Revisiting a Batum S&T

[The Dude]

The Dude believes Nicolas Batum is a glue player, and probably not worth the contract he received. However, it's not like Free Agents are banging down the door of the practice facility to join the Blazers. I guess if I won the "be the Blazers GM for a day" lottery I'd probably trade him this off season for a player and maybe picks. Then use those picks to add another veteran player.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

I don't recall Nic using injury as an excuse. He tried to play through. A lot of fans would appreciate that he hung in there and found ways to contribute....like those inflated assist numbers.

Some fans are pointing out the obvious, that he was hurt. I don't get the point of your quote at all.

Go Blazers

Yeah, Nic wasn't bitching about injuries or making excuses. We fans were. When Jeter is injured, he doesn't talk about injuries, but the fans and media do. So, if Jeter is the man for not talking about his injuries, I guess that means you think the same of Batum?

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I am going to keep harping on the same thing. There comes a time when the injuries can't be an excuse, just like there was no justification for Roy to get his max contract.

Batum must stay healthy. He owes it to the team that gave him the large contract. I don't want to keep harping, but he needs to stop playing over seas and get healthy.

I agree with you for the most part when it comes to Batum playing for France in the summer. Especially when the Blazers made the huge commitment to him with the fat contract.

However, much of who Batum is as a person is about the country he comes from and I doubt there is much anyone can do to stop him from playing for France in the summer.

 

[BBert]

I am absolutely opposed to our players wearing themselves out playing for other teams. I had hoped Nico would have decided to take a summer off from competition by now.

 

[RR7]

I am going to keep harping on the same thing. There comes a time when the injuries can't be an excuse, just like there was no justification for Roy to get his max contract.

Batum must stay healthy. He owes it to the team that gave him the large contract. I don't want to keep harping, but he needs to stop playing over seas and get healthy.

He landed on his wrist in practice here and hurt it. It wasn't a wear and tear injury from playing overseas. I also want him to not play there, but this didn't really have anything to do with him being there.

 

[magnifier661]

He landed on his wrist in practice here and hurt it. It wasn't a wear and tear injury from playing overseas. I also want him to not play there, but this didn't really have anything to do with him being there.

I understand that, but healing is resting the arm. And if you keep playing, there is more chance of injury.

It's like going around a 30 mph corner at 55. You can most likely make the turn 9 times out of 10, but if you do it 30 times; there is a more likely chance you will crash.

When I pay a player that much money; I want all the possible playing time and health from that player. Playing over seas without resting the body for an entire season is just playing Russian roulette.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I wonder who'd be complaining if he was playing for the US team. Or, to put it another way, if he was offered a chance to play on the US team and said "nah", would fans applaud him?

 

[magnifier661]

I wonder who'd be complaining if he was playing for the US team. Or, to put it another way, if he was offered a chance to play on the US team and said "nah", would fans applaud him?

I would still complain because he hasn't fully developed physically, IMO. He needs more strength and he's not ready for long minute 82 game seasons. He needs more training to get him to that level.

I'm not saying I'm for getting rid of him or anything. I just want the best possible player for the contract we gave him. He has the capability to be a great player in this league. But if he's constantly playing overseas every year; he's going to wear himself down.

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

When I pay a player that much money; I want all the possible playing time and health from that player. Playing over seas without resting the body for an entire season is just playing Russian roulette.

Damn right.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I reviewed Batum's game-log yesterday, identified his 20 worst games (based on bkref's "gmscr" stat, both overall and per minute).

Hey, if you're bored, can you do that for his BEST 20 games (or some other number) and tell us his averages in those?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

When I pay a player that much money; I want all the possible playing time and health from that player.

Paul Allen? Is that you!?

Playing over seas without resting the body for an entire season is just playing Russian roulette.

No, it's playing French Basketball.

And playing in international competitions doesn't seem to have hurt Kevin Durant. Or Tony Parker. Or Marc Gasol. Or Luis Scola. Or Lebron James.

 

[magnifier661]

Paul Allen? Is that you!?

Yep

No, it's playing French Basketball.

And playing in international competitions doesn't seem to have hurt Kevin Durant. Or Tony Parker. Or Marc Gasol. Or Luis Scola. Or Lebron James.

But it hurts batum obviously.