120 Guarantees: the Nic Batum thread

[MasterIchiro]

Now that Biz (one-way player) is gone does anyone feel concerned Clifford will shift Batum to more SF if Lamb shoots well from 3 and the team is winning with Lamb getting more minutes at SG paired with Batum at the expense of MKG?

MKG is a two-way player. so no. if Cliff actually benches MKG for Lamb he should be fired on the spot.

You sound pretty cocky. Vonleh and Biz garnered the same cockiness.

I think very easily the team can shift Batum to SF and Lamb to SG and sign a SG in 2016 instead of locking up MKG (pushing Lamb to 6th man). Like MKG, Batum guards 1-4 and even mentioned he covered Jason Kidd and Dirk in the same game. Is there really a drop off on defense? Of course I'd like to look at the SG position in next year's class.

But MKG is no safer than Biz or Vonleh.

Most fans here wanted to build around those players and couldn't fathom them being dealt.

[JDR720]

Now that Biz (one-way player) is gone does anyone feel concerned Clifford will shift Batum to more SF if Lamb shoots well from 3 and the team is winning with Lamb getting more minutes at SG paired with Batum at the expense of MKG?

MKG is a two-way player. so no. if Cliff actually benches MKG for Lamb he should be fired on the spot.

You sound pretty cocky. Vonleh and Biz garnered the same cockiness.

I think very easily the team can shift Batum to SF and Lamb to SG and sign a SG in 2016 instead of locking up MKG (pushing Lamb to 6th man). Like MKG, Batum guards 1-4 and even mentioned he covered Jason Kidd and Dirk in the same game. Is there really a drop off on defense? Of course I'd like to look at the SG position in next year's class.

But MKG is no safer than Biz or Vonleh.

Most fans here wanted to build around those players and couldn't fathom them being dealt.

yea, but unlike Biz and Vonleh MKG is our best player.

personally, i would keep MKG and Batum and draft one of the 2016 centers (Labissiere,Stone,Ellenson,Poeltl etc) move Frank to PF, Zeller to the bench as a 4/5 backup and Lamb/PJ on the backup wings.

Kemba
Batum-Lamb
MKG-PJ
Frank-Zeller
2016 C

or draft one of the wings (Brown,Ingram) resign Batum anyway then when Brown/Ingram is ready to start trade Batum for the best C we can find. reason for Batum < MKG is age, MKG will still be in his early twenties and Batum will be nearing 30.

Kemba
Brown/Ingram-Lamb
MKG-PJ
Frank-Zeller
C we traded Batum for

this is of course contingent on us being bad next season and Batum resigning, which may or may not happen.

[yosemiteben]

But MKG is no safer than Biz or Vonleh.

Did Cho say that Biz or Vonleh would be starters this year? Were they chosen to unveil the team's new jersey? Did they have a PR campaign run for them for an All Defense team?

We get that you don't like MKG, but that is just an absurd statement.

[mrknowitall215]

Were they chosen to unveil the team's new jersey?

Didn't save Henderson from getting traded for a similar tier player attached to a 1st rounder (Vonleh)

[yosemiteben]

Were they chosen to unveil the team's new jersey?

Didn't save Henderson from getting traded for a similar tier player attached to a 1st rounder (Vonleh)

Well I don't think Batum is close to a similar tier player, and Hendo didn't do it live in front of thousands of fans. They put a clip on the Hornets page of all the captains (so included Kemba and Al) that probably 50 people watched.

[MasterIchiro]

Oh so PR stunts = confidential internal valuations

Gotcha.

[yosemiteben]

Oh so PR stunts = confidential internal valuations

Gotcha.

How about the GM publicly confirming you are a starter, while at the same time saying he didn't know if they'd give Biz the QO? Same degree of job security in those two situations?

You can say he might be moved. That's fair. But acting like he's no more secure than Vonleh or Biz is just silly talk.

[MasterIchiro]

GM also said Batum is the SG. Means nothing.

[yosemiteben]

GM also said Batum is the SG. Means nothing.

We can assume it means that he expects MKG to be on the roster in November, which is obviously more than he said for Biz.

Do you honestly think MKG is not more valued by our FO than Biz? You think we would actually let him walk like we did Biz if the only other option was resigning him?

[BlackOutBuzz]

GM also said Batum is the SG. Means nothing.

...he is the SG.

[MasterIchiro]

GM also said Batum is the SG. Means nothing.

...he is the SG.

Just a title. He can play MKG's position and play it well.

[MasterIchiro]

GM also said Batum is the SG. Means nothing.

We can assume it means that he expects MKG to be on the roster in November, which is obviously more than he said for Biz.

Do you honestly think MKG is not more valued by our FO than Biz? You think we would actually let him walk like we did Biz if the only other option was resigning him?

If Lamb + Batum works better than Batum + MKG then things will work out. Cho had better get more for MKG than he did for Biz if it comes to that.

[Braggins]

GM also said Batum is the SG. Means nothing.

We can assume it means that he expects MKG to be on the roster in November, which is obviously more than he said for Biz.

Do you honestly think MKG is not more valued by our FO than Biz? You think we would actually let him walk like we did Biz if the only other option was resigning him?

If Lamb + Batum works better than Batum + MKG then things will work out. Cho had better get more for MKG than he did for Biz if it comes to that.

I think its more likely that Lamb + MKG is the way to got than Lamb + Batum. We have multiple spacing options at every position so there is no reason MKG's lack of range should hurt us. Our worst spacing lineups are going to be like Kemba, Batum, MKG, Zeller, Hawes.

I actually think the most likely scenario is that Lamb + MKG + Batum is really the way to go. Add Kemba and Kaminksy to that group and we might have something. That team could play at a blistering pace on offense and in transition.

[BlackOutBuzz]

Our worst spacing lineups are going to be like Kemba, Batum, MKG, Zeller, Hawes.

Hawes and Batum can actually shoot though, so even that would be an improvement over Lance/Hendo and Al.

[Braggins]

Our worst spacing lineups are going to be like Kemba, Batum, MKG, Zeller, Hawes.

Hawes and Batum can actually shoot though, so even that would be an improvement over Lance/Hendo and Al.

Exactly.

[JDR720]

we can probably play 4 out 1 in with MKG being "in"

Kemba-Batum-MKG-Frank-Hawes

the only players on the team that cant shoot threes (at least yet) are Cody & MKG, Al too but he doesn't' count. MKGs lack of a 3pt shot shouldn't hurt us at all if Cliff is smart enough to design some kind of offensive system.

Batum and MKG are almost perfect matches, Batum is a facilitator/shooter and MKG is a slasher/defender. I dont see why we would or should pick one or the other.

[fatlever]

I will be ignoring everything MasterIchriro says about MKG during the upcoming season.

[BlackOutBuzz]

GM also said Batum is the SG. Means nothing.

We can assume it means that he expects MKG to be on the roster in November, which is obviously more than he said for Biz.

Do you honestly think MKG is not more valued by our FO than Biz? You think we would actually let him walk like we did Biz if the only other option was resigning him?

If Lamb + Batum works better than Batum + MKG then things will work out. Cho had better get more for MKG than he did for Biz if it comes to that.

I'm pretty intrigued by the idea of a Kemba/Lamb/Batum/MKG/Zeller (or Frank) lineup myself. Regardless we're gonna see a bunch of different combinations with these three wings, and I don't forsee any of them being moved since Batum can leave for nothing at season's end.

[EwingSweatsALot]

I will be ignoring everything MasterIchriro says about MKG forever

[Flip Murray]

MKG is like a less polished Biyombo. 2 million per year tops.