Time to replace Shane Battier in the starting rotation?

Shane needs to come off the bench. At this point, Budinger is the better player and should be getting his minutes. Budinger is a better offensive player and rebounder; Shane obviously the better defender.

There's no reason why we can't use the 'defensive specialist' Battier in the same way that we use Chuck Hayes. But we need to put our best players on the court to start and finish the game, and our best SF is clearly Chase Budinger.

 

Yep, so be it. My rationale is simple.
1.) I look at this team as a contender as it is formed right now (one of many).
2.) I think this team would be even a little better with Ariza (let's not go into this...I know many fans disagree).
3.) If you already have a contending team going into a season, I don't agree with making moves that make your team worse the current season, however slightly, just to give you more salary cap flexibility in the completely unknowable future.

If I didn't believe either of the first two things were true, then of course I would have no problem with the move.

 

people see what they want !yes i would like to see a better scorer at the 3 but bud is not ready yet for full time duty(yeah i know i said duty LOL) :grin: i think it won't be long but he must get better on defense & shane would not be as effective off the bench & his offense has not really been there as a rocket anyway

 

I would normally agree. Best players on the court, as much as possible.

But our backcourt defense is SO BAD with Brooks and Martin. It's like having Kenny Smith starting both guard spots, bad. And our other starting forward is pretty bad at that end of the court, too. We absolutely need just a little defense in the starting lineup besides Yao, so that the best wing player on the other team doesn't go completely unguarded. Buddinger is exciting, but he's as bad as the others on that end of the court. It's a pretty bad problem to have, honestly. You just can't win if your team plays zero defense.

 

The whole team lost...no one helped the team win technically....but here you have it, battier WAS NOT the reason they lost..if Lebigeez can see this, no reason why others cant.

 

Actually he wasn't....he only started like 20 games that year, and Phil Jackson said that Artest was a 30mpg player while Trevor was not.

DD

 

I'm not saying Battier is a bad player but at some point, you gotta admit his defense is overrated. People say he's a Kobe stopper, but thats never what I see watching us play against the Lakers.

I do commend Battier for never taking too many shots though. If he did, there wouldn't be enough touches for Yao, Martin, AND Brooks.

 

Last year, our defense was terrible -- but that was without a 7'6" guy clogging the middle. He makes a BIG difference. We also added another 7 footer in Brad Miller.. our defense will be fine.

I don't agree that Budinger is a bad defender; I think he's an average one. That might be nitpicking, but not when you isolate his defense vs. Martins. Martin was stuck guarding Kobe most of the night and did a decent job.. about as well as anyone could having to guard Kobe Bryant.

Last night we got killed on the boards late in the game. Budinger is an above-average rebounder that would help us with Yao out. He's just a flat-out better fit for this team than Battier.

Battier needs a slow-it-down, grind it out, stay in the corner and play your role type team. I don't think we have that type of team anymore since McGrady went down -- we're an up tempo team that makes cuts and swings the ball. I just don't think Battier fits into our team concept anymore, except defensively on the perimeter. I'd rather Budinger get more minutes.

 

Battier has sufficient defense and leadership. The coaches have to decide if that's the type of qualities needed to balance the starting five. He's aging and his stock isn't going to go up, but I feel like he still has some things he can contribute to this team.

Since battier has been here so long, do you think they'd be worried the chemistry of the starters would be affected if he was replaced with someone younger? I think it would definitely be worth a try if we start struggling.

 

Ah, the annual bash/trade/replace Shate Battier thread. I predicted this weeks ago, but didn't expect to see it so soon. AB will be next as soon as he goes a game with horrific shooting and only a few assists. So predictable.

 

I agree totally, but I am in no hurry to make it happen, make Budinger EARN it....with his play.

I expect Rick will make a switch much like he did with Scola if Bud continues to outplay Shane, he will do it sometime this year.

DD

 

Shane's defensive skill has been underrated. He is still our best outside defender.

 

Our defense will pick back up when Lowry returns. This season is still to early and i believe they'll get it all together by the next few games.

 

it sucks how EVERY year we always seem to have an offensive liability going back to the ryan bowens to chuck hayes to now shane battier. the dude was an offensive scrub last night.

i really hope cbud (at least in adelman's eyes) can improve his defense (i thought his D was pretty darn good last night) even more so coach can trust him out there in the crucial moments of the game.

at this stage, battier should not play more than 8-10 minutes a game (spot duty).

i was watching the game w/ my friends last night and whenever battier had the ball, the comment that usually was blurted out was: "who the hell is this scrub?"

 

Man, sometimes in reading this board and seeing the lack of understanding of what Battier is being asked to do, and what role he is filling and how he doesn't fit on the 2nd unit with a guy who can't shoot like Lowry is mind numbing.

Maybe a thread titled....."Battier's role for the neanderthals" is in order.

DD

 

Like i'm still waiting on those dynamic cuts from shane you proclaimed last year.

Look, clyde and others have stated many times how adelman is loyal to vets even to a fault. Go and look at his last couple yrs in sacramento when christie and peja werent playing well and wallace was when he got the chance. As soon as one of those got healthy, he wouldnt play wallace anymore. Then they left him unprotected for the expansion draft. Want another example? Brooks and rafer. He wasnt really on board with trading rafer, but anyone with eyes knew brooks was the better option.

Dont make it seem like adelman is the master of rotations of some kind. I like him as a coach, but this team played better last year with brooks,martin,ariza as the 1,2,3. Now if you decide to listen to DD, he will skew the post trade numbers to his desire. Ariza wasnt a great offensive or defensive player, but he was a guy who could defend and you had to guard. Shane can defend certain players better than ariza, but last year, ariza defended kobe better than anyone on the team.

Shane would play 20 mins or less on every top team in the nba. Chuck hayes wouldnt play at all.

 

I don't think it's a question of Battier's role.

Battier just needs to be traded. There really is no need for 2 defensive specialist that are offensively handicapped. Hell, with Jeffries it makes 3.

I'm sure Morey can swing the singer for a 2nd rounder.

 

I say if we can't package Battier's expiring contract (along with talent of course) for a really good player then just let him expire.

 

For all you guys complaining and asking for a trade, who wants Battier? He's been in decline, his defense is slipping, and he sucks on offense.

If you guys are saying he's THAT bad, then why would any other team want him?

 

Leeb, you are a good basketball observer on everything BUT Shane Battier, you have blinders on and refuse to see what he is doing on this team.

Is he flawed, of course he is....is he a perfect player....no....but he is playing his role, and that is to take on the toughest defensive assignment and take an occassional shot.

Trevor is horrible, he couldn't guard my dead grandmother....And Kobe was not that much of an issue last night, we contained Kobe, we got beat by role players.....and a lack of our guys finishing layups.

While I have said many times, I would trade Battier, and I am sure Morey would too, if the right deal came around, but right now, there is no "Right deal" for him.

DD