KP Gushing Over Nicolas Batum

[BenDavis503]

Damn, Nic is looking good in those videos.

 

[STOMP]

I'm confused.....what do you mean "again"? Doesn't he have to do it once, before he can do it again?

Seriously, how does MW enjoy such blind support? None of his 3 seasons stack up to Nic's rookie year. Offensively meh... maybe, but all around it's a landslide in NB's favor. Hopefully Martell can be productive in spot minutes. We'll see...

STOMP

 

[RoyIsClutch07]

Seriously, how does MW enjoy such blind support? None of his 3 seasons stack up to Nic's rookie year. Offensively meh... maybe, but all around it's a landslide in NB's favor. Hopefully Martell can be productive in spot minutes. We'll see...

STOMP

I'm not sure it's a landslide if Batum holds any advantage at all. If Martell stays healthy. Look out.

I think he is ready. One year away from the game, in limbo, with plenty of idle of time will drive you nuts. Taking that into consideration plus the progress he made the year before that.

I think he is ready to make his name.

 

[BrianFromWA]

I guess one of the blinding things is that MW effectively relegated Travis to a bench role, playing bench minutes in a defined manner. Batum, while starting, played 18mpg (10 in the playoffs) while Travis kept up his 27 or 28mpg clip. However, it was the distribution of those minutes. In 07-08 (with Webster there), Travis played 10% of the team's minutes at SF, while 44% of the team's minutes at PF. In 08-09, the % were 37 and 19.

Already discussed in this thread is Travis' ability to take slower PFs outside and help the team space the floor. At PF, his PER vs. PERAgainst is 23 to 19.9. He's not a world-beater on D, but more than makes up for that by being able to get his. At the SF position (where he played 37% of the team's minutes) his PER vs PERA is 14.1 to 17.2. That's comparable (slightly worse) to Webster's 13.9-to-16.6 ratio in 48% of the team's minutes at SF in 2007-08. Batum didn't stop Nate from playing Outlaw at the SF for a large chunk of minutes, to the team's detriment. Webster did. Maybe Nate's comfort with Webster vs. Batum was a factor in that. Maybe LMA and Frye made it so that, if Travis wanted to see the floor, it was at the SF position and at Batum's expense. (Batum, BTW, was better than both with a 14.8-to-16.4 ratio).

I think it'd be great to have a 5-man rotation of Miller/Roy/Rudy/Webster/Batum at the 1,2 and 3. I don't think that's happening, though. I'd love to see Nic show off some of the offense we saw at Le Mans and the French team this summer. I'd love to see what Webs can do after a year off. I'm quite excited.

 

[STOMP]

I'm not sure it's a landslide if Batum holds any advantage at all. If Martell stays healthy. Look out.

we've had several threads on this. In their respective rookie years Batum had a 12.9 PER while Martell had an 11.6. Webster improved all the way to a 12.0 PER by his 3rd year in the league... if Martell stays healthy and keeps improving at this rate he'll only need 3-4 more seasons to reach those lofty heights though here's guessing Nic's #'s won't stay put. Are you aware they have the same career 3pt%?

But of course PER is only a comprehensive measure of offensive effectiveness. Factor in the other half of the game and the spread between the two players widens considerably. Batum was easily the best wing defender I've seen in Portland in years... maybe since PIP. Though I truly wish it wasn't the case, Martell has not been a good defender... I'd have to slip on a set of thick rose colored glasses to consider him average. After a lot of talk from him about steppiing it up on that end of the court prior to his 3rd season, unfortunately he continued to get torched. Thats why by midseason 2007-8 KP would site adding a quality wing defender as a top team need in every interview he gave. In the run up to the draft same thing, and then he traded up for Batum.

I'd be very surprised if Martell beat out Nicolas for the starting spot.

STOMP

 

[RoyIsClutch07]

we've had several threads on this. In their respective rookie years Batum had a 12.9 PER while Martell had an 11.6. Webster improved all the way to a 12.0 PER by his 3rd year in the league... if Martell stays healthy and keeps improving at this rate he'll only need 3-4 more seasons to reach those lofty heights though here's guessing Nic's #'s won't stay put. Are you aware they have the same career 3pt%?

But of course PER is only a comprehensive measure of offensive effectiveness. Factor in the other half of the game and the spread between the two players widens considerably. Batum was easily the best wing defender I've seen in Portland in years... maybe since PIP. Though I truly wish it wasn't the case, Martell has not been a good defender... I'd have to slip on a set of thick rose colored glasses to consider him average. After a lot of talk from him about steppiing it up on that end of the court prior to his 3rd season, unfortunately he continued to get torched. Thats why by midseason 2007-8 KP would site adding a quality wing defender as a top team need in every interview he gave. In the run up to the draft same thing, and then he traded up for Batum.

I'd be surprised if he doesn't beat him out. If he doesn't that means we truly do have something special here with Nicolas. But frankly, I don't think Nic is quite there yet.



I'd be very surprised if Martell beat out Nicolas for the starting spot.

STOMP

I'd be surprised if he doesn't beat him out. If he doesn't that means we truly do have something special here with Nicolas. But frankly, I don't think Nic is quite there yet

 

[Tince]

Watching that first highlight clip reminded me of how much better Batum played at home than the road. It was more noticeable with Batum than anyone this season.

 

[BBert]

Nico was my favorite player last season. The sky is the limit for this kid. I have a higher opinion of Martell than most on this board (I think) but Martell is going to have to do quite a bit to get more floor time than Nico. But that's the great thing about it. This Portland team is seriously stacked, and on the verge of being mature in their development, and a playoff force.

Whatever our "second" unit ends up being next season, I'd put them up against half the teams in the NBA. I love being a Blazers fan.

 

[RoyIsClutch07]

Nico was my favorite player last season. The sky is the limit for this kid. I have a higher opinion of Martell than most on this board (I think) but Martell is going to have to do quite a bit to get more floor time than Nico. But that's the great thing about it. This Portland team is seriously stacked, and on the verge of being mature in their development, and a playoff force.

Whatever our "second" unit ends up being next season, I'd put them up against half the teams in the NBA. I love being a Blazers fan.

As I said above, the competition at three spot is going to be awfully interesting if the reports coming from KP are true.

 

[STOMP]

I'd be surprised if he doesn't beat him out. If he doesn't that means we truly do have something special here with Nicolas. But frankly, I don't think Nic is quite there yet

It's fair to say that quite a few posters here don't think that Martell has shown to be anything special. As one of those posters, I don't think it's some great sign to beat someone like that out. If (as expected) Nic is named the starter, I'd put it down as by default. So far his play hasn't been that special either, but it has been decidedly better then MW's.

just for reference, a 15 PER is an average NBA starter.

STOMP

 

[BlazerWookee]

Seriously, though. DMiles was a monster when he wanted to be.

Here's a video of him destroying the Nuggets:

It's easy to forget just how good he was when he set his mind to it. Mostly because he didn't set his mind to it very often.

 

[RoyIsClutch07]

It's fair to say that quite a few posters here don't think that Martell has shown to be anything special so I don't think it's some great sign to beat someone like that out. If (as expected) Nic is named the starter, I'd put it down as by default. So far his play hasn't been that special either, but it has been decidedly better then MW's.

just for reference, a 15 PER is an average NBA starter.

STOMP

I'm going off of how I feel about Martell and what we are going to see out of him this year. I think some of us might be blown away with the play he brings. I think he is ready.

If that is the case. Nic is going to have to be awfully good. And right now, I don't think he is ready or there yet to do that.

But hey, I could be wrong.

 

[BlazerWookee]

You hate that don't you. That's the only way I know how to post pics. Is below this window in the Manage Attachments section. I don't know how to post bigger photos.

Copy the URL of the picture you'd like to post, then just click this button and hit paste...

 

[STOMP]

It's easy to forget just how good he was when he set his mind to it. Mostly because he didn't set his mind to it very often.

I'd site the multiple knee injuries/surgeries he endured as the main detriment to his career... I believe he's had 5-6 major knee operations.

That particular game his J was on. If guys have to play up on a guy with a solid handle and finishing ability, big scoring nights will happen.

STOMP

 

[BlazerWookee]

I'd site the multiple knee injuries/surgeries he endured as the main detriment to his career... I believe he's had 5-6 major knee operations.

That particular game his J was on. If guys have to play up on a guy with a solid handle and finishing ability, big scoring nights will happen.

STOMP

He was notoriously inconsistent long before he had any reason to blame his knee for not playing hard. If his knees were perfect, we'd be saying, "Dang, Darius could be one of the best if he'd just put some consistent effort into his game, even though he is kind of a jerk..."

 

[STOMP]

He was notoriously inconsistent long before he had any reason to blame his knee for not playing hard. If his knees were perfect, we'd be saying, "Dang, Darius could be one of the best if he'd just put some consistent effort into his game, even though he is kind of a jerk..."

no thats what you'd be saying, collectively I'm pretty sure opinions would vary. I'd have to see how he played sans multiple injuries/surgeries before I'd weigh in.

rehabbing from one serious knee injury takes a ton of arduous work. It's not like anyone just rolls out of bed to play NBA hoops a few months after blowing out both knees like DM did while with the Cavs. He may not have had the greatest work ethic in the history of the game, but to assert he didn't "put some consistent effort into his game" is silly conjecture.

STOMP

 

[GrandpaBlaze]

Martell is going to have to do quite a bit to get more floor time than Nico. But that's the great thing about it. This Portland team is seriously stacked

I am a Martell optimist but realistically, Martell, other than a few glimpses of good play (which we also got from Darius and others), has not consistently done anything to warrant having him making us "stacked". I really liked what I saw in the one pre-season game he played last year but that has to be taken with a serious grain of salt as it was both pre-season and the Kings.

As I mention, I am a Martell optimist and I hope he does give Batum a serious for starting SF but based on actual play, I'd take Batum any day and twice when defense is really needed.

Gramps...

 

[hasoos]

When I was watching Batum play point in some of those game it gave me chills. If that dude gets a handle going, watch out.