i hope he can become a bit of a player coach too because he is one of the smartest guys in the league.
18-8 is expecting waaaaaaay too much. Fact is, we don't even need that kind of production, atleast not the scoring (the rebounding would be appreciated). I'd be very, very happy to see Battier put up numbers similar to his rookie year with an +2 increase in rebounding. Those kind of numbers, along with the hustle plays, would work really well with Rockets line-up.
I agree about the over optimism. We should expect exactly what we did in Memphis which is work his @ss off every night. He is not a stat guy he is a hustle and wins guy. Just what the Rox needed.
Yes, Shane Battier can become a 18-8 guy, but he wont be - not with this team, this coach and this system. Rockets average about 90 pts a game and our 2 superstars will average more than half (about 50ppg). That leaves about 40ppg and Battier 18 leaves only 20 points for about 5-6 players to score. Howard, Alston, and Snyder will average close to 10ppg each. So Battier will probably average around 12-15 a game. However, Howard and Alston don't have consistent jumpshots, so it always nice to know that when they are struggling, Battier has the ability to pick up their slack and get the occasional 20 point night.
Thought I would resurrect this one. Battier's stats so far: 9.4 - 3.8. Unless things change drastically I think it's time for some folks to wake-up and smell the coffee.
He wasn't brought in to be a 18-8 guy. He is expected to play hard D & do all the little things. If he clips in 8-18 points doing it even better! More realistic 15-6 guy.
It's virtually impossible for any 3rd scorer to avg 18 ppg for us, if we are consumed about getting Yao his shots/touches. Battier doesn't do enough off the dribble to be able to score 18 a game. He will get the occasional 20 pt game if he takes and makes enough open shots. As they say, there's only one ball.
I don't WANT him to be an 18/8 guy. I want him to focus on all the little things that he does so well. All the tipped balls, defensive disruption, the way he handles the toughest offensive player, his on-the-court intellegence. That is all the stuff that makes him one of the most valuable role players in the league. And, best of all, he knows it and ENJOYS it. How incredibly rare is that???
Stats, stats, stats. Is that all you fantasy geeks look at? Shane Battier has exceeded my expectations. His 3 point shot is better than I thought, his defense is ubelievable, he's a vocal personality and glue in the lockeroom, he's the quarterback of the defense (yelling out instructions), he hustles, he rebounds outside his area. He is the ultimate role player. If we make a run, I think he will be the difference. He's the Robert Horry of our team. You need those guys to win championships. He never makes mistakes. Very efficient and knows his role (hit open shots, play defense, feed the ball to Yao and Tmac) Who would average 18 points playing next to Tmac and Yao? Shane will have 15+ point games like Memphis when Tmac Yao were double teamed. The Milwaukee Bucks did not doubleteam Tmac and they played Yao one on one most of the time. If Yao and Tmac are not doubleteamed they should take 75% of the shots. So if Shane is not scoring, that could be a good thing, because it means that Yao and Mac are dominating. Shane is not a stat guy. THe only stat that I care about Shane is the shooting percentage. If he shoots at a decent clip, to keep defenses honest, I don't care if he averages 3 points or 13. Some nights he will take more shots than others.
LOL - I'm not a fantasy bball guy for the record . Nothing wrong with Shane's stats to me actually as they stand. I love what he's doing for the team. My point really was that for a number of folks believe that Shane would be the elusive "3rd option" on offense, it's time to be more realistic an re-evaluate how they thought he would contribute on the team.
That's what I am trying to say. There is no such thing as a third option with this offense that JVG runs. It's Yao, Tmac and whoever is open.
since the rockets decided to start hayes and he's produced on the boards, I'm a little more accepting of battier. Never been a critic of his numbers, I understand his value and that's enough. but if they didn't have hayes, I would want him to be a seven rebound guy.
Stats Nazi! Say what you will about Gater, but his opinions are always based on documented facts. Gater won't cheapen his viewpoints in a tit-for-tat contest, but his analytical credentials are impeccable. My suggestion is to duke it out with a less knowledgeable adversary.
The stat that matter most is +23.5. As in the team being 23.5 points better per 100 posession when Battier plays than they are when Battier rests. Whatever he's doing out there-- scoring, rebounding, passing, defending or just protecting the ball-- is helping the team whether the fantasy bball numbers account for it or now. Go back and look at some game tapes, whether Batter scores 17 points or 2 points, the Rockets tend to make runs when Battier is on the court and they tend to hit a rut when Battier sits. EDIT: Now, I don't expect him to keep up the +23.5, no one does in the long run. However, the trend that Rockets being signficantly better with him on the court should continue.
Yeah, I think he can be an 18-8 player. Cause the opponent to 18 miss shots per game Take 8 charges per game. He could be even 18-8-2. Make 2 fouls on the opposing player per game to keep Yao from fouling out from a penetrator.
