120 Guarantees: the Nic Batum thread

[yosemiteben]

He's a SF, not a SG. This is not good for Kemba. We need a legit SG that can shoot and create his own shot. Not another hot potato.

Post-ASB last season Batum shot 42.5% from three on 4.2 attempts per game. The potential is there.

In my mind there is no distinction between SG and SF.

What he shot, 19% before ASB? Lol

Yeah dude he was Gary Neal post-November bad, lots of attempts and terrible percentage. That wrist though.

[catch20two]

He's a SF, not a SG. This is not good for Kemba. We need a legit SG that can shoot and create his own shot. Not another hot potato.

Wing positions are interchangeable in todays NBA. There is no designated position. You know this, come on now.

Batum is more SF/PF to me than SG/SF.

[the_process]

So since you guys got some shooting now in Batum and Lamb, does that mean MKG comes off the bench as a super sixth man backing up both wing spots? And do you think Big Al is gone tomorrow?

[Liver_Pooty]

So since you guys got some shooting now in Batum and Lamb, does that mean MKG comes off the bench as a super sixth man backing up both wing spots? And do you think Big Al is gone tomorrow?

MKG isn't coming off the bench at all. Batum and MKG will start, and it will be a battle between Hairston and Lamb over who lands the 6th man role.

Spoiler: Hawes is the 6th man.

[LamarMatic7]

Batum is arguably the best playmaking SF not named Lebron.

There are a lot of things I'd call Nic Batum. "Playmaker" is not one of those things, not by a mile.

"Not by a mile" is harsh. Obviously, he's not next to LeBron but he can do necessary things at a good level. Pass, dribble, think of a creative play on the fly.

The way I would put it is that he is not a primary playmaker. Someone needs to initiate the offense and create an opening for him. At that point, yes, he can create damn finely. If the opportunity for a sudden pass is there, he can make it.

[catch20two]

So since you guys got some shooting now in Batum and Lamb, does that mean MKG comes off the bench as a super sixth man backing up both wing spots? And do you think Big Al is gone tomorrow?

They think Batum is a SG so he'll start at SG with MKG at SF until changes will be overdue to be made like always between Cho and Clifford.

[the_process]

Do you guys think your team would be better with Tony Allen MKG off the bench so you have better floor spacing in your starting lineup? Kemba and MKG's inability to space the floor makes offense a lot harder for you guys than it should be. And has anything been said yet about trying to extend Batum?

[Tupik]

Only downside with Batum is that he loves playing for France in the off-season. Wish he rested a bit more.

Hey! I just bought tickets for the Eurobasket this summer, he better not rest!

I'm not sure about this trade, I obviously like Batum, but he's a SF, an UFA at the end of the season, and I don't see how he's going to make us actually be players in the playoffs. Sounds like a treadmill move to me, but I don't know why I'm surprised.

[catch20two]

Do you guys think your team would be better with Tony Allen MKG off the bench so you have better floor spacing in your starting lineup? Kemba and MKG's inability to space the floor makes offense a lot harder for you guys than it should be. And has anything been said yet about trying to extend Batum?

Nah. MKG has been our biggest impact player towards the difference between winning and losing. Without MKG when he's injured we're a bottom 5 defense and when he's healthy we're a top 5 defense. No way he should come off the bench for Batum when MKG averaged more points per 36 coming off this past year. Batum is overrated, always have been, and now it's hitting that point where it's like oh shucks he's not young enough to use potential anymore so this is what he is, a role player.

[Braggins]

Do you guys think your team would be better with Tony Allen MKG off the bench so you have better floor spacing in your starting lineup? Kemba and MKG's inability to space the floor makes offense a lot harder for you guys than it should be. And has anything been said yet about trying to extend Batum?

Do you think Memphis would be better if they brought Tony Allen off the bench?

[catch20two]

Do you guys think your team would be better with Tony Allen MKG off the bench so you have better floor spacing in your starting lineup? Kemba and MKG's inability to space the floor makes offense a lot harder for you guys than it should be. And has anything been said yet about trying to extend Batum?

I liked the Batum trade just to get Hendo out of the way and to add wing depth behind MKG freeing up room for us to draft a SG that shoot 3s and sign one with the MLE that shoot 3s. I'm starting to regret it now. Starting to feel like that Messy Marv signing where we guaranteed him the starting PF spot before training camp ignoring that he was a bad fit next to Al defensively.

[the_process]

Do you guys think your team would be better with Tony Allen MKG off the bench so you have better floor spacing in your starting lineup? Kemba and MKG's inability to space the floor makes offense a lot harder for you guys than it should be. And has anything been said yet about trying to extend Batum?

Do you think Memphis would be better if they brought Tony Allen off the bench?

Yes I do actually, like you guys they are dying for floor spacing. If they had started Lee and Green and brought Allen off the bench I thought they would have been better.

I'm not trying to troll, I'm legitimately asking. I know you guys love you some MKG, it just seems if your starting lineup is Big Al, Zeller, Batum, MKG, and Kemba that shooting is a, um, concern. And when you have some shooting on the bench (Hawes, Lamb, to some extent Marv) why not use it to balance out both the starting unit and the reserves?

Another question I have for you guys is now with the Batum and the Lamb trades, it doesn't seem Booker is the way you guys are leaning in the draft. Do you think you're drafting a big now? Is it Turner? And is Biyombo getting re-signed? Thanks for the info!

[Braggins]

Do you guys think your team would be better with Tony Allen MKG off the bench so you have better floor spacing in your starting lineup? Kemba and MKG's inability to space the floor makes offense a lot harder for you guys than it should be. And has anything been said yet about trying to extend Batum?

Do you think Memphis would be better if they brought Tony Allen off the bench?

Yes I do actually, like you guys they are dying for floor spacing. If they had started Lee and Green and brought Allen off the bench I thought they would have been better.

I'm not trying to troll, I'm legitimately asking. I know you guys love you some MKG, it just seems if your starting lineup is Big Al, Zeller, Batum, MKG, and Kemba that shooting is a, um, concern. And when you have some shooting on the bench (Hawes, Lamb, to some extent Marv) why not use it to balance out both the starting unit and the reserves?

Another question I have for you guys is now with the Batum and the Lamb trades, it doesn't seem Booker is the way you guys are leaning in the draft. Do you think you're drafting a big now? Is it Turner? And is Biyombo getting re-signed? Thanks for the info!

Our defense falls apart with Al on the floor and MKG on the bench. Batum might help, but I don't think he can replicate what MKG gives us on that end. He is a unique defensive talent.

[the_process]

Do you guys think your team would be better with Tony Allen MKG off the bench so you have better floor spacing in your starting lineup? Kemba and MKG's inability to space the floor makes offense a lot harder for you guys than it should be. And has anything been said yet about trying to extend Batum?

I liked the Batum trade just to get Hendo out of the way and to add wing depth behind MKG freeing up room for us to draft a SG that shoot 3s and sign one with the MLE that shoot 3s. I'm starting to regret it now. Starting to feel like that Messy Marv signing where we guaranteed him the starting PF spot before training camp ignoring that he was a bad fit next to Al defensively.

Only one more year of Marv now, right? Do you think you guys might move Jefferson tomorrow? Side note: The Hornets have pretty much single-handedly kept the T&T board busy the past couple weeks, love it. What's the depth chart looking like now? And do you still think you're drafting wing, or going big (Turner)? Gotta get the last mock in. Thanks!

[catch20two]

Do you guys think your team would be better with Tony Allen MKG off the bench so you have better floor spacing in your starting lineup? Kemba and MKG's inability to space the floor makes offense a lot harder for you guys than it should be. And has anything been said yet about trying to extend Batum?

I liked the Batum trade just to get Hendo out of the way and to add wing depth behind MKG freeing up room for us to draft a SG that shoot 3s and sign one with the MLE that shoot 3s. I'm starting to regret it now. Starting to feel like that Messy Marv signing where we guaranteed him the starting PF spot before training camp ignoring that he was a bad fit next to Al defensively.

Only one more year of Marv now, right? Do you think you guys might move Jefferson tomorrow? Side note: The Hornets have pretty much single-handedly kept the T&T board busy the past couple weeks, love it. What's the depth chart looking like now? And do you still think you're drafting wing, or going big (Turner)? Gotta get the last mock in. Thanks!

Yup, Marv is a 7mil expiring.

I doubt that we'd trade Al tomorrow or before the season. The only way I see Al traded is midseason if we have a slow start to the season and try to dump his expiring onto a playoff team that think they need post offense to seriously contend.

The depth chart look like
PG- Kemba/?/Roberts
SG- Batum/Lamb/Daniels
SF- MKG/?/Hairston
PF-Zeller/Messy
C- Al/Hawes/Biz

I think we'll draft Kaminsky or Booker but I wouldn't be surprised if Cho drafted WCS or Winslow if they fall to #9 which is very possible. Ain't no secret based on my avy that I want Oubre. I want high upside from the draft since it's a crapshoot. The way I see it you can always find role players in free agency. The draft is for gambling.

[Diop]

Batum has been a SF/PF in my eyes forever. I know he might have played spot minutes at SG in certain lineups and mixups but I wanna know how good or bad he is at it from a statistical standpoint to help me understand why we're guaranteeing him a starting spot there after a bad year.

Hes played the two guard extensively for a while, according to the Portland board.

I remember him playing the 2 guard, would have definitely when they got Crash

[Braggins]

Do you guys think your team would be better with Tony Allen MKG off the bench so you have better floor spacing in your starting lineup? Kemba and MKG's inability to space the floor makes offense a lot harder for you guys than it should be. And has anything been said yet about trying to extend Batum?

I liked the Batum trade just to get Hendo out of the way and to add wing depth behind MKG freeing up room for us to draft a SG that shoot 3s and sign one with the MLE that shoot 3s. I'm starting to regret it now. Starting to feel like that Messy Marv signing where we guaranteed him the starting PF spot before training camp ignoring that he was a bad fit next to Al defensively.

Only one more year of Marv now, right? Do you think you guys might move Jefferson tomorrow? Side note: The Hornets have pretty much single-handedly kept the T&T board busy the past couple weeks, love it. What's the depth chart looking like now? And do you still think you're drafting wing, or going big (Turner)? Gotta get the last mock in. Thanks!

Most of us hope we trade Al tomorrow, but it still seems unlikely. I think we just take BPA at 9 if we don't move up or down. We aren't as pressed for any particular need with these new trades and we need the best talent we can get more than anything.

If I had to make a guess at the current depth chart with players that are under contract next season:

Kemba/Roberts
Batum/Lamb/Daniels
MKG/Hairston
Zeller/Marv
Al/Hawes

I guess a rim protector might be our biggest need. Our second unit currently looks awful defensively. There is a good chance we can retain Biz for his qualifying offer, or not much more anyways.

[Diop]

why are we so hung up on who is going to be the 2 guard?

Do you think MKG couldn't guard the 2?

[catch20two]

why are we so hung up on who is going to be the 2 guard?

Do you think MKG couldn't guard the 2?

Not we, just me. I don't like them giving Batum the starting SG spot when he hasn't been starting there for Portland really for none of his career with Wes Matthews being there for like the past 5 years and Brandon Roy before that. Batum came off the bench a lot that year Portland traded for Wallace.

[Diop]

I always had him on my fantasy teams, so I sort of followed him. Always thought he was a very solid player at worst.

I can't see how he wouldn't be starting.