emphasis on either great plays or horrible plays and generally ignores the vast majority of plays that fall in between. Linemen can play 34 out of 35 plays perfectly, give up a sack on the 35th play and see their one mistake of the game replayed over and over, used as fodder to explain why their team lost. In reality, Lewis points out, defensive players are fully capable of beating offensive players in the NFL and limiting a great defensive end or linebacker to one sack should be viewed as an overall success.
Like a Lawrence Taylor (one of the book's examples), Dirk Nowitzki is going to get his no matter what, his skills and Dallas's offense both ensure that. Dirk is one of the few elite players to have 1,000 possessions already this season and, of those players, he trails only Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Kevin Durant in terms of offensive production. He generates 1.06 points per possession, better than Brandon Roy, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant and a host of other players. And this is no anomaly: Dirk has been doing this for a decade.
The basic instructions for Nicolas Batum when guarding Dirk, therefore, are to make him work, to bother him, to force a tough shot and to avoid giving him free points by way of fouling him. And, if Dirk should miss, to ensure the Mavericks don't get a second shot. Like an offensive lineman who succumbs to the fourth in a series of Lawrence Taylor's moves, Batum plays the possession as fundamentally well as can be realistically expected. He makes Dirk work, he bodies him, he stays with him on the drive, he avoids fouling and he is one of five Blazers within spitting distance of the paint (compared to just one Maverick) should the running lay-up miss.
While the end result doesn't go Batum's way, there's very little to dislike about this defensive possession. Perhaps Batum was taken aback by Nowitzki's speed with the ball going left and could have beaten him to the spot. But he was wary of fouling on the drive and had some help from Andre Miller so it was acceptable. Dirk beat Batum here. He wouldn't let this happen again.
Play 2
Time/Score: 96 to 94 Blazers, 2:22 to go in regulation
What to Like and Dislike about this Play
This is a case of making Dirk work and, had he completed the layup, he would have been forced to beat 3 separate Blazers defenders on the play. The Blazers coaching staff, knowing its roster is so depleted, is surely content with both the execution and the result of this play.
Play 3
Time/Score: Tied 99 to 99, 47 seconds to go in regulation
The Mavericks set up a right side pick and roll with Jason Terry on the ball and Dirk setting the pick. Batum is guarding Terry and Aldridge is guarding Nowitzki. Terry uses the screen to dribble left and Batum gets caught briefly, before fighting over the top of the pick and recovering to Terry. Aldridge, meanwhile, doesn't see Batum at all as he shows hard on Terry, leaving Dirk wide open in the corner. Juwan Howard is playing weakside defense and notices the miscommunication between Batum and Aldridge. He rushes out to contest the Nowitzki face-up jumper off the easy pass from Terry. Howard is too late and Dirk buries it with ease.
What to Like and Dislike about this Play
Play 4
Time/Score: Tied 103 to 103, 8 seconds to go in regulation
What to Like and Dislike about this Play
Play 5
Time/Score: 110 to 108 Mavericks, 2:29 to go in overtime
Now we move to overtime. The Mavericks push the ball in transition and have the Blazers in a 3 on 3. Batum initially sprints back to prevent Terry from lobbing to Shawn Marion. Terry picks out a wide open DIrk who is trailing in transition. Dirk catches the pass, sets his feet and shoots the face-up jumper. Batum sees the pass, turns on a dime, closes out well and contests the shot. The Blazers fail to pick up Jason Kidd, who flies in to put back the missed jumper.
What to Like and Dislike about this Play
Play 6
Time/Score: 112 to 110 Mavericks, 2:07 to go in overtime
The Mavericks look to run a right-side isolation for Dirk and Batum immediately switches onto him after Terry sets a down pick on Aldridge. No miscommunication this time. Batum wants the assignment and he gets it. Jason Kidd feeds Dirk, who is pushed off his spot near the free throw line out to nearly the three point line. Dirk turns and faces, dribbling back towards the middle of the court with Batum watching him closely. Dirk backs him down with 2 dribbles to get slightly closer and goes to the fadeaway once again. Once again, Batum is ready to contest with a hand in Dirk's face and, once again, he does not foul. The shot misses and both Dirk and Batum watch as six Blazers and Mavericks jockey for the ball in the paint.
Dirk begins to shuffle back to center court but Batum sees the ball tipped and makes a play that recalls that famous Derek Jeter cutoff play from the 2001 American League Championship Series. He goes 0 to 60 from the top of the key, covering nearly twice as much ground as Shawn Marion, who is also making a play on the loose ball. Batum beats him to the spot, saves the ball in front of his own bench and brilliantly flips it back into play over his own head to a waiting Juwan Howard, before crashing into his teammates who are standing up because it helps deal with the tension of the overtime.
In a two point game, every possession in critical. There's an extra possession gained in the blink of an eye.
What to Like and Dislike about this Play
Play 7
Time/Score: Tied 112 to 112, 1:25 to go in overtime
Again this is as crunch time as crunch time gets and the Mavericks need a basket. They return to the high pick and roll with Terry and Dirk. This time Batum is guarding Terry and Aldridge is guarding Dirk, but they auto-switch as Terry drives left. Aldridge does a nice job of preventing a pull-up jumper and Batum picks up Dirk with no problem. The ball goes to Dirk at about 18 feet and he again turns to face. Batum is closely guarding him once again, using his left arm to check Dirk's waist and his right hand to prevent a free look at the rim. Dirk power dribbles to the right, spins back to the left and finds that Batum is waiting for him when he gets there and that Bayless has collapsed down to double him. Instead of throwing up a contested shot, Dirk kicks it out to the wide open Jason Kidd, who misses the three pointer. Guess who stuck with the play, boxed out Nowitzki and grabbed the defensive rebound? Nicolas Batum.
What to Like and Dislike about this Play
Play 8
Time/Score: Blazers 114 to 112, 38 seconds to go in overtime
Down two needing a basket, the Mavericks isolate Nowitzki out top again and Batum battles him even before the catch, pushing him out to the three point line. Dirk gets back into the paint with two quick dribbles and puts up his favorite turnaround jumper. Batum gives up the space with little resistance, avoiding the foul but blanketing the potential shot attempt. This time, Dirk decides to complete the turn, square his shoulders completely and set his feet to maximize the look. Batum pogosticks in the air, contesting every fake without fouling. Dirk releases the shot and then bails out to halfcourt as if he knew he missed it. He misses long, Batum and his four teammates out-number the Mavericks 5-2 for rebounding position and Juwan Howard secures the defensive rebound.
What to Like and Dislike about this Play
Play 9
Time/Score: Blazers 114 to 112, 3 seconds to go in overtime
The Mavericks need a score to send the game into double overtime. They inbound the ball to Dirk who is once again isolated at the top of the key. Batum meets him, for the last time, chest to chest, and, for the last time, fully contests Dirk's fallaway jumper. For the last time, Dirk gets a look that he is comfortable with. For the last time, it's a look the Blazers are comfortable with too. Both sides are forced to live and die with the roughly 50% odds that Dirk hits the shot. This time he misses and the Blazers go home victorious.
What to Like and Dislike about this Play
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That was a great, great breakdown of Boom-Boom's work
And looking at LMA’s work, there was a perfect example of the idea you want to convey….on almost every one of those plays LMA also did exactly the right things…except on the 1 play….but it had turned out to be the difference in the game …all the other good plays would have been forgotten
" Welcome to the Bedge....where good, is never good enough"…Rudiculous
The video goes to show the ineptitude of the Carlisle.
With exception of the first two highlights, Batum was not the primary defender on Dirk. He was guarding Terry and switched off on screens with LMA. Knowing that Carlisle had no intention of letting Terry do anything with the ball beside passing it to Dirk at the top of the key, Kidd should have been the ball handler. Blake would be guarding Dirk and resulting in Bedge exploding into a million pieces asking why we keep switching on screens.
"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith
Dave, do you think Nate
intentionally “hid” Nic on Terry until Dirk got the ball? It seemed like the last few times, the Blazers were ready for it, and making the switch more from strategy than necessity. Do you think Nate was sandbagging a little, keeping Carlisle from noting that Nic was really set to defend Dirk, not LA?
Kidd should have been the ball handler
But if that had happened, the Blazers probably would’ve doubled Dirk and dared Kidd to beat them…Terry was used in the PnR because he’s the greater threat, if left open
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Kidd is a much better spot up shooter than Terry.
"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith
Kidd is an OK shooter
but largely needs to be left wide open to make his shots. Additionally, we aren’t really talking about a spot-up situation here: it’d be an off-the-dribble shot because the Blazers would just sag back as Nowitzki “rolled,” leaving Kidd with the ball 22 ft from the hoop. He would have no choice but to shoot off the bounce, a shot the Blazers would be willing to take, and one which he won’t make as proficiently as Terry.
In either case, Carlisle screwed up.
He allowed Batum, a tall athletic physical forward, to guard Dirk. Worst case scenario would have been LMA on Dirk. With the Blazers failing to properly defend screens, a scenario where Blake is switch onto Dirk is not unlikely.
"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith
It also shows they were borderline terrified of Batum. Terry is little and quick, with a full offensive arsenal. That they weren’t willing to go to a clear-out with him vs. Nic (a 6’9" SF) speaks volumes for Nic’s reputation.
I think Dirk's reputation was the reason he received the ball.
Not so much because they were afraid of Batum.
"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith
That's the point though right? That's why Kidd is spotting up and not Terry.
Terry has the ball because he can get a shot off from anywhere. He’s a bigger threat with the ball in his hands, meaning that the Blazers have to pay a whole lot of attention to him.
I used to be called Nick Van Excellent, but I wasn't really all that excellent.
by The Running Man on Feb 1, 2010 3:20 PM PST up reply actions
This is about a coach not making adjustments based on matchups.
Terry and Dirk may work well against most teams, but Carlisle failed to adjust to the players on the court.
"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith
I thought it was fine.
I used to be called Nick Van Excellent, but I wasn't really all that excellent.
by The Running Man on Feb 1, 2010 3:30 PM PST up reply actions
Thanks for this
I have to admit, I was feeling pretty proud of myself as a fan and what i’ call an “intermediate” level hoops observer. I recognized before the game that Dirk’s style is not to crash you down low, but to simply be too tall and too fast on the trigger for you to molest his shot. LA, bless him, has the height to compete but is too passive and stays a step too far back in my opinion—death against Dirk. Nic on the other hand is all up in your grill—and as long as he doesn’t get posted, which Dirk doesn’t really do, I thought he’d have more
success. (My other theory about how Blake should always switch onto Dirk when he gets the chance, didn’t pan out so well, ha ha.)
During the game, more than once I caught LA flapping his arms up and down,
trying to anticipate Dirk’s release. Dirk read him perfectly, and just waited until the “down” cycle of LA’s flaps to take an uncontested jumper. Nic doesn’t do that; he keeps his hands up all the time, even landing with them still straight up. That was the play that convinced me it was the right strategy; Nic bought the fake—but at no time did this clear vertical space for Dirk. Nic landed, hands still straight up, and the look on ’Witz’s face said, “Crap, he’s still blocking my view? What now?” What now was he shot anyway, and it was way off line.
That save by Nic late also went TOTALLY unremarked by M&M after the initial play by play call, and havin watched the 4th and OT three times now, I’m still gobsmacked. It was a game saver, an amazing show of hustle. Jaynes is right; there were a number of late lapses that could have sunk the Bs, but Nic was almost flawless down the stretch.
Nic was my MVP that game, because as great as Dre was, in a similar siutation I think Roy or even Bayless could have gone off like that. But NO ONE on the active roster could have done to Dirk what Nic did. Just amazing. Thanks for laying it out like dat, Dave!
by torridjoe on Feb 1, 2010 2:30 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
LA flapping his arms up and down, trying to anticipate Dirk’s release
LMA tries to strip the ball on the way up, similar to Karl Malone, back in the day
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
And is sucessful it quite often
" Welcome to the Bedge....where good, is never good enough"…Rudiculous
Nah.
1.) Kidd on Dre. Dre drives, scores (1b. and is fouled).
2.) Borea on Dre. Dre gets the ball on left block, abuses Berea, scores.
3.) No one on Dre. Dre pulls up and hits from 15.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
by dwaynebillybob on Feb 1, 2010 2:50 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I loved the play where Nic went straight up after getting faked into the air avoiding the foul and still getting back up quick again to contest the shot
I think Jay Bilas calls that “second jumpability” ;-)
And it’s just very smart to avoid a foul in that situation, especially against a FT shooter like Dirk. In 9.5 out of 10 occasions he draws the foul or makes the shot there – or both – after getting his defender in the air. It’s part luck, part amazing skill by Nic there.
body control
in the NFL, wide receivers with this ability are said to have “ball skills” (Fitzgerald, etc)
If Batum was born in the states and could take the pounding on the gridiron, he would’ve been an excellent wide-out
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
word
The Leeroy Rule: being insistent >>>> being correct
by leeroyjenkins on Feb 2, 2010 7:09 AM PST up reply actions
Observation.
Dirk travels a lot.
Observation 2:
Water is wet.
by dwaynebillybob on Feb 1, 2010 2:50 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
I think that it's worth noting
that the idea of this post is whether Batum can guard 4’s. I think Batum is the only matchup worth trying against Dirk’s high post game. He has the lateral quickness to not let Dirk get by him with the quick ups to challenge shots. Dirk’s height advantage is mitigated by his unworthyness to play consistently close to the basket.
This was one of the problems Dirk had in the 07 playoffs against GSW when he was getting guarded by athletic guys who were physical and 6’8’’ plus. Kudos to Nicolas though. Great job/great skill
by 8volumesthick on Feb 1, 2010 2:52 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
I’d just like to say that Nic’s jersey is still the only Blazer jersey I own, for now. Looking at getting a red hardwood classics #7 B-Roy here soon. But I have a man-crush on Batum.
"Put God first in all you do and your dreams [of making money off people's misfortune] will come true."
- Q
And I have had a woman crush on Batum since seeing him play last year...and I knew almost
NOTHING about bball!! I just noticed that Batum was freaking EVERYWHERE he was supposed to be all of A SUDDEN..it seemed!!! And I liked what I read about Nic studying the scouting reports prior to games and being able to recite ver batum what he had just read…back to the reporter…who has annoyed me since then..but liked his reporting at the time!
how many guys can guard the fastest point guard in the league on Friday and the best seven foot jump shooter of all time the next night? Incredible.
I’m waiting for more data, but early returns suggest Batum can also handle the rebounding load at the 4.
#52 #10 #25 #7
Batum is a great defender
and this is no doubt a great performance. But I’m not sure it really shows him as an incredibly unique defender. To the extent teams have been able to slow down Nowitzki, they have done so by using a perimeter defender and daring him to use his height advantage. He always destroys bigger defenders, but can have trouble with quicker guys. Bruce Bowen had a good deal of success against him in the playoffs, as did Golden State using a variety of shorter players. So while Batum’s performance was fantastic in its own right, guarding Dirk is more like guarding a small forward, and I’m not sure how much it says about his effectiveness guarding fours on most teams.
The primary thing with putting Nic on the opposing 4 is there is usually a player we need him guard more: on Utah he should guard D-Will, not Boozer; on the F*kers he should guard Kobe not Pau; on the Celtics he should guard Pierce or Rondo, not KG—etc. etc.
my point was not that it’s an incredible feat for Nic to guard Dirk, it’s an incredible feat for him to have the range to guard Brooks (effectively enough for the Houston blog to note it) and then guard Dirk. Marion, Jackson, etc. can guard Dirk but I have a hard time seeing them guard Brooks, even in their primes.
#52 #10 #25 #7
yep
The universe of people who can guard Aaron Brooks effectively is quite small.
The universe of people who can guard Dirk Nowitzki is smaller.
The universe of people who can guard both probably has like 3 people.
Fixed it for you
The BustaBucket.com store should sell a dvd of overtime titled “how to guard 4s by Nicolas Batum”
“How to guard wimpy Euro 4s that won’t back you down but rely on FT jumpers by Nicolas Batum”
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
let's just say
if Larry Bird had been guarded by Nicolas Batum, he would’ve gotten off a shot a lot closer to the basket
I was impressed with Nic’s post defense on Wallace last night, but I was even more happy too see Cunningham draw the assignment of defending Crash so near to the basket
I loved the line where Batum said he was “looking forward” to facing Dirk, because Nowitski was the guy who wrenched Nic’s shoulder last year. It reminded me of The Princess Bride
“Hello, I am Nicolas Batum. You injured my shoulder. Prepare to…be completely shut down during crunch time!”
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
You should watch more games with Dirk against teams you are neutral about. He gets hacked and undercut an awful lot, both internationally (it’s even more extreme there) and in the NBA. That he still makes a lot of those shots is a testament to his skill level. Also while he does fade away from his defender a lot, he manages to draw fouls at a level a player like LaMarcus or Rasheed can only dream about, and that’s not a superstar bonus.
that
Also while he does fade away from his defender a lot, he manages to draw fouls at a level a player like LaMarcus or Rasheed can only dream about, and that’s not a superstar bonus.
Is the value of having a face-up/dribble-drive game.
i agree
The Leeroy Rule: being insistent >>>> being correct
by leeroyjenkins on Feb 2, 2010 7:09 AM PST up reply actions
Dirk definitely isn't wimpy
but Ben’s characterization of him as “physical” and “bruising” is a little over the top. Dirk has come a long way since the somewhat accurate marshmallow characterizations of him early in his career, but he’s hardly Charles Barkley or Carlos Boozer, either.
#52
Nice breakdown Ben
I guess I am just to much of a defensive guy to consider it a small thing but to a lot of fans it must be
Dirk's game winner????
Here’s where we circle back to the point made at the beginning about offensive linemen. If Dirk connects here, all that hard work by Batum over the course of the possessions that we have discussed is mostly overlooked, especially on a national level. Dirk makes the shot, he’s the hero and it’s another highlight for his Hall of Fame induction tape. Batum winds up the foil and his 7 or 8 out of 9 solid defensive plays are mowed over by Dirk’s game-winner.
Dirk’s final shot was two point FG attempt wasn’t it?
im pretty sure that this was for the tie
Batum winds up the foil and his 7 or 8 out of 9 solid defensive plays are mowed over by Dirk’s game-winner.
I feakin' love Nicolas Batum....
and andre, and roy, and bayless, and oden, and juwan, and pretty much every other blazer
Right on Ben
What a great recap of one of the best aspects of a very exciting game. Thanks sir. – Elgin
GOP in HD
#88 for the next 10-12 years
“The Difference” when all said and done
"Better, not good, but better." - Herb Brooks
by DucRider on Feb 1, 2010 4:38 PM PST via mobile reply actions
“I had 45 games with nothing to do,” Batum said. “So I just watch film.”
Pay close attention to this, Greg and Travis…
Portland > Tacoma
by CaptainSexyJacob on Feb 1, 2010 4:39 PM PST reply actions
This is my favorite sentence in this write up.
Like what you like, enjoy what you enjoy,
don't be afraid to make slurping sounds,
and don't take crap from anybody
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae-5q8MaSSU
And Batum isn't even listed as a choice
for your NBA ‘favorite player’ in NBA.com’s All Access member preferences pull down menu. I’ve written a couple of times suggesting adding his name to the list, but so far its still not an option. As a frame of reference, the list does include such perennial favorites as Rafer Alston, Renaldo Balkman, and Tony Battie. (No disrespect intended.)
Nic can be included
When he gets a nickname as scintillating as “Skip-to-my-Lou.” :)
You seem like the man for the job!
Great Read Ben... Thanks!
I think what Nic is showing us is that while you can have all the physical tools.. you really have to go out and show that effort on every possession. I guess that’s what makes a great defender.
I hope this finally puts to rest to the notion
that Frenchmen always surrender to Germans
" Welcome to the Bedge....where good, is never good enough"…Rudiculous
by 92wastheyear on Feb 1, 2010 5:43 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
i'll eat some crow on batum
i wasnt completely sold earlier and mocked people who were, but turns out they were right. kid is good.
The Leeroy Rule: being insistent >>>> being correct
Didn't read your mocking of Batum...didn't you watch him play last year? Seemed like he was
always THERE…loved it when he would run down the court and block the shot that was GOING to be a dunk!!!
I still dont think he's the best option guarding 4s
Stretch 4’s and shooters sure, but I dont think he’ll be nearly as effective on bangers like boozer and millsap.
Then again, regardless how useful they have been this rough season, Pendergraph and Cunningham are still rookies. Outlaw isn’t known for his defense, and I’m sure batum can be at least as physical as Aldridge so having Batum at the 4 cant be any more of a disadvantage then we’ve already had all season.
Portland could coast along with their superior talent and stay right with us. Now that Portland woke up, the hammer cometh down.
Bayless > Daffy Duck after 3 cans of rockstar
Batum makes me smile.
He’s an awesome combination of skills, smarts, and love of the game. He’s a heady player, he’s got length, and you can just tell he absolutely loves playing basketball by the way he acts when he’s on the court.
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