Think back... I can testify that as a Rocketfan for 23 years, we have all hated the same players for the same reason. We hated them so much if you were like me, I would of hit them across the head with a bat if that ever became legal for just a split second! We hated their hustle. We hated their tenacity. They were a royal pain in the asssssssparagus! They had that stupid look or smirk or that....URGGGGH! HATE! HATE! HATE! Remember Malone? Remember Stockton? Remember Ainge? Remember Laimbeer? Remember Rodman? Jeff Hornacek? Now its Nowiski? Now its Artest? Some people even say Kobe. They were dirty in some cases. But most of all, they were always in your face, making you sweat, making you work and work and work. Never easy. In your face 24/7! We hate/hated these guys! And TODAY, I heard from a guy here at work that we are now proud owners and supporter of our very own pain in the arse! His name is Shane Battier. My friend comes up and says: "Hey, I saw the game last night...your boys playing the Pistons. Thats my team in the East." I was like yea? So, what did you think? "You guys are really good. But I just can't stand that (bleep, bleep) Battier! He is always flopping and always standing in the way! Did you see that supposed hustle play he did on Billups? Diving for the ball and shiznet..." I WAS CRACKING UP! Because, I hated Battier also when he was at Duke. I hate Duke PERIOD! They act like their sht don't stink and they are the end all be all. But you know what? I LOVE ME SOME BATTIER! That guy knows how to play the game. He hustles until the last minute. Plays tough defense on everyone they put him on. Does the little things. Mr. Intangible. I will go as far as saying if we win a ring with him on the team, its the best trade the Rockets have made this side of Clyde Drexler.
You forgot Bruce Bowen, oh wait never mind, he is officially a dirty player. kicking people in the face and undercutting them, thats the guy i would hate to have on my team regardless of defensive of ability. shane is just smarter than the average bear. I like his game but I like his class too. Best trade since tmac...but best "role player" EVER.
haha i would've told that guy that Battier doesn't flop though, unless you wanna extend the meaning of flopping to include getting knocked down and running to the lockerroom for stitches. I can count 4 times that's happened to Battier ths year. And let's not forget the stupid charge he took on Yao last summer. Battier is so fast sliding his feet that sometimes he's off balance such that contact from a legitimate charge/block can knock him to the floor. In my books, flops are falls that don't have enough contact to generate a call--be it a block or charge. I haven't seen Batter fall without enough contact for a call.
We have TWO of those guys on our team Battier of course...but I have to believe that a rising "pain in the ass star" for many teams is good 'ole Chuck Hayes. Two guys that run around the court hustling, taking charges, diving for loose balls etc. It is the same kind of tenacity we saw 2 years ago when we had Bob Sura and Mike James in the backcourt. Having guys like Battier and Hayes are great compliments to Yao and Tmac's game. They can do the dirty work to compliment the star players.
I don't like Duke either, it was sweet watching them get beat in the FIRST ROUND! The look on Coach K's face was priceless.... Battier has been OK with me though. He's always been a hard worker and played sound basketball. Fortunately the Rox have never had any of the players that I couldn't stand like Shaq, Kobe, Christain Laetner, Karl Malone or Isiah Rider. If they did I'm not sure what I would do.
Najera comes to mind. his relentless defense against Yao and hustle always bugged me. mainly just b/c he wasn't playing for the rockets.
My distaste for Duke never extended to their players after they left. But I didn't care either way about Battier, until he came to the Rockets. I have a man-crush on the guy. He works as hard as anyone and never makes a mistake. If you don't like Chuck Hayes and Shane Battier, I don't like you.
I wasn't a big fan of Bonzi...I always thought he was a punk, he was part of the JailBlazer alumnis... It cracks me up that we got a guy that other fans get annoyed at...ala Ginobili Chuck Hayes doesn't have that annoyance factor like Battier with his snobby Duke background or Ginobili's constant flopping...he really isn't well known enough to be known as a pest to other fans
stockton and malone were dirty players who flopped to get calls. they played cheap. battier plays fairly and controlled; he doesn't flop. the man hustles and sacrifices his body because he doesn't play cheap. although i agree battier is a beast, to compare him with a tier of dirty players consigned to hall of shame no-ring status is simply not fair
But Chuck's lack of fame is exactly what makes him a pest to other fans when their team play the Rockets.. Chuck lead the league in "how-the-hell-is-that-midget-6'-6''-scrub-killing-our-team?!-OMG-ROFL?!- - ."
Does battier flop? i dont think he does flop by definition of a flop the way devin harris, ginobili, dirk etc do. he does sometimes exagerrate contact but i would say at least 80% of the time he does that he does have great defensive position. the one thing battier does have is his rep there have been times where the call could have been a block or charge and they give battier the benefit of the doubt instead of the offensive player. had it been anyone else on this team it would have been a block no doubt in my mind. the one thing i notice battier does that i dont see many people do is when a player is driving towards him open court he'll constantly move his upper body and arms BUT never move his feet. his feet are stationary while his upper body is moving it gives the offensive player an illusion that he is out of control when actually when the offensive player reacts to it battier can move and be in position to take the charge. btw he also does throw great entry passes to yao from the corner, the entry pass is soo important probably the best passer to yao after tmac
True, Clutch. But that was like an "obvious" move. This trade (Battier) had people questioning Gundy and Dawsons mental capacity.
Battier flops. Battier doesn't flop. He moves his feet...etc, etc. I bet you the players we hated or hate now have the fans say the very same thing on their fan boards.
If there was an MVP award for players who do not score over 20ppg or 10rbg or 9astg, battier would win it for sure.
people who say Battier flops are just using a broader definition.... man, makes me wonder how many of you guys have ever taken charges. Most people don't. Hell, I don't in street ball, because we didn't allow charges in street ball in my day...it's too dangerous for us all. It is no fun to hit the floor. On wood with real uniforms on, you can learn how to fall/slide though to avoid injury. Nonetheless, it is hard to stay on your feet when you take a charge, because you have to be standing up against a guy moving through you. Battier also gets charges while shuffling diagonally backwards as the opp attempts to drive around him. Battier retreats to the position that the opp his headed for and gets there first...but all his weight is back and the dribbler is driving. Battier gets blasted off his feet on those charges. Yeah, he looks like Ginobili on those, but he his going down and there is nothing he can do to stay on his feet on those retreating-to-the-driving-lane charges.
I am not a Duke fan either. I have always respected Battier's tenacity. He is a hard worker and very intelligent. He is much stronger than he looks. He is very tough. When he came out for the NBA draft - I recall a scout talking about a routine practice exercise where the player is supposed to dunk the ball over and over and recover the rebound-I think the difficulty came in recovering the ball in one bounce. He noted it was hard to do it 20 times. 30 times was very good, and 35 to 40 was exceptional. Shane Battier did it more than 75 times!!!!! I someone can recall this story I would appreciate it. I specifically remember being very Impressed with Shane Battier!! Proud to have you on our team Shane!! go Rockets!!!!!
