Stats doesn't show, but you win more games when Battier's playing for some reason. Just look at the Grizzlies: Grizzlies Records they were 50,45,49 wins team to a 22 win team after they traded Battier in 06. That was the only change, Paul Gasol and rest of the team stayed intact. Shrug... maybe people play harder when Battier's on the court?
People who vote who the DPOY is: Not NBA coaches. "The winner is selected by a panel of 124 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada, each of whom casts a vote for first, second and third place selections." -wikipedia Besides just being an nba coach doesn't mean you know what you're talking about (see Eric Musselman). RA and JVG's bball knowledge and understanding of the game though is topnotch despite their differing styles. If both of them agree on something its most probably true.
It makes absolutely no difference whether he's in the bottom half of starting small forwards and even if he clearly is, it has no relation to whether he "sucks" or is "washed up" as you say. You do realize you could make the exact same comment about Ariza. Maybe he sucks too? Of the 16 Durvasa named, 7 are the best players on their team and you could make a case for a couple of the others. Battier isn't our best player, and some may argue he's not even in our top 5. I'd disagree, but that's not the point. As an NBA player he's certainly in the top half and as a defender and leader he's in the elite. We're coming off a playoff series where arguably the best player in the game said flat out that Battier guards him better than anyone else. You're going to honestly post that he's washed up? Get real. Morey and Adelman obviously disagree, as do I'm sure every single other administrator and coach in the league.
Your ever-pretentious personality comes off as very trite when you seem so certain about something like this. I'd like to see evidence of coaches claiming either of the above points: that Camby is top 5 the last three seasons OR that Battier isn't. Impress me. I'm willing to admit I'm wrong.
I am not surprised if the entire team are on some kind of stretchers or casts by the end of the season.
I think he was referring to Battier never making an All-Defense 1st team. And, if I'm not mistaken, coaches do select those teams.
Hmm you may be right. However isn't all_blank_teams generally limited to the best player at your position? I consider Yao Ming to be a much better defensive force than Chris Paul due to his combination of height and weight but he doesn't even make a team.
As I warned everyone last season, Battier, who was never a good athlete to begin with, was showing signs of physical decline. It took him a ridiculously long time to come back from a routine procedure and now this. Trade him while he still has some value left.
Like other people have figured out, I was referring to All-Defensive Teams, not the DPOY award. I didn't want to bring up his DPOY for that precise reason, it's voted on by media members, not coaches. It's funny, Battier has never made an all-D first team, but he's finished in the top 5 in DPOY voting each of the last 3 years. Apparently, the media thinks much more highly of Battier than NBA head coaches do, but then again that should come as no surprise... Actually, no, it isn't limited to the best player at your position. Here's the All-Defensive first team from 2007/2008: Camby Duncan Garnett Bowen Kobe That's two centers, a power forward, and two swingmen. And besides, in your Yao/Paul analogy, wouldn't Yao = Camby (interior defenders) and Paul = Battier (perimeter defenders)?
It might seem counter-intuitive, but I actually trust the media more on this type of stuff than coaches. Most coaches are very focused on what their players are doing during the regular season. Plus, when its time to submit these votes, they are less likely to put much thought into it (they have more important things to worry about). As a result, they're more likely to choose players that have simply been there before, or who are all-star offensive players that happen to be a league leader in a defensive category (blocks, steals, rebounds). Coach's selections are highly predictable based on such most rudimentary measures. That should give you a clue that they are not thinking too deeply about how these players are actually performing.
