Blog Batum - "McMillan wants me to be the best outside defender in the league"

Translated from this post.

After the playoffs I mentioned in my previous post, I had exit meetings with Nate McMillan and Kevin Pritchard, where they told me I could go to the World Championship. They also told me that Webster was very pumped up about next year. Nate McMillan told me : "I just saw Martell, he wants to take back his spot next year, now it's up to you to keep it." He told me that anyways I had exceeded his expectations again this year. He was "each time you did more than I hoped, so next year it's up to you to do even better." So he sets the bar high but that's how you progress !

This summer he wants me to work on my shoot and my post-up game. Actually, the star guards like Nash and Paul often defended on me because in their opinion I was not supposed to be an offensive player, and he told me "next year, we won't let the occasion pass. Everytime there's one on you, we will post him up straight away." He wants to transform me more and more like Tayshaun Prince, little by little. Besides, if you count out Greg Oden who didn't play many games, I'm the 4th best scorer in the team this year. So next year he said he would have some systems for me and as soon as there's a small guy on me we'll play him in post-up, because I'm going to work it this summer. And on the shoot, I'll have to work on shooting off the dribble and off the screen.

At the exit meeting, he said he also wanted me to be in the best defensive team next year, in the top 5 in the NBA. He wants me to be the best outside defender in the league, while being a dangerous player on offense. He told me there were not many who could be dangerous on both ends of the court, but I had to be. He was "Every team that's NBA champion has one, so if you become this player, we're champion." :)

After the exit meetings, I went straight away to Los Angeles to see my surgeon. I went with Pritchard, we had a lot of tests and they were good. In fact, they told me "you're resting the entire month of May, you don't do anything. You don't touch a ball, you don't run."

I've only stayed there for a small week-end. I've been to Disneyland and it was crap compared to France : Marne-la-Vallée is greater than Los Angeles ! Actually, it's not modern, they're the same attractions since the 90s and you can see it. Then I came back to France, I saw the French cup. It was really good for Orleans, eventually ! It's a good thing they got a title : if there's a team that deserves one over the last three years, it's them.

Then I went on vacation to Phuket in Thailand, it was sick. I went to the beach, I visited the temples among other things. I also rode a canoe in high water. Well, don't worry for my shoulder it was a vacation so I didn't row ! I've been to the beach where they shot Koh Lanta 1 [French Survivor]. I wonder how they managed to survive all alone on that island, it's a great performance because there's really nothing at all...

Then on the trip back, since there was a stop-over in Dubai, I've stayed there for three days, so why not visit. Frankly, Dubai, it's fresh ! They are 15 years ahead of everyone. I have been to Atlantis, that's insane ! It's a hotel with a waterpark with a sick waterslide. It's so steep that when you're on top you can't see what's below. You're on a large rubber ring in a waterslide-tunnel that goes through a basin with sharks. Insane ! I also could swim with dolphins. It was American style.

But the thing that impressed me most was the Burj Al Arab, the 7 star hotel. I haven't slept there, let's be very clear, because at least 3000 euros a night ... 3000 euros to sleep in a bed, that's crazy... However, it truly is super nice inside. I've just had lunch there, because you can't get inside if you don't do anything.

In the evening I ate with Makan Dioumassi [former French player]. I had met him at the airport in Paris since the outward trip also had a stopover in Dubai. He has a business there, he settled there two years ago. So the last evening I ate with him, it was nice, we've mostly talked about the France team and post-basketball. It was interesting because Makan is successful in his conversion. I'm only 21 but I still think about it, so it was nice to talk with him. We also talked about the France team. He explained how it happened in the 2000 Olympics, he also told me about the failure of 2003, of his experience. He explained that basically if there are internal problems, it can screw a team up. But I assure you, I don't think there will be problems with the team we have here.

Then I went back to France. I rested mainly. I did some shows, I also recorded a video for the campaign Born HIV Free from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, of which Carla Bruni is the ambassador. When my agents asked me if I would do it I obviously did not hesitate. I did it with Jean-Michel Mipoka who just signed in Roanne, we had a text to read, to raise awareness about the fact that you can prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child and for this treatment to be available to every mother by 2015.

So I'm counting on you to go to the campaign website, on the tab "act" and sign the petition.

Anyways, I've also been to Roland Garros where I was able to see the semi-finals. For Nadal's semi, I was beside Grand Corps Malade [French slam-singer]. I didn't know him, he's really super nice, he's a big basketball fan. He's played in N2 and N3 before his accident [4th and 5th division]. So we talked a lot, basketball and music. He explained how was touring, etc. I was happy to see Nadal win. Last year, I was rooting for Federer but now, since he was out, I was for Nadal, because what he does is still impressing !

On the weekend I went to Treviso for the Adidas Eurocamp, which I will discuss next time.