Time to replace Shane Battier in the starting rotation?

Exactly! We need a banger inside who is in aggressive mode all the time and crashes the boards.

 

I supported Battier when he came to the team and will defend the Rudy Gay trade until my dying day. He's one of my favorite players of all time. However, as his offensive game has become more one-dimensional and stagnant and his intangibles have become more and more intangible, I've come to believe his days as a starting small forward are over.

Point is, not everyone who has lost confidence in Battier is a "Battier hater."

 

Battier is slower without a doubt, and certainly the weakest link offensively in the starting lineup. He is also no longer the best on ball defender due to his lack of speed. However, I don't think you take him out of the starting lineup because Bud is the majority of our offense on the bench, and needs to stay there.

It looked to me like Adleman realizes that Battier isn't all there anymore, and had others play D on Kobe for much of the game...even when Battier was on the floor. Personally, I would have liked to see a little JJ in the game to provide some defense. I would have liked to see Hill too, but that's a different subject.

 

you should have traded the guy at the end of the 09 season, his stock was never higher

 

C'mon man... I posted a rational statement that has some merit. I think Battier can (and will) contribute to this team, but it's pretty reasonable to say that he's not the same player he was two seasons ago.

Don't name-call. It's not very becoming.

 

If you don't see the savviness, agility, balance, coordination, and footwork in Battier's defensive game, then I don't think you're looking close enough.

The problem is that you have a guy in Battier who can't translate his defensive skills into some semblance of an offensive game, and a guy in Scola who can't translate his skills into playing good man or help defense (his defensive rebounding is fine).

The funny thing is, I don't think the Lakers or their fans are complaining because they didn't get any offense out of D Fish or Artest last night.

 

If Bud starts, the defense of the starting 5 will be just a total nightmare. Battier is certainly no longer the player he once was, but Bud have a long way to go before he can and will starts over Battier.

 

I disagree. He has a nice expiring contract that I predict Morey will use before the deadline.

 

I was referring to offense.

 

There are a special breed of posters here on clutchfans....

People keep saying the NY times article no longer applies, but everything described in that article is exactly what happened last night. We scored more, gave up less with him on the court. We collapsed with him off the court.

The really sad thing tonight is, in managements eyes, Battier did everything right and has probably pushed Budinger's minutes lower. As long as he is here, we are going to have to hear this garbage spewed on the bbs after every loss.

Props to Kwame and company though, you really have herded this group of sheep.

 

The Rockets didn't have any problems scoring points when Battier was on the floor, when they were allegedly "playing 4 on 5" as many here are screaming about.

They did have problems scoring points during the Lakers 7-minute 21-4 run between late 3rd and mid 4th quarter, during which Battier did not play a single minute and offensive juggernaut Lee was on the floor the entire time and offensive juggernaut Budinger was on the floor for all but 2 of these minutes.

What benefits did the Rockets derive during this period from not playing "4 on 5"?

 

No, you were stating that Scola (who is almost as much an offense-only player as Battier is a defense-only guy) is apparently impervious to decline in his 30s because he possesses traits that don't diminish. And I was stating that Battier's defensive game is based on those exact same traits.

So, if Scola is going to continue to be effective despite his age, so should Battier. Right?

 

Until someone learns how to defend, no way do I want to trot out a line up of Brooks-Martin-Chase.

Let Chase (or someone else) press Battier for minutes, then later make the switch.

 

Whoever started this thread,give it up bro,lol. When battier is -100 in the playoffs or one the road, they want to use advanced stats or something. Its like I've said before, when the rockets lose,its anyone's fault but shane. What did kobe do after a slow start? Go look it up and tell me what happened It looked like he got any shot he wanted and knocked them down. Who did he guard most of the game? Rest Battier, because thats what he was doing until the high leverage moments. Battier wasnt the reason they lost,but hw didnt help them win either.

ps

When you have long athletic players who can get off the floor playing against shorter guys who cant,you're going to miss layups.

 

Why are you talking about this one game. I'm not using that as a sample size for any of this, and I don't even think I referenced this game. I didn't think he should start before the preseason even began.

I feel that ultimately Battier's invisibility on the offensive end is going to limit how prolific this offense can be. I don't think his intangibles can make up for it at this point.

 

"time to replace battier"? seriously? they've played one freaking game.

 

Lol, we're all still waiting for you to provide us with that highlight package of Battier making all those dynamic cuts to the basket that you promised us. After all, it was the source of my signature.

 

Well I dont have old game tape nor the know how to get it done. So I will concede this to you.

Even if I did, and I posted a 25 minute reel of it, it wouldnt matter. People are going to believe whatever they want to believe.

 

Yes, of course I was talking about offense. Battier's defense makes little difference to me anymore, because I think his offensive game has declined so much his defense no longer makes up for it.

Scola is nowhere near as useless on defense as Shane has become on the offensive end, and I don't think he will be anytime soon.

 

WRONG

Did you miss the the 700 cutting dunks by opposing big men, where Scola was completely lost. Did you miss the numerous put back layups because he wasnt boxing out properly.