By Matt Rochinski, hornets.com
Batum Wins Eastern Conference Player of the Week | INSIDE THE HIVE: Nicolas Batum
If only for a brief moment, the question made Nicolas Batum take pause.
This wasn’t like Batum rolling off a screen, flashing toward the basket or attacking the rim on a dribble-drive. None of these bring hesitation. Through the first month of the season, those things are obviously second nature to arguably the Hornets best new addition.
What set Batum back, if only for a moment, was a question. Following a 33-point performance against his former team in a 106-94 win over Portland on Nov. 15 at Time Warner Cable Arena, Batum was asked the last time he had been playing as well as he had been over the course of the last three or four games.
“Maybe since I was 15,” he said after giving the question some thought.
The fact of the matter is Batum is coming off what might be his best stretch of play since entering the NBA seven years ago, if not ever, and the NBA is taking notice. On Nov. 16, Batum received the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week award for games played Monday, Nov. 9, through Sunday, Nov. 15, giving him his first-ever Player of the Week honor.
“He’s been doing everything, making plays, rebounding, scoring, defending, just doing everything for the team,” teammate Jeremy Lamb said following the victory over Portland. “It’s huge for us and I’m happy for him.”
During the week, Batum led the Eastern Conference in three-point field goals made (15), while ranking fifth in scoring (25.5) and third in field goals made per game (9.25). In addition to averaging 25.5 points, he posted averages of 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
“He’s always thinking about his teammates, so he’s very aware of shots and who’s getting the ball where,” said Head Coach Steve Clifford. “There are a lot of guys who are good decision makers (in the NBA), where your teammates are open and you get them the ball. I’ve only been around a few guys who are so skilled, with such savvy, where he literally knows, ‘Hey, I don’t want to give him the ball there.’ That’s how (Tracy) McGrady was. That’s how (Steve) Nash was. There aren’t that many guys, even at this level, that can play that way.”
“His understanding already of his teammates and how to help them play better is fun to watch,” Clifford added. “He has size, he has skill and he has just exceptional IQ.”
And Batum is doing it all while growing accustomed to a new role – one as a primary scoring and playmaking option for the Hornets. When General Manager Rich Cho and Assistant General Manager Chad Buchanan made the deal to send Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonleh to Portland for Batum, they knew what they were getting, but they also had a feeling they’d be getting a little more.
After seven seasons as the third or fourth option in Portland playing behind the likes of LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard, Cho and Buchanan saw more in Batum. They believed he could come to Charlotte and become the first or second option he couldn’t be with the Trail Blazers – and it’s showing up in the Hornets stat sheet. Through 10 games played entering Tuesday night, Batum leads Charlotte in scoring (17.7), three-pointers made and taken (2.4-of-5.4) and minutes played (34.2).
“My role is different right now… I’m more aggressive,” said Batum. “I was the third or fourth option back there (in Portland). We had a good team too. I had two All-Stars with me there so it’s not like I’m complaining because that was my role and I liked it. I’m a team player, so I won’t complain about my role. It was great and I played a lot with them, but now my role is different here. I have the ball more often, especially at the end of games, so I’ve got more of a chance to shoot and be more aggressive. I like that now.”
And despite his newfound aggressiveness, Batum hasn’t had a dropoff in any of the categories that made him a multi-faceted player throughout his career. He currently ranks second on the squad in rebounds (6.5), assists (3.8) and steals (1.1) – all above his career averages of 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 0.9 steal, respectively.
“Man, he’s Mr. Do-It-All,” Kemba Walker said in his latest blog entry. “I mean he does everything – scoring, finding guys and rebounding. He’s playing really great games. He’s all over the place. It’s been really fun to watch him out there. He makes life a lot easier around here.”
Batum has been doing all of this with a heavy heart as well following the terrorist attacks on Nov. 13 in his native homeland of France.
“I’ve got to do it. They tried to take us down. We have to show them that we’re stronger than that,” Batum said following the win over the Blazers. “I watch all around the league, the French players, they’re playing good so far, because we’ve got to. I try to do it for my country, this team and myself.”
With the way he is playing and the eyes of the world on him, Batum is making sure everyone is taking notice.
Key Matchup vs. the 76ers: Kemba Walker vs. T.J. McConnell
Charlotte’s Kemba Walker will be looking to take advantage of a favorable matchup when he and the Hornets square off against T.J. McConnell and the Philadelphia 76ers at Time Warner Cable Arena on Friday night… Walker is currently second on the team in scoring with 14.9 points per game this season and leads the Hornets in both assists (5.3) and steals (1.6)… The Hornets’ speedy point guard could be in line for a big performance against Philadelphia although shouldn’t sleep on 76ers’ point guard, T.J. McConnell, who is quietly having an impressive start to his rookie season after going undrafted in June… the former Arizona Wildcat is averaging 6.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.9 assists this season, the later of which is currently ranked ninth in the NBA… Although its another rebuilding season in Philadelphia, Kemba Walker and the Hornets would be wise to not look too far past the young, but talented and hungry 76ers when they square off in Charlotte on Friday night.
