Batum Is THAT Important
The good old days. Photo credit: OregonLive
When our talented second-year small forward Nicolas Batum was shelved to have surgery on a nagging torn labrum, it felt like a blow, of course, but a survivable one. Sure, he'd played impressively for the French national team over the summer, but we're chock full of small forwards.
Three games into the season, I have a newfound appreciation for the value of Batum. I can't help but think that if he had been playing, we'd be 3-0 right now. Why? His amazing defense, of course.
In our two losses, the opposing small forwards killed us. First, Carmelo Anthony proved unstoppable down the stretch on his way to the first 40-point game in the league this season. Then, yesterday, Trevor Ariza went for a career-high 33 in exacting revenge for our season-opening win over the Rockets (in which, it must be said, he only had 12).
So what to do about defending small forwards? The first thing that comes to mind is that we'll have to double-team more. When I watch the Blazers face the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant this season, my fingernails are going to suffer far worse than when Batum was tasked with locking those guys down.
We have to try something more to adjust for the defensive ability we've lost. Because if the pace we're on continues, we're going to lose 55 games this year due to Batum's absence.
Other quick observations:
- He may be no Nicolas Batum on defense, but Martell Webster is looking great on the offensive end. I love the ferocity with which he's taking the ball to the hoop. He's a good shooter - and maybe someday he'll be a great one - but he's sneaky athletic, too.
- I was working on a theory that when Greg Oden gets as many blocks as turnovers, we win. However, that has been wrong every game - he had 7 turnovers to offset 5 blocks in the first, but we prevailed nonetheless. The next two times out, he recorded more blocks than turnovers, and a lot of good it did us. But I'll take the 10 rips and north of 3 blocks a game so far from Oden.
When our talented second-year small forward Nicolas Batum was shelved to have surgery on a nagging torn labrum, it felt like a blow, of course, but a survivable one. Sure, he'd played impressively for the French national team over the summer, but we're chock full of small forwards.
Three games into the season, I have a newfound appreciation for the value of Batum. I can't help but think that if he had been playing, we'd be 3-0 right now. Why? His amazing defense, of course.
In our two losses, the opposing small forwards killed us. First, Carmelo Anthony proved unstoppable down the stretch on his way to the first 40-point game in the league this season. Then, yesterday, Trevor Ariza went for a career-high 33 in exacting revenge for our season-opening win over the Rockets (in which, it must be said, he only had 12).
So what to do about defending small forwards? The first thing that comes to mind is that we'll have to double-team more. When I watch the Blazers face the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant this season, my fingernails are going to suffer far worse than when Batum was tasked with locking those guys down.
We have to try something more to adjust for the defensive ability we've lost. Because if the pace we're on continues, we're going to lose 55 games this year due to Batum's absence.
Other quick observations:
- He may be no Nicolas Batum on defense, but Martell Webster is looking great on the offensive end. I love the ferocity with which he's taking the ball to the hoop. He's a good shooter - and maybe someday he'll be a great one - but he's sneaky athletic, too.
- I was working on a theory that when Greg Oden gets as many blocks as turnovers, we win. However, that has been wrong every game - he had 7 turnovers to offset 5 blocks in the first, but we prevailed nonetheless. The next two times out, he recorded more blocks than turnovers, and a lot of good it did us. But I'll take the 10 rips and north of 3 blocks a game so far from Oden.
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