I agree, Battier's value will never be higher than it is right now. We should look to move him. Unless you're a title contender, Battier's value is seriously diminished.
It was already known that Battier was the best defender against Kobe, it's just now we have Kobe actually admitting it. It's time for the "no-stats" all-star to shine in the spot light. As for Ron, sorry, but he's just Battier's back up... Artest won't be happy but who really cares, right? He's a freak'n Laker now...
This is pretty much how I feel. He is an example of what basketball should be - if you want to see what Shane Battier with offensive skills could have been, consider the semi-tragedy that is Grant Hill. Both class acts, well spoken, and mentally have it together.
You may not believe me when i say this nor will anyone else, but when a really good nba player shoots, they never see the defender. Its just like those old tapes of the "shot doctor", you practice just looking at the rim regardless of whats in front of you. We used to shoot over volleyball stands. Steve alford used to use brooms. Kobe is good enough of a offensive player that he's confortable shooting contested jimmy's. The really good players are used to shooting with a hand in their face. Now what they dont want to do is play defense all the time and have guys in their space when they come down like bruce bowen. Dumars played good defense on Jordan, but it was the help that used to limit jordan and the locking and punking of the other players. If you don't believe me, go watch La vs Boston and La vs Detroit.
Shane definitely is one of the best defenders in the game, and he guards Kobe very well. Kobe is just an amazing shooter and you can't try to shut him down, you must limit him to the best that you can. The best shooters in the game practice almost every shot with something in their face. As amazing as it sounds, the really good shooters normally shoot better with a hand in their face because of the repitition of practicing it. They still shoot good unguarded, but sometimes it isn't as good as when they are guarded. Strange part of basketball, but it's true. I still love the heart and the will that Battier gives in every game. Every young team still needs a guy like Battier. Hope to see him in red next year.
great point. when i was in high school, coach used to always put chairs in front of me and forced me to practice shooting with something right in front of me. eventually, he'll put his hands up to just make me get used to taking contested shots. kobe KNOWS shane is going to contest his shots, but the way he elevates and releases his shots are the same as if shane wasn't there. that's why the great players are great. you get more tired playing defense than offense. anybody who plays ball knows that. i can play offense all day long. defense is more draining.
man if grant hill was never injured, he would be the superstar package the NBA wants to advertise (ala the "flashier" version of tim duncan b/c he's a perimeter player). there's nobody like that today. with kobe, you get that cockiness and the 2-face, lebron is arrogant, wade w/ the off-court divorce drama... chris paul may come close though (though he can be a little drama queen on the court)
Huh? I thought everybody knew that NBA players have to be used to shooting a defender in their face. That's why some college stars that are afraid of contested jumpers flame out in the NBA.
It's a little different when a hand is that close to your face. It's not the fact that there is something blocking your view but rather a discomfort of having something that close to your face. If you look when Kobe elevates, he's already has a clear view of the basket. By the time battier's hand comes to obstruct, Kobe's already zeroed in on the basket. The main purpose the hand serves as a discomfort imo which can be just enough to throw off someones shooting mechanics even slightly.
that's exactly why shane's name got involoved in all trades related with Rox,he is that kind of player that champion team needs!
Correct. Shane is a player any team would want. He is a team player and one of the best defensive player in the league. The Rockets should keep him unless a trade that nets the team a player that could be a franchise player comes along.
This is the truth. When a real shooter shoots, his body knows what to do, all he needs to know is where the rim is. Shane's defense is as good as it can be on someone like Kobe, but its effect is more for the annoyance factor than any sort of actual prevention of the shot. Now if Shane was about 6 inches taller, with arms maybe 6 or 7 inches longer, but everything else stayed the same, same quickness, same tenacity, then instead of his quick hands just parking in front of Kobe's eyes, he would actually be much closer to getting some fingers on the ball to impede the shot getting off. As it is, Kobe could probably shoot a pretty good percentage with his eyes actually *closed* at the moment he is releasing the ball, since his brain already has seen and knows where the rim is, and his body is working from muscle memory at that point.
I wonder how great Kobe would have been if he would have gone to a no name franchise with no championships and no history of success, and was really incompetent in building around him, ala Minn. with Garnett.... would kobe still be this good?.....Jordan did it, when he was drafted by the bulls when they had no past history of winning and brought them six championships, two threepeats,........ so I dont see how analyst are saying that kobe is in the same level as Jordan by winning his fourth title...if jordan did it with a no name franchise (at the time, and no all star big man, cough*shaq, gasol* cough ) kobe= overrated...... PS. Proud of shane, should have been first team all defense....
I think the reason why Shane is so good defensively - especially at guarding a guy like Kobe is because he studies who he defends so well. Kobe also studies the defenses he plays and has a game plan at how to attack them when he comes in. Shane knows that and tries to counter. When Shane can use his athleticism combined with his mind, that's when he is at his best. Against guys like Kobe he can do that which is probably why Kobe acknowledges him as the best Kobe stopper in the league.
He's also alot taller than his real height is listed, he measured 6'9 1/2 in shoes at his draft combine. Both he and Scola are winners, that's why I wouldn't trade either unless one of them was part of aquiring an all star type player. You throw away the stat sheet when you talk about what Shane brings to the table. Nobody can stop Kobe, the best you can do is make him work his ass off for every shot and that's what Shane does best. Im glad he plays for the rockets.
As if we needed Kobe to confirm this fact...we did take the Lakers to 7 games basically without Yao and T-mac. A lot of it had to do with our defense.
Kobe put up some serious numbers against Shane. I don't think Shane does anything statistically impressive against Kobe. Mentally, I know he gives Kobe problems. But the end result is always the same.
Weird how Kobe Bryant had a significantly lower TS% vs. the Rockets than he did vs. other teams in the playoffs. All because a guy he never saw when he shot. Kobe Bryant's TS% during playoffs: vs. Houston: 53.5% vs. Orlando: 52.5% vs. Utah and Denver combined: 60.3%. It seems the Rockets and Orlando did better on Kobe than did other teams. Not suprising since both Houston and Orlando had pretty highly rated defensive teams overall. Battier had to do his job, however, without his big shot blocker for most of the series while the Orlando defenders had Dwight Howard covering their back. Also, I believe Kobe's efficiency with Battier on him was generally over than the 53.5% he averaged in the series, given that he seems to get to the bakset much easier with Artest and others defending.
