What epitomizes Battier to me is his play against Indy, his first game back after injury. He twists his ankle blocking a shot, then gets up and somehow limps into position to draw the charging foul. I couldn't believe it. A guy like that is valuable. Battier's unselfish. He's a hard worker and a professional--that left handed hook shot from the post he showed off a while back looks a lot prettier than it did last season. The Rockets won 22 games in a row on chemistry and Battier's a huge chunk of that, the guy that does all the little things that make a team work. When he's on the floor everybody else is going to play better, and that includes the starters.
couldn't possibly be more wrong, but whatever. despite the fact that he's still in pain and maybe going 70% speed out there, he just makes everything better. the little things he does that leebigez and others seem to take for granted are what makes a good team, a great one.
Who's the better player between Lamar Odom and Radmanovic? Odom of course. Why is Odom coming off the bench then? Because Radmanovic doesn't demand the ball as much as Odom to be effective on offense. Same principal with why Adelman stated in the beginning of the season that Artest is better suited for the bench and Battier starting.
Shane has been great since he's come back. The only thing I have against him is that he can be too unselfish some times.
You are way off buddy. Battier is teh type of player who is a starter on certain teams. He wouldn't start with the Celtics, but shoudl start for us. I guarantee the Laker's would have him ahead of Radmonavic in a heartbeat.
Too bad Battier will forever be known as the guy we traded Rudy Gay for. And too bad Memphis will perpetually suck so we'll never know if Gay is just some guy who can put up stat on bad teams or a true star. Battier's just so consistent. But unfortunately, you just cannot expect him to be anything more than a role player.
The thing I've noticed is that the more you'd expect someone to really know the game of basketball as it's played right now (starting with current NBA coaches/players and on down through analysts, commentators and finally fans), the more they rave about Shane Battier. On nights when I don't think Shane is doing much for the team, especially when he doesn't have a lot of points or boards, I realize I'm probably just not looking closely enough. It's the same way with Chuck Hayes's defense.
WTF are you talking about? Ever since he got here Shane has been the Rox's third best player. He has all star defense, bball IQ, 3 pt shooting and nifty post moves. His skillset is a perfect complement to just about any superstar wing. 29 teams would love to have him on their roster, and it certainly woudln't be to have him play 20 mins a night or get splinters on the bench
Unfortunately!?! We can't have every single player be a star on our team. Shane Battier is the ultimate role player, the Big Fundamental jr. Honestly, Shane is perfect for this team, serioualy.
For those who don't watch the games, Battier is the defensive leader. He's always communicating and will cover for someone if they get beat or is lost. He's also very patient on offense and never forces the issue. If Shane is available, there will be 29 GM's waiting in line.
That not why odom doesn't start. Having odom as a spot up shooter wastes his talent. Artest is just as good if not a better 3pt shooter. The % between radman and odom is huge.
