Nicolas Batum has begun the 2014-15 NBA season in peculiar fashion. After a 16-point performance against the depleted Oklahoma City Thunder in the Portland Trail Blazers’ opener, he has gone four consecutive games with single-digit scoring. This is the first time he has done this (as a starter) since his rookie season back in 2008-09, in which he only played 18.4 minutes per game.
Part of this scoring dearth has been due to poor shooting (34.9 percent so far), but a larger part has been by design. Batum is looking less and less to shoot, and more and more to pass in Head Coach Terry Stotts’ offense. This trend has been observed over the course of Stotts’ tenure in Portland, but the results are being magnified in the microcosm of this new season.
Batum’s field goals, assists, and points per game under Stotts
Batum’s field goals, assists, and points in 2014-15 thus far
| G | Date | Opp | FG | FGA | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2014-10-29 | OKC | 5 | 12 | 6 | 16 |
| 2 | 2014-10-31 | SAC | 3 | 10 | 5 | 7 |
| 3 | 2014-11-02 | GSW | 2 | 7 | 4 | 5 |
| 4 | 2014-11-04 | CLE | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
| 5 | 2014-11-06 | DAL | 2 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
The interesting thing is that opposing teams are catching on. Take a look at how the Dallas Mavericks defended Batum in the third quarter of Thursday night’s game, when he was most active. As Batum plainly scanned the court for a rolling Robin Lopez, he was met with a double-team from Dirk Nowitzki and Chandler Parsons to seal off the lane. His head never swiveled to the basket.
On the next possession, Batum had an opportunity for a corner three in transition. There was no one for him to pass to on the interior, and the defense sagged noticeably since he had shown no previous interest in shooting. In fact, Batum did not even take this shot. He waited for Nowitzki to close out, faked, and passed back to Wesley Matthews for an assist on the three-pointer.
The next time Batum touched the ball, the defense relaxed even more and none of the Mavericks even bothered stepping out on him. He had 10 feet of space in every direction when he took his first shot of the quarter. Though he would ultimately miss, it would have been irresponsible not to shoot at that point.
This was noticed by Stotts, who began running plays for Batum. The Trail Blazers switched from ISOs for Aldridge to swinging the ball around the perimeter to find Batum on the wings. Batum took five of his eight shots in the third quarter and all of them were threes (2-5, 40 percent). His increased activity can be attributed to adjustment to the Mavericks’ negligence.
Which begs the question: Is it good or bad that Batum does not otherwise look to score? The shots are there for him to take if he wants them. It is difficult to argue with a near triple-double (8 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists that night), so let’s examine how Batum’s inclinations affect his teammates.
Distribution of Batum’s 2014-15 assists thus far
- Robin Lopez: 32.1 percent
- Wesley Matthews: 25.0 percent
- LaMarcus Aldridge: 17.9 percent
- Damian Lillard: 14.3 percent
- Steve Blake: 7.1 percent
- Chris Kaman: 3.6 percent
Among the starters, it is not surprising to see that Batum’s three primary targets are players that need the most help with shot creation. What is surprising, is that all three of these players are presently shooting 50.0 percent or better from the field this season (Lopez: 25-48, 52.1 percent | Matthews: 33-61 54.1 percent | Aldridge: 44-88, 50.0 percent). For Matthews, a guard, that is especially noteworthy.
Oct 29, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Wesley Matthews (2) reacts after making three point basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Consider, now, the uptick in scoring we have seen from Matthews. Over the last five games (respecting the sample size caveat), he has averaged a career high 17.8 points per game. Portland’s offense is gradually transforming into an efficient three-headed beast (Aldridge-Lillard-Matthews) with Batum’s unselfish assistance. The Trail Blazers are forging a more focused identity with a sort of “Big 3,” a rim protector, and the glue that makes things easier for everyone else.
While it is too bad that Batum’s ability to score is perhaps under-utilized, he plays a much more important part now. He greases the wheels of one of the best offenses in the NBA. Does this mean he is going to continue scoring single-digits on a nightly basis? Probably not. Batum has always been a bit streaky, so consider this the valley before the next peak. Just do not expect him to come out guns blazing anymore. His prerogative is to find the open man– scoring will come with successful conversion of minimal looks more often than not. Overall, this shift is a positive.