Batum blog "It's going to be hard but we can do something"

 Nicolas Batum's 3 new blog posts from basketsession.com
 
"It's going to be hard but we can do something"  April 16
Translated from this post.
 
Hi everybody, I didn't forget I had to put the sequel of my former post (I'll put it this week end with my trophies of the end of the year), but since the season just finished and the playoffs are about to kick off I wanted to talk about the news. As you can guess we're really happy to be in the playoffs considering all that's happened this year. With the injuries, the trade, etc. we still manage to get 50 victories. Brandon missed more than 15 games, Aldridge missed about 10, Oden and Przybilla have missed the whole season, I missed 45, Rudy missed a month, and we manage to get 50 victories and to finish 6th in the West. It's kind of impressing given the context. We got away with it really well this year. And as a result, compared to last year we're confident as we enter the playoffs. As far as I know, Roy will play (Nicolas made his post when Roy thought he'd be able to play and get surgery after the playoffs).

Today compared to last year, we have 3 experienced players : Miller, Howard and Camby. And this can make the difference compared to last year. Already in the regular season we've felt they brought a big plus. Whether in the locker room or in the end of games, you can feel it. It's also thanks to them that we were able these 50 victories with the season we've had. During moments of doubts, when we weren't fine, when we didn't have players, they were the ones who began to speak, that would make us regroup. For example, Juwan did meetings in the locker room to make us regroup.

Juwan, in the meetings was saying "We have a good team and even though a few things aren't doing well, with the injuries, we have a lot of talent and we have to continue making something big. On no occasion should we hang our head, we have to go on playing." Collective meetings, we've had two or three but other than these he was sometimes taking us one by one to chat, he was giving a few words that were reassuring. It's a guy that speaks a lot to you because he has some experience : when he's started I was 6 and a half. To me, he says "Plastic Man (that's how he calls me, or Young Scottie too), continue doing what you have to do, concentrate on defense", he talks to me like a coach. But as I was saying, him, Camby or Miller have really been important. And when you see what Camby is still bringing on the court at 36, you can only follow them. As a result they've really helped us this year to get to the playoffs.

It was really the big stake, to make it to the playoffs because with the team we have, we know we can do something, we can pass the first round. We can show a lot of things so we absolutely wanted to qualify. But our objective wasn't "we have to avoid the Lakers". Because avoiding the Lakers means playing Dallas, Denver, Phoenix or Utah, so whatever happens it's strong too and it doesn't change anything. We just wanted the best seed possible and that's why we fought in the end of the season.

Speaking of it we've had a tough schedule to finish the year with three big games. Dallas last friday, Lakers on sunday and Monday Oklahoma. Against Dallas we failed. We did a good game on defense but on the offense we shot at 30%. This was a Euroleague game, 83-77. The defense was very strong on both sides. It was a playoff game, there were 5 technical fouls, 5 people from the audience were ejected, 3 foul outs. It was a r-e-a-l playoff game.

Then in Los Angeles we had no real pressure so we played totally. With Webster we tried to defend well on Kobe. We tried to exhaust him. He was coming back from two games off, it helped but I think we didn't help him getting his shoot and rhythm back. The end of this game was a bit crazy. When Webster made the foul on Kobe, I believe it's because he thought they didn't have free throws on every foul. Fortunately he missed both. They got the rebound but Fisher only puts one in. Then we put three free throws after a really audacious play from Webster. To attempt a 3 points floater 2 seconds before the end was audacious. He was fouled, fortunately.

But their last play, I didn't understand it at all. I was defending on Kobe, so I pushed him towards the rim because I didn't want to let him detach for a 3 pointer. And he makes a screen for Gasol ! So I told myself it meant he would go up and have the ball given in his hands. But he makes the screen to Gasol and... he stops. I didn't really have to stop him. I was on his way to stop him from going back on top, but he didn't really try to go though, not really you know. I didn't really understand and I won't try to :)

The next day, against Oklahoma, we wanted to beat them because our objective was 50 victories and it would be a good thing to beat a direct opponent. And it was a beautiful game, a nice atmosphere. We did a sloppy first half and we came back in the 2nd half. And Camby did a crazy game. It was really cool. I was defending on Durant, with Webster. During the 1st half we were playing bad, we were down by 10 or 11, and Durant had 21 points. Then we defended better on him and he did 3/13 for 9 points.

Now we'll have to face Phoenix again in the 1st round. It's a nice team, it's going to be hard but we can make something. First we'll have to try and stop this Canadian guard, a young kid with a bright future :) No, we have to try and block Nash. It would already be a big part, but it's easier to say than do. I think we'll have to play inside, to put the ball inside. But above all we'll have to defend. We have to prevent them from running. If you let them run you're dead. That's why we have to block Nash. It's going to be Andre who will take him but I think I'll switch on him too. It's going to be hard, I prefer to defend on wing players rather than on players that are smaller than me that run all the time. You spend more energy on Nash because his whole game is all around, he takes pick-and-rolls, he runs... With scoring wingers it's the same too, but more in the end of the game. And also Nash, it may not be obvious but he's running fast. Especially when he's launched, when he's in movement.

But he's not the only one, it's a big team. Amar’e is impressing. They also have true players around : Richardson, Barbosa, Grant Hill, Dudley, Frye, I don't know if Lopez will be back, there's Dragic who did a nice season. They have a big team. It's nice to watch them play but they're annoying to play. You don't really have fun, you're running all the time, it shoots alls the time... You can be up by 10, and in 3 offenses they'd score 3 3-pointers and you're only up by 1. If we relax against them we're done. I was talking to a journalist who told me "So Phoenix, it's good for you ?" But third in the Western conference that tells the skill of the team, but it's still a huge performance. 

But I think we can make it. We're going to have to make crazy defensive games, for 48 minutes. Really ! I hope we'll be able to make it. If we were winning it would be either Dallas or San Antonio. It's going to be a beautiful series. On the paper, it should be Dallas but seeing how San Antonio ended the season, you never know. San Antonio remains San Antonio. Ginobili has shown he could still be a huge level player. Duncan remains Duncan, he can make 25, 15, 5 assists, blocs. Tony rested for a month, he's getting his rhythm back and his sensations. Jefferson and McDyess can have good playoffs. It can be something nice ! But Dallas is really a nice team too   
"My job is to guard the best player on the other side" April 17 
Translated from this post.

Hello everyone, in my last but one post I told you how I came back to the competition and I wanted to talk in the following post about the game I had my career high record for most points, and what happened then. But before that I had to talk about the news with the playoffs approaching. So here's my post about Minnesota and Memphis games... and what's happened then.
 
Before the game against the Wolves, originally, I was exhausted. The day before we had played Chicago and we had lost in overtime. We arrived at 2am. at the hotel in Minnesota. In the morning we had video. I came tired to the video room, I didn't want to play, it was the 4th game of the road trip, it was cold, it was snowing. In the locker room the only thing I wanted was for us to play quickly, that we leave and go back. I started to stretch, I had to stretch well because everywhere was hurting, that's annoying. So I was not feeling so good.

We start well the 1st quarter. I put 5 points I think in the first quarter. A regular thing. At half time, I'm at 7 pts and we're up by 12. And in the 3rd quarter, then, everybody's focused on Roy so there are spaces. I find myself alone in the corner and start putting one, at 3 pts. I shoot two free throws, then a second 3 pointer. 8 points in two minutes. I score another one, I take a rebound, I dunk one, well a layup. It wasn't stopping, I though "Ah right, shit" :) I saw that I was at 22 points in the 3rd quarter.  I wasn't missing anything, I was shooting and it was going in. Yeah right ! And at the same time every pass I made, the guys were scoring too.

I was a bit disappointed because at the end of the game, a journalist told me "You were close to beating the franchise's record for most points scored in a quarter". Terry Porter did 25. I missed two 3 pointers in the last 30 seconds of the 3rd quarter. If I had put them in, I would have had 28 and I would have beaten the franchise record. I could have had something to tease Terry Porter :)

Anyways in the beginning of the 4th quarter, I was on the bench at 29 pts, 6 rbds, 6 assists in 25 minutes. And then Roy sees that and says "Hey put him back on the court, he's going to have a triple double". But when I came on the court they thought I was Roy : they only doubled me. Impossible to have the ball. In my head I was thinking "leave me alone, I just need 1 point, that's all, let me reach 30".

Then I was at the end of a screen, I took the ball, I did a feint, Ellington jumped, I wanted to draw the foul but he retreated so I was forced to shoot, I threw the ball. To score that as the last shot to reach my 31 points just shows how much it was my night. What did I throw away ! I did a feint, he jumped, I kind of bumped him, I don't know, he avoided me, I threw the ball and it went in. Then I left, I could have scored more but I was happy I had my 30 pts game. My former record as a pro was 25 pts with Le Mans. Here I did 31 pts, with 7 rbds, 7 assists, 3 steals, with 43 of eval. [european stats] in 28 min, it's not too bad :). There are days like this where you throw the ball and it goes in. 

Usually, in the 3rd I always go out after 7 minutes. And when there was 5 minutes remaining I was thinking "Don't take me out. Not now, not tonight, tomorrow if you want, not today. Now I'm fine." At this time I had 19 pts and my previous record was 20. So in my head it was "Please let me break my record." It was a bit selfish but we were up by 25. So I wanted to take the occasion to break the record I had against New Jersey. And New Jersey from last year wasn't the Nets from this year, huh, don't tell me I make my records against the last team everytime. Last year it looked more classy, I had Vince Carter against me. I scored more than him, he had 18 and I had 20, and we were defending against each other. 

The next day, I had trainings with Monty (Williams, the assistant-coach I work the most with). He told me "I know you, you're going to brag, so we're going to start from scratch. Tomorrow you're going to throw away all the work we've done, you're going to take shots while falling in the back, with your foot in front of you,... I know you. Tomorrow, we're going to work for half an hour all alone and we're going to start everything from square one." He made me do the same shots as we we're doing in the beginning of rehab, in the paint. But to be honest it's good to have a coach like him, I'm lucky. I noticed it later…

The next game against Memphis was super important, they were just behind us at this time. I told myself "So, you scored 31 pnts in the last game, it was a crazy moment, it was good, but now you're going to become Nicolas Batum again, you're going to score 5 points." At half time, I'm only at 3 pts. And then I score 12 pnts in the 3rd quarter and I end with 21. They call me Mister Third Quarter. I need one half to wake up. In Le Mans, Vincent Collet [former coach and French team coach] was already telling me that. And this summer he was still repeating it.

So now I had got 52 pts in two games, about 10 3 pointers in two games, I wasn't missing many things. So there inconsciously you think "Fine, I'm going to do that every game." And of course, the following two and three games... Actually I was thinking about attacking straight away. And I kind of forgot my first job here, that is guarding the best player on the other side. As a result, I wasn't doing too good of a job in defense, really not, and as a result too, I wasn't doing a good job in offense either.

And then when training, Monty was "You're playing well when you're concentrated everywhere. If you fool around in defense, you play bad in offense. Defend and you'll see the offense will come naturally." Monty has been following me for two years now. And now he didn't really yell at me but he was direct. He told me "Stop fooling around. OK, you scored 52 in two games. It's good, you can do it but don't forget where you come from. Because if you don't do your job in defense, you're not going to play, pal, because you won't bring anything. " But It's a good thing that he tells me this like that. We've been working together for two years, everyday. We have a great relationship, he knows how to talk to me, I know what he must tell me, etc. And he really wants to help me move forward, so I've never taken his remarks in a bad way, it's the contrary.

The next game we play Toronto, with Turkoglu coming back to Portland, after what happened this summer. I put 22 pts and managed to hold him to 14 pts with 4 turnovers, I drew 2 charges. In the end of the game, Monty came to me and told me while laughing "I'm bored to be right" :)

I think after that I did a good end of season. Despite my injury, I'm still satisfied with my season anyways, in defense and in offense. In offense, I end with more than 10 PPG. My first goal was to play the Rookie Game straight away. But well I got injured and missed about 40 games. So my goal in the 40 remaining games was to be at 10 PPG. So it was a good season given the context. But next year I want to make the season even better than this year. This year, my role has a bit changed offensively, so if I still work this summer, it's still going to evolve naturally. This year there already were options for me from time to time, whereas in last year I didn't have anything. So next year it should evolve again.

Anyways I've seen that BasketSession have published their trophies of the year, so I'll give you mines tomorrow. 

"My trophies of the season" April 18 
Translated from this post.
 
It's the time for awards, so as announced in my previous post, I'm going to give you my awards.

MVP : LeBron James

It's the only question you don't even have to ask yourself. The real debate is maybe who's going to be second. He has better stats than last year, in the best team of the NBA. In second, I would put Kevin Durant. I don't think Durant is better than Kobe yet. In fact it's more complicated, it's hard to express too. Durant is strong, he's second at the moment for me for the MVP vote. He's an extraordinary talent who's young, in a young team. Overall there are still players like Lebron and Kobe ahead of him, but with what he's done this year, he must be voted 2nd best player in the league this season. But to me, Kobe is still ahead because he has 4 rings, he got elected MVP, and because he was elected best player of the Finals. But it will change soon since Durant is only 21 and Kobe's 32, it's normal. Durant's potential is scary and he clearly can become at least the same caliber as LeBron or Kobe.


Rookie of the year : Tyreke Evans 

I like Curry, I like what Jennings do, but I would put Tyreke Evans first, just for the 20 pts, 5 rbds, 5 assists. That's impressive. I was happy in the last game against Sacramento because I was able to limit him with 6 pts. Usually only guards defend on him and he post them up one by one. What I did is I told him "Come on, shoot !" I let him shoot and he made 2/12. I was putting an arm and I was sending him to the left. The coach told me "Send him on the left and let him shoot. If he scores it, I take it for me. But he must not go right. If he scores a layup on the right on you, I'm going to get angry. But if he goes left and shoots on your head, it's mine." And on the 3 pointed Evans put, he told me "Don't worry, I take it"... But to be honest Evans is strong. He has a physical maturity, even in the game he's strong. 20, 5, 5 plus he doesn't have too many shots. And they will come so try to figure when he gets his shoot.

Then I would put Jenning in 2. And close to Rookie of the year, even. I put him very, very close to Evans. Well I hesitate, but I leave the momentum to Evans. I don't hesitate about the 55 points, this happens. A hot time happens - just look at Rodrigque :) [Beaubois]. But what he's done thins year, to manage to run this team, to reach the playoffs is kind of impressing. Regarding Curry, we had a debate yesterday in the room. And everybody was laughing and saying : "Anyways if you're a Rookie in Golden State you can be Rookie of the year". We're exagerating a bit, he's super strong. He's just put us 42 pts, 9 rbds, 8 assists. He's good but I put him 3rd, right after Jennings.


Best defensive man of the year : Josh Smith

They all piss me off with Dwight Howard :) Howard is high because he's got a crazy wingspan, he does 3 or 4 blocks per game, he takes 15 rebounds. So I admit he's scary. But he's not the kind of guy that sticks to you like Bruce Bowen. Guys like Bruce Bowen or Ron Artest were legit defensive men of the year. For me that's the profile of a defender.

Someone like Thabo Sefolosha, he's in the Top 5, in my opinion. I've seen games where he was against the Lakers, for example and as a pure defender he's in the Top 5. LeBron James, I like, but it's hype, he's not a defender. Be careful he can defend, obviously, but he doesn't take the best player every night. He doesn't guard Kobe, he doesn't guard Melo. He takes them on sequences in the end of games, but he doesn't guard them for the whole game. For me, defenders are guys that guard big stars for the whole game.

Personally, this year, I would put Josh Smith. He's strong on the guy, he's strong as a 2nd curtain. And he can defend on several positions. He can defend on 4, on 3. Last time he was guarding LeBron. He's a 4 but he has the body to defend on many guys. Also he blocs, he takes rebounds. For me it's him this year.

Anyways regarding me, I've seen a report on ESPN where I was 7th of the Small forwards. I was happy, having only played 35 games it was a nice recognition. I was behind Kirilenko, Gerald Wallace, LeBron, Ron Artest, or even Paul Pierce. Paul Pierce, he's an underrated defender.

 
Best improved man of the year : Aaron Brooks or Joakim Noah


If Noah wasn't there (along with Derrick Rose), Chicago would be low. When Noah started getting his foot problems, they were 5th and then they sank. He's come back and they're in playoffs. He's done a crazy season, his stats have risen.

So for me it's Joakim or Aaron Brooks. It's impressive what he's done this year, Brooks. He's tiny, he has a small body but he's super fast and has a real gesture.
 
Best 6th man : Jamal Crawford

Jamal Crawford, period ! :)
 
Coach of the year : Nate McMillan

What Oklahoma and Milwaukee have done this year is nice, but to be honest seeing what we've been through this year, what McMillan has done to keep us together and for us not to lose our heads, it's impressive. So I put him Coach of the Year. Also I want some playing time in playoffs ! I'm just kidding but anyways what he's done, with all our injuries, it's impressive.
 
Fair-Play award

I voted this morning, we had a pre-list of 6 players : Al Horford, Scola, Billups, Grant Hill, Ray Allen and Jamison. I did it old school, I voted Grant Hill. Actually I didn't know what to put so I put Hill.
 
Forecast

I see Cleveland winning the title. It's very classic, I know, but I don't see this year how they can lose. Especially since they got Ilgauskas back. To be honest he's a true addition. They lack something when he's not there. He adds size and rotation. But especially, Shaq doesn't have outside shots, whereas Ilgauskas can hit 3 pnters or outside shots in the last minutes as he already did. Also you can't do some Hack-a-Ilgauskas. It's 2/2 everytime.

In final against them, I won't say us, but you can say whatever you want, we do play to go there. When you're in playoffs, why not try it. Whether the odds are 1/20, 1/50, or 1/100, it's still a chance so we're going to play. But if it's not us, I'm feeling a final LeBron-Kobe, wouldn't be too bad ! But be careful, Dallas can fuck things up. But I don't want Dallas to win because I don't want Rodrigue to be NBA champion, I would be pissed :). I don't want him to be NBA champion in his 1st year, this bastard. I would be happy for him but nevertheless... loool. I put myself in mode asshole : "Let's go Lakers !"