WD wrote:WD-I think they said that this was Battier's 1st ECF game, not bad
from sun sentinal
Battier also chimed in defensively, continuing his tough play despite playing out of position at power forward. Brandon Bass, one of the Celtics' stars in the second round against Philadelphia, finished with eight points on 4 of 11 shooting.
"Shane is an everything man," Wade said. "He does it all for our team. Me and LeBron, we love Shane Battier. He does all the little things. He's pesky."
Battier said the supporting cast has handled the role easier because they are a team of experienced players.
"We have enough older guys in here that it doesn't matter what people say about us," Battier said. "We know we have a good team, one to 14. It's more difficult, no question, if you get caught up in it. Mike Miller and I talk about it, we're not playing for any more contracts. We're not trying to establish our reputations."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miam ... 8155.story
Its funny, Battier has this rep as an Horry/Bowen type role player but has never been this far in the playoffs before. Its nice to see him get the chance to finally contribute at this level though.
I always appreciate role players in the NBA that truly embrace their role, because so many of these guys have come from backgrounds where they grew up their whole life all the way through high school/college as "The Man", unlike sports like baseball and football where positions and roles are more well defined.
