Bright spot: Batum's offensive game picking up

[hasoos]

So I was looking at Batum's last 10 games. It appears his offensive game is picking up. During the last 10 he has had the following:

4 games over 20 points.
4 games in the teens
2 games below ten points. 1 real stinker in there where he went 1 for 11.

There is one good thing that sometimes happens with injuries. It forces other players to take up more responibility on the team. It looks to me like Batum's offensive game is picking up, which is a bright spot in a dark season.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Yep. It is nice to see him doing things other than standing in the corner waiting for Brandon to kick him the ball after the ISO collapses

 

[Pinwheel1]

This is huge. Now we need to get Wes back on track.

 

[e_blazer]

Yep. It is nice to see him doing things other than standing in the corner waiting for Brandon to kick him the ball after the ISO collapses

So, you're not a fan of the isolation offensive scheme then? Who'd a thunk it?

 

[Mediocre Man]

So, you're not a fan of the isolation offensive scheme then? Who'd a thunk it?

Ya, my therapist said to start verbalizing my complaints instead of holding it in as I have done

 

[hasoos]

Ya, my therapist said to start verbalizing my complaints instead of holding it in as I have done

Yes but you are supposed to verbalize them to somebody that matters. So what I want you to do, is go down and find Nate McMillan and verbalize them. But before you do, make sure and call me so I am there to film it on a video camera and put it on "U-Tube".

 

[MIXUM]

finally playing "somewhat consistent"

 

[andalusian]

Yep. It is nice to see him doing things other than standing in the corner waiting for Brandon to kick him the ball after the ISO collapses

Sure, nice to see for his progress, but unfortunately, it is pretty clear that the attention Roy got really helped Nic with his efficiency. If you look at his numbers across the board - TS%, eFG%, TRB%, BLK%, PER, WS/48 - all these have taken a nose-dive compared to previous year, some of them even compared to his rookie campaign...

That ugly ISO offense was very, very efficient - and it seems that the only one that really benefited from more responsibility - from previous year's roster is LMA.

 

[hasoos]

finally playing "somewhat consistent"

That's the whole thing. Consistent players are what is important to a good team. We need more consistent, and less streakyness. Unfortunately the bench, is almost the definition of streakyness.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Yes but you are supposed to verbalize them to somebody that matters. So what I want you to do, is go down and find Nate McMillan and verbalize them. But before you do, make sure and call me so I am there to film it on a video camera and put it on "U-Tube".

I did that at the last game at Houston.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Sure, nice to see for his progress, but unfortunately, it is pretty clear that the attention Roy got really helped Nic with his efficiency. If you look at his numbers across the board - TS%, eFG%, TRB%, BLK%, PER, WS/48 - all these have taken a nose-dive compared to previous year, some of them even compared to his rookie campaign...

That ugly ISO offense was very, very efficient - and it seems that the only one that really benefited from more responsibility - from previous year's roster is LMA.

If you are going to talk about how great the ISO is, talk to me about how many playoff series we have won with it. Talk to me about why Phil jackson chastized K*be when he tried to go ISO. it can work in the regular season with elite rebounders and a player that can make uncanny shots. That's it

 

[andalusian]

If you are going to talk about how great the ISO is, talk to me about how many playoff series we have won with it. Talk to me about why Phil jackson chastized K*be when he tried to go ISO. it can work in the regular season with elite rebounders and a player that can make uncanny shots. That's it

I have nothing to talk about. We had 1 series with the ISO - where the entire team was green - and the problem was not the ISO - it was the people opened by the ISO shrinking from responsibility. Travis, Rudy, JB all were crap in this series, LMA appeared to 3 games of this series, Oden was totally confused by Yao, the most efficient scorer we had in this series other than Roy was Steve Blake - who only appeared from the 3rd game or so...

We had another series without a healthy Roy - so I am not sure why it matters. Even in that 1st series - we still managed to take the Rockets to 6 games - and that same Rockets team without Yao took the Champs to 7 games. I do not feel like there is real data to make an assessment of how good a Roy lead ISO team is in the playoffs based on that one series and the fact that most of that team was too young and felt like they did what they needed to do by just making the playoffs.

Allow me to remind you that Michael Jordan's team never made it out of the 1st round until his 4th appearance... Playoff success does not just happen automatically to young teams, they need time to learn the ropes...

The ISO does not work in the playoffs crap is the king of the small sample crap, honestly, and it completely falls on it's face when you realize that a team like the Cavs that played just as much ISO if not more - made it all the way to finals with a much worse supporting roster around LeBron (but they were much more of a veteran team around him so did not shrink like violets).

 

[maxiep]

Batum is a hell of a player. Now he's getting his shot. Just imagine how good we'd be if he were our fourth best player, as this team designed him to be (Oden, Roy, Aldridge, Batum) rather than our second best.

 

[hasoos]

Batum is a hell of a player. Now he's getting his shot. Just imagine how good we'd be if he were our fourth best player, as this team designed him to be (Oden, Roy, Aldridge, Batum) rather than our second best.

I think in the end, the players getting hurt will make him a better player faster. But it still doesn't make me feel any better about them getting hurt. By the time any of them come back, if they ever do, he will be a much better player than before, but the team will have changed a lot as well. Once players have taken responsibility and got used to shouldering part of the load, it is hard to go back.

 

[RoyToy]

The dreaded mind games have stopped!!!!!

 

[THE HCP]

I've noticed them running a lot more plays for him. Last night I saw at least 10 times them run him off LA or Joel to get him the open J. I liked seeing him get used that way.

 

[maxiep]

The beauty of Batum is you don't have to run plays for him to be effective. It's nice to see him involved in the offense, but he was making a terrific contribution when he was the team's fourth option.

 

[hasoos]

The beauty of Batum is you don't have to run plays for him to be effective. It's nice to see him involved in the offense, but he was making a terrific contribution when he was the team's fourth option.

I am going to disagree with you on that one. I felt he was the weak link offensively. When teams are guarding you with Steve Nash and you get nothing out of it, you are the weak link. That was a pretty common pattern during the last few years.

 

[e_blazer]

I have nothing to talk about. We had 1 series with the ISO - where the entire team was green - and the problem was not the ISO - it was the people opened by the ISO shrinking from responsibility. Travis, Rudy, JB all were crap in this series, LMA appeared to 3 games of this series, Oden was totally confused by Yao, the most efficient scorer we had in this series other than Roy was Steve Blake - who only appeared from the 3rd game or so...

We had another series without a healthy Roy - so I am not sure why it matters. Even in that 1st series - we still managed to take the Rockets to 6 games - and that same Rockets team without Yao took the Champs to 7 games. I do not feel like there is real data to make an assessment of how good a Roy lead ISO team is in the playoffs based on that one series and the fact that most of that team was too young and felt like they did what they needed to do by just making the playoffs.

Allow me to remind you that Michael Jordan's team never made it out of the 1st round until his 4th appearance... Playoff success does not just happen automatically to young teams, they need time to learn the ropes...

The ISO does not work in the playoffs crap is the king of the small sample crap, honestly, and it completely falls on it's face when you realize that a team like the Cavs that played just as much ISO if not more - made it all the way to finals with a much worse supporting roster around LeBron (but they were much more of a veteran team around him so did not shrink like violets).

Nice post. Spot on, IMO.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I think it's mostly about adapting to life without Roy -- which gave Nic a lot of wide open threes in the corner -- and about getting some confidence. Hopefully he can keep it up and continue to make strides in his consistency.

 

[THE HCP]

I don't think Nic will average over 17 pts a game. But he does so many other things well it doesn't matter!

 

[mook]

I've noticed them running a lot more plays for him. Last night I saw at least 10 times them run him off LA or Joel to get him the open J. I liked seeing him get used that way.

Those kinds of plays make so much more sense to me than the ones where we try to make him camp in the corner or post up Nash. He's just not a post up player, no matter who is guarding him. He's at his best when he's on the move, catching and shooting or driving to the hole.

Last night he was used as the legit #2 option, maybe for the first time. That to me is the blueprint for the near future, because it's an excellent way to play off Aldridge's low post game. Everything we do should be focused on forcing the team to stop Aldridge, then stop Batum, then try to cover the remainder of the scoring options.

That means it's Matthews or Fernandez or Miller camped out in the weak side corner to spread the defense and not Batum. We just don't have the luxury anymore of letting Batum impersonate Bruce Bowen.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Great quote from Batum after last nights game. (from O-Live)

"We'll keep fighting. We won't stop fighting. Even if more guys get hurt and we end up playing with all rookies on the court, we'll keep fighting. We did that last year. We've done that this year. We believe. Personally, when I watch the standings, I don't watch behind us. I watch Oklahoma City or New Orleans or Denver. I don't care what's behind me. I care about what's in front of me."

 

[Mediocre Man]

Great quote from Batum after last nights game. (from O-Live)

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It's weird to see a french man on the offensive.

 

[THE HCP]

Great quote.......especially when it comes from somebody that sounds like Pepe' LePew!

 

[PtldPlatypus]

...Miller camped out in the weak side corner to spread the defense...

 

[maxiep]

I am going to disagree with you on that one. I felt he was the weak link offensively. When teams are guarding you with Steve Nash and you get nothing out of it, you are the weak link. That was a pretty common pattern during the last few years.

In Nico's defense, it helps to have two functioning arms, which he didn't in that series. When the Suns tried that this season (Hill on Miller and Nash on Batum), Frenchie owned him.

 

[maxiep]

Great quote from Batum after last nights game. (from O-Live)

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"Keep fighting"? If he keeps talking like that, France will revoke his citizenship. Where's the talk of surrender? That's the French way.

 

[mook]

Laugh all you want. I remember three specific times last night when that happened. Once Miller made a 3 pointer (!) but it wasn't allowed because Przybilla set an illegal screen. The other two times he dribbled in a little and made nice midrange jumpers.

Sometimes it seems like Miller uses his lack of perimeter shot as an asset. Defenders see this slow guy who can't shoot, they sag off, and next thing you know he's done some crafty move to get to within his range for an open shot or he's used the space to set up a lob.

We're running the Spurs offense now, basically. The Spurs always had room for Tony Parker, despite his limited perimeter shot. There's certainly space on this team for Miller.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Instead of playing for Team France, Batum could use a summer similar to what LMA had last year, work on a few new skills and bulk the f'ck up without loosing speed and agility.