My Problem With Nic

[OneLifeToLive]

This is a quote:

“All my teammates talked to me. ‘We need you if we want to win this game.’ So I decided to be more aggressive.” - Nicolas Batum


He 'decided'...

How good would this team be if he 'decided' to play every night? Would they have 7 losses right now? Would that little extra defensive effort give us that extra two or three points to pull out a game or two? Who suffers most when Nic 'decides' NOT to be aggressive? He or the team?

I made an asinine comment night last saying, I was ready to revisit the idea of moving Nic for Carmelo. 15 games in the season, I wouldn't have. I was living Nic and what we was doing. But Nic is who Nic is. For better or worse. He either helps or hurts the team. It's a 'decision' he makes all on his own. The team could use the extra points and star power. So If Nic can't make a professional 'decision' to help the team each and every night. I may not be opposed. As asinine as that is.

I hate quotes like that one.

 

[julius]

I would hate to have Carmello Anthony anywhere near this franchise. Ever.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

I would hate to have Carmello Anthony anywhere near this franchise. Ever.

Doesn't have to be Carmelo. It's just the idea that many of the outcomes for the team 'rest's on the decision Nice 'decides' to make.

 

[BigGameDamian]

This is a quote:

“All my teammates talked to me. ‘We need you if we want to win this game.’ So I decided to be more aggressive.” - Nicolas Batum


He 'decided'...

How good would this team be if he 'decided' to play every night? Would they have 7 losses right now? Would that little extra defensive effort give us that extra two or three points to pull out a game or two? Who suffers most when Nic 'decides' NOT to be aggressive? He or the team?

I made an asinine comment night last saying, I was ready to revisit the idea of moving Nic for Carmelo. 15 games in the season, I wouldn't have. I was living Nic and what we was doing. But Nic is who Nic is. For better or worse. He either helps or hurts the team. It's a 'decision' he makes all on his own. The team could use the extra points and star power. So If Nic can't make a professional 'decision' to help the team each and every night. I may not be opposed. As asinine as that is.

I hate quotes like that one.

I have said before Nic is very cocky and you can see it in every game.

 

[dviss1]

This is a quote:

“All my teammates talked to me. ‘We need you if we want to win this game.’ So I decided to be more aggressive.” - Nicolas Batum


He 'decided'...

How good would this team be if he 'decided' to play every night? Would they have 7 losses right now? Would that little extra defensive effort give us that extra two or three points to pull out a game or two? Who suffers most when Nic 'decides' NOT to be aggressive? He or the team?

I made an asinine comment night last saying, I was ready to revisit the idea of moving Nic for Carmelo. 15 games in the season, I wouldn't have. I was living Nic and what we was doing. But Nic is who Nic is. For better or worse. He either helps or hurts the team. It's a 'decision' he makes all on his own. The team could use the extra points and star power. So If Nic can't make a professional 'decision' to help the team each and every night. I may not be opposed. As asinine as that is.

I hate quotes like that one.

You like the ball movement and player movement we have in our offense? Well ALL of that stops with Carmelo. How you could want such a LAZY player on this team is unbeknownst to me.

 

[julius]

I think some of you are reading too much into the quote.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Remember he had just gotten torched by one of the best players in the game, that quote was more about telling Nic to keep on battling, we believe in you and lets go win this.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Luol Dang or Nic Batum?

 

[julius]

Luol Dang or Nic Batum?

for this team, as the 3rd or 4th option? Nic Batum.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Putting that quote into context, this last game Nic came out with very little energy and nothing was going his way in the first half. LA gave him a little pep talk to boast his spirits in the 2nd half and Nic fed off that. I think that is all he was trying to express.

I think Nic's demeanor on the court gets him a bad rap. You can't play in the NBA and put up numbers as consistently as he does without having fire and trying every game. I don't think it is a matter of Batum having to have that mentality all the time. He is a competitor who comes to play every night, just like the entire starting five.

Trading anyone in the starting 5 right now would be bad idea. You have five guys who trust each other and share the ball. I'm all for improving the bench, but these 5 together could be special.

Wish the playoffs were a month away. I'm OK with a 7-8 players rotation with the subs not getting a lot of time . . . if it were the playoffs. Months of this rotation scares me.

 

[BBert]

You (the OP) are seriously full of shit. Hungover, much?

 

[Blazer Fanatic]

This is a quote:

“All my teammates talked to me. ‘We need you if we want to win this game.’ So I decided to be more aggressive.” - Nicolas Batum


He 'decided'...

How good would this team be if he 'decided' to play every night? Would they have 7 losses right now? Would that little extra defensive effort give us that extra two or three points to pull out a game or two? Who suffers most when Nic 'decides' NOT to be aggressive? He or the team?

I made an asinine comment night last saying, I was ready to revisit the idea of moving Nic for Carmelo. 15 games in the season, I wouldn't have. I was living Nic and what we was doing. But Nic is who Nic is. For better or worse. He either helps or hurts the team. It's a 'decision' he makes all on his own. The team could use the extra points and star power. So If Nic can't make a professional 'decision' to help the team each and every night. I may not be opposed. As asinine as that is.

I hate quotes like that one.

When you working your butt off guarding the best scorer in the NBA who is scoring despite your best efforts, and your legs just aren't quite there for your 24 ft three pointers, it can get pretty discouraging. Throw in how unselfish Batum is and wanting to do what the team needs him to do, it's nice to know you have teammates who will give you feed back and tell you that you are doing exactly what the team needs and to keep at it.

There is ZERO credibility to an argument that Nico does anything but makes Portland a contender. I couldn't say that last season, or the year before, without being called a Kool-Aid drinker because the team on the whole was so thin talent wise. I think it IS asinine to suggest that this team would be better served by trading Batum (who does ever-ee-thing) for a ball hoggin' prima donna. The Blazers have THE BEST offense in the entire NBA. If you have issue with the presumption that Batum needs to "decide" to keep playing hard, then how can you not have an issue with Melo, who is the poster child for guys who pick and choose when they will play defense? Chew on that for a few minutes the next time the thought of Carmelo crosses your mind.

 

[BBert]

B.F. : You rule.

Happy New Year.

 

[julius]

I know that Anthony was just a suggestion, but could you imagine just how much worse the defense would be with Anthony on the team? Batums defense comes and goes, but Anthonys goes and went.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Doesn't have to be Carmelo. It's just the idea that many of the outcomes for the team 'rest's on the decision Nice 'decides' to make.

Yeah but you are implying that whoever we trade him for….. will play well every single night. That won't happen. It goes back to the "grass is always greener" theory that I don't agree with. We see our guys play every game, so it is a lot easier to nit pick their deficiencies. Where other players we see only a small sample size of their games. Some say we over value our players, but I believe we over value everyone else.

So if you are not talking Carmelo, then who are we talking about? We need to know so we can dissect their game as well.

 

[MarAzul]

This is a quote:

“All my teammates talked to me. ‘We need you if we want to win this game.’ So I decided to be more aggressive.” - Nicolas Batum


He 'decided'...

How good would this team be if he 'decided' to play every night? Would they have 7 losses right now? Would that little extra defensive effort give us that extra two or three points to pull out a game or two? Who suffers most when Nic 'decides' NOT to be aggressive? He or the team?

I made an asinine comment night last saying, I was ready to revisit the idea of moving Nic for Carmelo. 15 games in the season, I wouldn't have. I was living Nic and what we was doing. But Nic is who Nic is. For better or worse. He either helps or hurts the team. It's a 'decision' he makes all on his own. The team could use the extra points and star power. So If Nic can't make a professional 'decision' to help the team each and every night. I may not be opposed. As asinine as that is.

I hate quotes like that one.

I blame Stotts for that very thing even though this team is playing well enough that Stotts deserves a lot of credit. However, when Nic is playing his Point Forward game this team is at their peak. I do not suggest that they play that style all the time, I do think they should do so more often to exploit Nic more and him responsible for leading the team intencity during those periods. Stotts needs to make that happen by making Nic time a regular
period of time.

 

[milehighblazer]

Nicolas Batum, in a nutshell

All my teammates talked to me,” said Batum. “Dame, L.A., they say ‘We need you.’ Mo, Coach (said) ‘We need you. We need you if we want to win this game.’ I can’t give up on those guys so I had to show up because we need this game. So I just decided to be more aggressive on offense and defense.”


This right here is exactly what drives me insane about Nico. I love his versatility, athletic prowess, and jack of all trades type game. HOWEVA, doesn't this seriously just encompass everything that is wrong with him? It's not like this is a new development, i'm aware of that. Why is he being TALKED INTO playing aggressive? He gets so passive, shies away from taking shots, has trouble when his game isn't clicking on one end(Bad defense lends itself to disappearing offensively), etc...

Again, i'm not trying to hate on the guy, being in triple double territory on a regular basis and filling up the stat sheet is invaluable. The fact that he constantly needs outside motivation, or even simply that he is reluctant to take more than 8 shots in some games is beyond me. At this point in his career he should be willing to shoot through a slump or attack the basket and draw more fouls, and such is the never ending struggle that is watching Batum.

 

[milehighblazer]

Re: Nicolas Batum, in a nutshell

Ok just realized someone else started a thread on the EXACT same subject, my apologies. Disregard.

 

[Blazer Fanatic]

I blame Stotts for that very thing even though this team is playing well enough that Stotts deserves a lot of credit. However, when Nic is playing his Point Forward game this team is at their peak. I do not suggest that they play that style all the time, I do think they should do so more often to exploit Nic more and him responsible for leading the team intencity during those periods. Stotts needs to make that happen by making Nic time a regular
period of time.

Blame? Stotts spoke with Nic, as did every player at the half. It's nice you know that even though Durant was having his way with him, that no one on the team or in the NBA was going to shut him down with any greater success. That his teammates, and coach, have the chemistry, trust, and respect for each other to communicate what they see and what they need from each other, including and especially when guys have rough games.

 

[Blazer Fanatic]

B.F. : You rule.

Happy New Year.

It feels like work sometimes. And then you remind yourself, you can't fix stupid. So, you make your point and move on.

 

[milehighblazer]

This right here is exactly what drives me insane about Nico. I love his versatility, athletic prowess, and jack of all trades type game. HOWEVA, doesn't this seriously just encompass everything that is wrong with him? It's not like this is a new development, i'm aware of that. Why is he being TALKED INTO playing aggressive? He gets so passive, shies away from taking shots, has trouble when his game isn't clicking on one end(Bad defense lends itself to disappearing offensively), etc...

Again, i'm not trying to hate on the guy, being in triple double territory on a regular basis and filling up the stat sheet is invaluable. The fact that he constantly needs outside motivation, or even simply that he is reluctant to take more than 8 shots in some games is beyond me. At this point in his career he should be willing to shoot through a slump or attack the basket and draw more fouls, and such is the never ending struggle that is watching Batum.

 

[magnifier661]

My problem has nothing to do with Nic, but the reaction from others that think he's not doing a fine job.

 

[Voodoo]

Patience folks, anyone remember saying this about LMA circa 2009? Guys take a while to mature, not everyone is on the same development path as LeBron James. Batum is still only 25 and finding himself as a player, at least now he is being fairly consistent this year in scoring and defense. Maybe in a few years he might really start to blossom into that player we always really wanted, time will tell.

 

[BBert]

Sigh...SMH....

 

[milehighblazer]

My problem has nothing to do with Nic, but the reaction from others that think he's not doing a fine job.

I'm not denying that he does a great job, like I stated above he does a lot of things VERY well. The thing is, he could be a transcendent player if he had a better mental make up, in my opinion. This isn't a new revelation, he's been a very passive player his whole career. I understand he's unselfish and very good at getting teammates good looks, but that doesn't change the fact that he STILL passes up good shots, doesn't initiate his own offense as often as he should, and generally speaking he disappears for long stretches. If he were more consistent in his assertiveness with the ball, pushing the envelope, and playing with a killer instinct we wouldn't be having this conversation. I understand he is often tasked with guarding an opponent's best player and that we are lucky to have him, but that doesn't mean he couldn't do better. He can do much better, and it's my opinion the difference between where he is and where he COULD be is all on him, an internal issue that he will likely never resolve.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

He 'decided'...

Let's just all ponder on that for awhile...

 

[tlongII]

Nic is the most versatile player on the team. I love the guy!

 

[Blazer Fanatic]

(title) "Batum in a nutshell" This right here is exactly what drives me insane about Nico. I love his versatility, athletic prowess, and jack of all trades type game. HOWEVA, doesn't this seriously just encompass everything that is wrong with him? It's not like this is a new development, i'm aware of that. Why is he being TALKED INTO playing aggressive? He gets so passive, shies away from taking shots, has trouble when his game isn't clicking on one end(Bad defense lends itself to disappearing offensively), etc...

Again, i'm not trying to hate on the guy, being in triple double territory on a regular basis and filling up the stat sheet is invaluable. The fact that he constantly needs outside motivation, or even simply that he is reluctant to take more than 8 shots in some games is beyond me. At this point in his career he should be willing to shoot through a slump or attack the basket and draw more fouls, and such is the never ending struggle that is watching Batum.

It's really unfortunate that being candid gives so much fuel, in general, to the less-than-faithful, Blazer fan. This "nutshell" assessment of Batum is all shell and no nut. If Batum is invaluable, then why does him being candid about what it's like to be THE MAN that has to defend the best player on any given team, every GD game, and fill in where ever the team is lacking, create so much animus? It's like people don't realize this is what happens in every locker room around the NBA. We're lucky to have this much insight to what gets talked about in the locker room, and it's not a license to read into it and make silly assertions like some kind of "expert" body language PhD.

Letting Durant touch the ball is a recipe for a long night, period. Playing the 3rd game in 4 nights is a recipe for tired legs which leads to less than accurate shooting the farther one shoots from the hoop. Batum did what a lot of teams do with Durant and denied him the ball clear past the arc in the 2nd half. It's a gamble because it could back fire with some other player having more room to operate in the paint. Batum isn't able to rebound, or steal, or block, or help when he's 30 ft from the basket. It's OK if your teammates and coach tell you, that is what they need from him. It's not an indictment of Batum, or his mentality.

These questions didn't come up when Dame shot like crap time after time this season, and no doubt, his teammates and coach have had to talk to him too when he was struggling to keep doing what he's doing and even to be more aggressive.

Lest we also forget Batum is French. He's not a native speaker. When you're in an interview, and your English isn't solid, you speak in simple terms. There is less awareness for things that can be construed more than one way, and your responses are much less nuanced. If people can't identify with that, it's OK. But I can, and I'm saying get off his nut(s)shell.

 

[julius]

He 'decided'...

Let's just all ponder on that for awhile...

what exactly is your concern about the wording?

That he didn't do that from the get go, or that he thinks he has to do something for the team to win? Doesn't come off, to me, as something to get angry about.

If the team "decided" to start playing hard nosed defense, would you be angry?

 

[Strenuus]

lol. Can't please 'em all.