Nicolas Batum – Rested for the Trail Blazers’ next push
Nicolas Batum got some well needed rest over the 2015 NBA All-Star break and should be ready to contribute at a higher level from here on out.
Relief.
That had to be the overwhelming feeling for most players in the league with the recent All-Star break.
For some, it meant heading to New York to showcase their talents for the world. For others, it meant escaping the daily grind of the NBA by having some well deserved time with their families. For the Portland Trail Blazers that were not participating in the festivities on the east coast, it meant resting to get healthy for the second half push.
This year’s injury report has been well documented after the relatively healthy season the Blazers experienced last year. Over the last several weeks, frontcourt players were intermittently available in carousel fashion as each player was forced to sit out for one reason or another.
Whether it was Joel Freeland‘s shoulder, Robin Lopez‘s hand, or LaMarcus Aldridge‘s thumb, the nightmare seasons of five and six years ago circled fan’s minds as the injuries stacked up.
Yet among all of these injuries, Nicolas Batum’s has been the most subtly troubling. Because Batum elected to play through the pain of his torn ligaments, the long lasting impact of the injury sustained back in December has flown somewhat under the radar. He has played most games since, but never at 100 percent.
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Yes, Batum’s play during this season has been sub-par at times. Yes, his shooting percentage is the lowest it has been in his career. Yes, his late-game defense has, on occasion, been a detriment to team success (see Cleveland, Dallas). However; Batum is now well rested. His play over the next two months will be a determining factor in whether or not the Blazers experience the same sort of success they had last season.
A month ago we were less concerned with Batum’s potential play come the postseason than we were about just making the playoffs after losing eight out of ten during a stretch in January (a period in which Batum averaged a dismal 7.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists).
Yet we’ve all seen the other side of Batum as well. The side that seems to shoot the ball with confidence and is unaffected by the size of a potential passing lane. Immediately following the worst stretch of the Blazers’ season, and possibly the worst run of Batum’s year as well, we caught a glimpse of the real player that fans affectionately refer to as “Batman.”
There was the near triple-douple in a win over the Jazz on February 3rd. Then a 20-point, 7-assist performance three days later against Pheonix. The statline for Batum after that two week stretch until the All-Star break, you ask? 8.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. Batum’s play during the last week of the first half showed a sneak-peak into what could be a monumental improvement starting tonight in Utah as the Blazers face the Jazz again– this time in Utah.
Will Batum be making the flashy back door passes and finishing alley-oops during every game for the rest of the season? I’m inclined to say “no” since the wrist injury has been limiting thus far, but the break should help. What Batum can do is resume filling his role on the team with less hindrance.