An appreciation thread for the under-appreciated. One of the biggest reasons for our streak is our defense, and one of the biggest reasons for our strong team defense is Mr. Shane Battier. I know that Shane reads the opponents defense and consistently makes it hard for the opposing team's most potent front-court offensive weapon. Keep it up, and keep draining those corner 3's.
And the countdown to the player to get one of these threads gets closer to ending. That said yes Battier is the role player that makes the team work.
definitely a key player for this team.........without him we would be nowhere never mind still having that doorknob swift
the reason we are good is because we have copied shane battier. scola is more like shane than most players in the league. hayes is more like shane than most players in the league. landry is more like shane than most players in the league. mike harris is more like shane than most players in the league. we are tenacious, we are tough, we do the little things it takes to win. we are classy. go shane. the original.
very true. great post. i was thinking about this just recently... shane is AMAZING with the right mix of players. i think last year we all kinda doubted him (me included) but it was really because we had the wrong mix of players. last years squad wanted shane to score on iso plays and he just doesn't do that. so when he didn't score enough we kinda all just poo poo'd him. we have a few more creators now and are much smoother offensively. and shane is PERFECT for what we need from him. the fact that others on the team hustle like shane cannot be overlooked. shane has an impact on those guys. as the veteran or locker room presence, there's no doubt he's impacted the newer blood.
I firmly believe that if it was Shane that got injured instead of Yao we wouldnt be at 21-0 right now. Shane is a very hard worker, gets alot of loose balls and when hes out there everyone plays up to his level of intensity and thats why our defense is so great.
If we have Rudy Gay instead of Shane, we will not win 21 in a row. Heck, I think getting to 15 itself would have been....... unimaginable...
Shane is great. I have to admit though ... him blowing that layup on the 3-on-1 break against the Bobcats was painful.
I'll eat crows on the Battier - Gay trade. I've been against it. Since Battier has been an integral part of this miracle. I salute him for achieving greatness along with other players.
Call me crazy but Is Shane getting more Aggressive on the offensive end? I see him Driving I see him not hesitating on the three I think I even seen him Stop and pop in this string of games I'm more surprised and impressed with the improving offensive game than his superb defensive game [He is the Defensive Player of the Year!] Rocket River
Absolutely admirable defense displayed by Battier tonight. EVERY SINGLE SHOT by Kobe was contested and you could tell he really wanted to win. He is a real winner and is just a microcosm of the whole Rockets team.
