Before people bash me, this is just my opinion and I am a die hard Rockets fan.(Why else would I be on this site?) Is it just me or is Shane Battier WAY overrated? I mean he gets a lot of credit for being a shut down defender but I just do not see it. I see a lot of hustle on his part, but that is because he has to, he lacks the athleticism. Some people that come to mind when I think of great defenders are Tayshaun Prince, Kobe Bryant, Josh Smith, Ron Artest. Would anybody really put Battier on that list? On the offensive end, he is not shooting well (but who on the team is?) so he brings nothing to the table because all he does is stand in the corner waiting for the kick out. To his defense he is a really underrated low post scorer but we rarely use him in that role. Now I am not here to bring up the trade for Battier(which I am still against, we gave up too much), but Battier is an average player. I love his hustle and passion for the game, but give me someone who can put the ball in the basket. On a side note, were we showcasing Luther on National TV or what? I think that was pretty obvious to me.
luther...i hope not. dude plays hard and smart, and can make the 3. as for shane...he's a great fit in a system that doesn't require him to dribble. seems like his on the ball defense was better last year too.
wow you've been here four years and only 64 posts! My opinions rebutting your opinions ... First off, Luther deserved the minutes he had last night. He played well in the "scrub" minutes of the Philly game and like Adelman said, he is one of the few guys consistently knocking down shots. I think the whole premise of showcasing is bogus... so no I don't think that we were showcasing anyone.. there is no point to doing it. On the Battier front... do you know who he was guarding last night? Rip Hamilton most of the time. Rip shot 11-16 in the game just one night prior to this one scoring 27 pts. With Shane guarding him last night he shot 6-15 and only had 14 points. You can give lots of excuses for it not being Shane's defense, but lets be honest... he's one of the few dudes you can trust chasing around a good player and know that he won't get burned a whole lot. Last night he even got 9 boards. So he was tangible along with the intangibles he brings. Plus his contract isn't huge, so if you use that to call him over rated wouldn't be viable. I just think the guy brings more to the table than people give him credit for. He's not flashy which is why people will call him over rated. I would like him to find more opportunities in the offense. He only shot 3 times last night and for stretches on the offensive end I forgot he was there. But you saw him actively on the defensive end.
He leads the league in blocks. I think that makes him a pretty good defender. If you want to be picky, "help" defender.
We have too many guys like Shane on the team. Can score when standing still but cannot get to the rim to save their lives. If their shot is not falling they have nothing to fall back on. Shane needs to change up his defense, instead of throwing a hand in front of the shooters eyes. Mix it up and try to block a shot once in awhile. When was the last time he had a dunk or any highlight. Luther is NOT A POINT, playing him at the point stalls the offense because he has no penatration ability. Plus he's a horrible passer and decision maker with the Rocket. Yes, he cuts effectively and shoots standing still really well.
C'mon hermbob! Luther plays smart??? He cuts to the basket very well, and he's a good shooter (and very clutch), but look at 2 of his turnovers: 1. He turns around and practically hands it to Billups who takes it and scores in the first half 2. In the 2nd half, Yao reposted and had his defender sealed. Instead of passing to Yao, Luther decides to take it himself...result obvius offensive foul. Those are just a couple of examples. He's a turnover machine. If he get extended minutes now (which I suppose he will) we'll see alot more of that. As long as Luthe doesn't dribble, he can be effective but how realistic is that for a small guard?
I just have a question. If Battier is really so overrated, why have two coaches, with very different style of coaching, played him so much? This year, his minutes is just behind Yao and TMac. Last year, he played more minutes than both of the stars. If he "brings nothing to the table" as you suggest, why had we won 52 games in a season with Battier playing so much?
he's smart when he's put in the appropriate positions to succeed, like playing off yao, etc. we all know he's not a pure PG but he's a better option than MJ or SF have been. as for his turnovers, those may be lapses in his "intelligence," but they are usually a result of trying to make something happen, so i can live with them. he generally doesn't give up turnovers or create plays that switch the momentum of the game either, and to me he doesn't stick out turnover-wise than any other player on the roster, especially compared to bonzi, scola, yao, chuck (maybe not turnovers for chuck, but airballed layups and such are as good as one) i'm not saying he's anything more than a solid rotation player. but i like his consistent effort, and he's a better defender than most of the other guards we've got too.
I posted about this in the "Good Defense" thread, but I'll re-post it here. If you have any doubts about Battier being an elite defender, spend a few bucks, get a really good seat near the floor behind a basket and watch Shane Battier up close and in person. It is a thing of beauty. The Pistons would run Shane through 3 picks, and he'd still be right in Rip's grill as soon as he caught the ball. And it's a lot more than just heart and hustle. He has great basketball IQ, great anticipation, incredible strength for a perimeter player, and above average athleticism. Yes, athleticism. There's this idea that because his vertical isn't great that he's not athletic. But his lateral quickness is really, really good for his size. And that's the part of athleticism that's most important for defense. And last night, in person, I can tell you that Tayshaun Prince isn't nearly as good a defender as Battier. Watching McGrady take him to the rim on an iso didn't show me that. McGrady does that to the best defenders. Watching Prince get lost when McGrady got an open jumper off a curl showed me that.
Sorry for the so few post, I like to read what other fans have to say. I like to talk Rockets basketball, and I am not bashing Shane, I try to be realistic in my observation. You will never see me on here with some stupid trade proposal because more factors are involved in trades other than salaries.
No need to apologize, I was impressed. I always feel the need to put in my two cents so you see where my post count has gone! lol Rational opinion and debate is the best thing about the GARM, random idyllic yet improbably trade proposals and irrational ranting is the worst
Good post. It is amazing how he is able to put a hand in the shooter's face EVERY time. Believe me that makes a difference. I am shocked when Kobe scores so much against Shane when Shane is in his grill every time. It is a credit to Kobe and the other great players in this league when they score a lot on Shane. Tmac consistently torches Bowen. all he can do is try to slow him down and make it as difficult as possible for him to score. And Tmac can still get 30+ on him on any given night.
He does all the trash work so your superstars don't have to. And despite in being in slump this year from 3 pointers, he is actually a very good 3 point shooter. He also has an under-rated amount of mid range moves on offense and I wouldn't mind him getting the ball 3-4 times a game when he has a smaller player on him. He is smart, plays great defense, gets in people's faces, gets loose balls, grabs rebounds, tips balls all over the place to keep the offense alive, and basically is the type of player other teams HATE to play against because it makes them have to work harder on both ends of the floor AND after every shot.
I feel that his defensive presence could be appreciate better last year for some reason. However, if you exclusively watch him, you'll notice that he helps out on defense. Sometimes he is unable to fully shut down his player, because he is expected to help out when anybody else is in trouble, which he always does. That's why coaches love him.
Battier is bright, articulate, a wonderful person. I would rather still have Swift and Gay, by a long shot. Swift may not be, but he is an athlete that could thrive with a motion offense. Gay is a budding superstar that we should have never let get away. Horrible trade.
When Battier hits an intangible to win the game I will like him a lot more. My thing is just this: You can't have both Battier and Hayes on the floor so much, two guys that just do not produce enough offensively. Until Hayes becomes a better finisher or Battier can (and will) hit more often, it's just scary to look at a box score with those two combining for so few points and so many minutes. It's no wonder Yao and Tmac feel like they have to do everything...they do!
<br> Sometimes you need the Rants and the irrational trade proposals to keep things alive.....and to vent
I'm with you on Battier. He's a great guy, but not a great fit in this offense so far. Battier would have the most value on a playoff team. You don't want to trade him to the West. He'd be a perfect fit on the Celtics, except Posey already does what he does. What about Orlando? Turk-o-glu is having a "break-out" season in terms of stats, though he still shoots at a low % and too often. Orlando scores enough as is, and needs more defense. I'd guess they'd balk at a Battier for Hedo straight-up trade, given Hedo scores, rebounds, and assists more, and has fewer years left on his contract. Battier + pick for Hedo? I don't really think Hedo is the "answer", though. I'm still dreaming of that Battier + Alston + Snyder for Maggette + Cassel trade, but don't see it happening.
everytime Shane put the ball on the floor, my heartbeat will increase. it's such an adventure. just like the only shoot Shane made in yester-nite game.
