plays defense, defense, defense... Oh ya he can stick the 3, rebound, and pass well... The only knock on Battier is he's not overly athletic... Then again, is Walt Williams athletic? ------------------ Check out my homepage! Loads of sports pics! http://www.public.asu.edu/~sykim/
I wouldn't mind Shane Battier at all. I don't know if he'll be there when we pick though. ------------------
Battier is a very hard working player and is a good defender and also is tall.Can anyone tell me how does he compare in speed with Shandon Anderson,and if can create his own shot and finish off the dribble in the open court and in traffic? ------------------
I tend to think Battier will be around when we pick--depending on who all comes out, I wouldn't be surprised to see him go in the late teens/early 20s. kidrock8, you're right, he's not the most athletic 3 in the world, but his smarts help make up for that...today alone he picked off a couple of passes that you would think nobody would be able to get to--he just has this sense for what's going on. As far as his ability to finish on the break...don't really know since he is usually the one that starts it after getting a block, a steal, rebound, and then giving the outlet to Williams...which means JDub's already scored by the time Battier gets to halfcourt I don't think he can handle the ball real well, though...in the NBA I don't see him as anything more than a spot up shooter on the offensive end. But, in terms of the Rockets, that would be just fine. ------------------ P.S. This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R were eliminated.
He has a 3.7 GPA! That is incredible while having to juggle basketball with classes. ------------------ Never Underestimate the Heart of a Champion
hehe...I wasn't really talking about book smarts...I was thinking more in terms of basketball smarts...knowing and having a feel for the game, but he definitely has both... Funny thing about that...Saturday ESPN ran this piece about this barber shop that all the players from NC and Duke go to, and they asked if Shane Battier ever came...they said they'd have to put a library in the back before he would come. ------------------ P.S. This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R were eliminated.
I'm not worried about Battier's athleticism. He had two blocks on fast-breaks coming from behind versus UNC that were just amazing. He has an excellent feel for the game that allows him to anticipate passes and shots by the opposition. In other words, he has the defensive instincts that Kelvin Cato does not. ------------------ The Rockets will be the NBA champions. Believe. [This message has been edited by Puedlfor (edited March 06, 2001).]
I agree with all of the positive comments about Battier. If the Rockets make the playoffs, forget about getting him (IMHO). He may slip to a late Lottery pick and then it comes down to the needs of the team picking ahead of the Rocks. Right now, the Bulls, Cavs, Wizards, and Warriors have the most likely 1 through 4. The Bulls have Fizer playing out of position at SF and may prefer dealing him for more picks and/or players since they really don't have a 5 and lack solid depth. I don't think Shane would put enough fans in the seats for the Bulls to use a #1 on him. The Cavs have Mihm and Miller, but would they use a Top 4 pick on Shane? I can see the Wiz picking him or trying to deal Jahidi White for a higher pick. Battier would create decisions for GS as well with Fortson & Jamison as their current 4 and 3. If the Rockets are in the Lottery, I think Battier is a realistic possibility. --------------- GATER [This message has been edited by GATER (edited March 05, 2001).]
Depending on where Detroit ends up, don't be too surprised if they take Battier. He's from there (and they like that), he's a hard worker/effort guy (and they like that) and he is a 3 with range (and they really need that). I think Detroit is around the 8th pick right now, if they drop a spot or two, he might be the obvious choice to them. Assuming, of course, none of the great (well, potentially servicable) big guys are still available. ------------------ [This message has been edited by Hobbs (edited March 05, 2001).]
Battier is a SURE thing in the NBA... He will not be a superstar, however he will be a solid SF... As for his game... Here is what I've seen of him in his career, which includes the one game I saw him live against Temple in the NIT this year... -Great spot-up shooter... -Great at making shots in traffic in the paint... -Good enough strength to get fouled and making the shot... -May not get all the rebounds, but he boxes his opponent out well enough to make sure that if he doesn't get the rebound, his opponent won't... -I think his dribbling skills are pretty solid... But he would have trouble driving to the bucket since he has an average first step... -Goes balls to the walls for 40 minutes... -Can play full court D, awesome at guarding the in-bounds pass... The catalyst for both Duke's full court and half court defense... -Awesome awareness and is always at the right place at the right time... -Solid FT shooter, somewhere around 80%... -Could play PF in a small rotation since he's been primarily a PF in college... -Not afraid to take the charges, in fact led the NCAA in charges taken the last 2 seasons... -Decent passer, won't make amazing passes, but won't throw them into the stands... -Decent enough ballhandler to pass to when being pressed on... -Great shotblocker for his size... Should be able to get close to 1 block a game in the NBA... I think he will be a late lotto pick... Bad teams seem to only want the best athletes, rather than the best players... He is a perfect fit for the Rockets... Very unselfish, willing to play defense... Not enough good things to say about him... People are saying that one day he will be the President... ------------------ Check out my homepage! Loads of sports pics! http://www.public.asu.edu/~sykim/
The coupla projections i've seen has battier anywhere from 8-12, not counting the high school kids who are potential lottery picks (Chandler, Curry, Diop, Cisse, Wagner). Rockets may need to trade up to get him... I've seen basically every game Battier has played in his collegiate career. From D-ing up vince carter his freshman year, to help spearhead a D that completely embarassed steve francis sophomore year, to owning the NDPOY-status now, he's gotten better every year. Right now, he'd be the best 3 pt shooter and the best defender on the Rockets. THe thing that separates him from other shot blockers is that most of them get blocks from weak side, Battier gets them on 1-on-1 matchups.... My concern is that they don't call the charge in the NBA and he can't create his own shot off dribble, and the Rockets actually need a center, (no offense to Mr. I became a millionaire on basis of 1 preseason game). So they may go draft a Brendan Haywood or Alvin Jones type... NBA Comparison? less athletic Scottie Pippen, with better outside shot and less experience carrying someone else's luggage.
Battier might be available for us. I'm assuming we lose our pick to Vancouver, who, in turn, gives it to Detroit; will Detroit refund us the pick it owes us? If not Battier, Morris. The former is the golden boy. The latter is labelled soft because he's not vocal. But both can give us what we need. We could have some good pickings thanks to a center-heavy draft. We need a center, too, but other than Yao, I don't know about some of these guys. Woods? Doesn't care much for the game, plays only cause he's tall (sounds like Cato, in a way). Haywood? Plays well this year, but might pull the Cat disappearance like he did sometimes last year. Chandler? Skinny. Curry? Fat. Likely power forward. Disappears sometimes. (Potential, though.) ------------------
Did ya'll see the Duke/UNC game? Hell yeah I want Battier. Excellent, excellent player. I don't care if his head is wrinkley. Did you see that block on Joe Forte's dunk? The reaction was like when Stevie blocked a Raptor's shot off the backboard in Toronto. No handles? No problem. The least of our worries is acquiring another ballhandler! He does remind me of Timmy D., though. Both finish college, are great defensive players, have a perfect (annoying) vocabulary... ------------------ Watch Cat's Corner every Sunday night on Fox 26 news at 9! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ROCKETS!
I hate North Carolina. ------------------ Watch Cat's Corner every Sunday night on Fox 26 news at 9! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ROCKETS!
We need a SF as badly as we need a C... If we get Webber and re-sign Olajuwon, it makes it even more obvious we get a SF through the draft... Fact is, there aren't any SF's available for the Rockets except maybe SAR... This year's draft is conducive for getting a swingman... ------------------ Check out my homepage! Loads of sports pics! http://www.public.asu.edu/~sykim/ [This message has been edited by kidrock8 (edited March 05, 2001).]
i get the feel that battier has been at Duke for a looooooooooooooong loooooooong time. i ask my friends how long and they have no idea either but they agree he's been there for a good while. I could've sworn he was playing with hill, hurley, laettner, heck even abdelnaby... well maybe not abdelnaby. but does anyone know how long battier has been at duke?
Battier's been at Duke for four years, came in with class of Elton Brand, William Avery, Chris Burgess and J.D. Simpson... Was the first of the class to commit to Duke at the time, upsetting Mich fans in Ann Arbor since he's from Birmingham, MI. It seems like it's been a long time because no one stays 4 years in college anymore... It's almost stunning, but refreshing... ------------------
Shane Battier's lack of athleticism does not irk me at all. Its not like the guy is a slug; he is average athletically. However, when you mix in all his intangibles (hustle, defense, work ethic, ability to trigger the break, etc) he becomes a valuable commodity. You dont need a 40 inch vertical leap to excel in the NBA. I would have no problem if Battier or Terence Morris were on this team. A couple of other players to keep an eye that have been shooting up the charts are Rod Grizzard and Michael Bradley. Both would be intriguing fits on this team, Grizzard being a multi faceted long limbed small forward and Bradley being the tough, inside-outside player that Rudy T craves. Aside from them, there are several intriguing fits out there ie. Drew Gooden, Troy Murphy, Joe Johnson, etc, it should be interesting to see who declares and who stays in school. ------------------ Check out the Best Source for Draft Info Draftsource.net
