"Battier may be difference-maker"

[OldPhiKap]

Good ink for a good guy:

http://www.foxsportsflorida.com/06/1...22&feedID=3565

[hq2]

Good ink for a good guy:

http://www.foxsportsflorida.com/06/1...22&feedID=3565

Give him credit. He's 33 and almost done and his physical skills are waning, but he still knows
how to play. Having waited 11 years in the league for his chance, he's stepping up on the big stage,
and not just with three point shooting (although that last straight-on bank shot; was that planned?),
but with great defense and team play. He knows this could likely be a once-in-a-lifetime moment, and he's playing like it too. He could indeed be the difference between the Heat winning and losing.

And, for once, I can actually cheer for the Heat. All of them are finally showing the kind of heart (and
grit) that it takes to be champions. Both Wade and Bosh are not 100%, and Wade's skills appear to be starting to fade, but they're still getting it done, and Lebron is finally stepping up when it matters (bad 3 point shot near the end notwithstanding). If they beat OKC, no one will have doubted that they are true champions, and they'll earn it, the hard way. People may still not like them, but they'll have to respect them.

[sagegrouse]

Battier is probably the best interview among players in all of sports. I wonder if the NBA finals will result in a sea change in his visibility beyond this season.

Interesting, one piece of the article indicated that Battier was more willing to criticize the Heat's play than either Spoelstra or Lebron. He knows how to do it the right way -- another communciations skill.

sagegrouse

[miramar]

I would have never expected that Shane Battier, one of the all-time good guys at Duke, would become the absolutely master of face guarding in the NBA. But I have to admit that watching him do it is one of my guilty pleasures in basketball. Here is one great example:

http://www.nba.com/media/kobe21_600_070330.jpg

It's great to see him getting so much positive publicity towards the end of his career, but it's fully deserved for the only guy in the league who can cover Kevin Durant one night and Kobe Bryan the next (and probably anyone else in the NBA whose name starts with a K, with the possible exception of Kevin Love).

[niveklaen]

http://wagesofwins.com/2012/06/14/wi...in-finals-mvp/

the advanced stats guys seem to be rooting for him too

[UrinalCake]

Shane's in a great position, if the Heat wins it all then they can all look to him as being the difference maker, as he was the most significant addition from last year's team which fell short. The Heat's defense has been underrated this year and I think Shane is a big part, not just in what he does but in what his teammates do as a result of his presence. As Duke fans we should all be proud to watch what he's doing.

If they do win it all (which is of course a long way from decided), I wonder if Shane will "ride off on a white horse" like he did in 2001...

[Greg_Newton]

Thought these were some great quotes from a linked article on the front page - it was published after game 1 (Durant hit a lot of shots over Battier in game 2), but still:

Durant took 14 jumpers in Game 1 and made eight of them. Of those eight makes, four were contested by a hand near the ball. Four of his makes weren't contested at all. But none of his makes was contested by a hand near the eyes.

Durant missed all three of those blindfolded shots -- all defended by Battier.

...When asked about Battier's unorthodox blindfold technique on Wednesday at practice, Durant shook his head in frustration and offered this response:

"I absolutely hate it."... "He’s probably the only guy that does it," Durant said. "I’m just used to guys contesting the shot, but putting a hand in your face? That’s different."

...Here in the playoffs, Battier has guarded 59 shots of the spot-up variety, according to SynergySports, a video-tracking service used by NBA teams. Among players this postseason with at least 40 defended spot-up shots, Battier has allowed the fewest number of points on a per-play basis. His opponent is shooting just 30 percent on those tries. Durant, so far, has contributed three misses and no makes.

[kcswimjk]

"He's 33 and almost done and his physical skills are waning, but he still knows how to play."

I haven't watched enough of the Heat this year to really know; is Battier really waning, physically? He looks pretty darn good in the Finals.

[miramar]

"He's 33 and almost done and his physical skills are waning, but he still knows how to play."

I haven't watched enough of the Heat this year to really know; is Battier really waning, physically? He looks pretty darn good in the Finals.

His shooting was down this year at 38.7% overall and 33.9% on threes, compared to career numbers of 44.1% and 38.2%. This made people think his skills were eroding, but he's still plenty active on defense and his shooting has certainly come back at the right time. Nevertheless, Shane himself has said he can't jump the way he used to, which is no surprise.

He has made $50 million so far in his career, but he still has $6.4 million left in the last two years of his contract, so he certainly has a big incentive to keep going until he's 35.

[mapei]

He looks to me like he's waning a bit, a wee bit slower and not as strong as at his peak. I'm rooting for OKC to win, but for Shane to keep showing well.

And I love watching LeBron play - I like him a lot, and Bosh, too. I have a harder time liking Wade, not sure why. Mainly, there's something about the freshness of OKC that's really appealing to me.

[greybeard]

I think that this hand in the face is dangerous play and bush league. I would have Perkins knock Battier from here til Tuesday.

[moonpie23]

I think that this hand in the face is dangerous play and bush league. I would have Perkins knock Battier from here til Tuesday.

mr beard...are you quoting? or is this your serious opinion?

[sagegrouse]

His shooting was down this year at 38.7% overall and 33.9% on threes, compared to career numbers of 44.1% and 38.2%. This made people think his skills were eroding, but he's still plenty active on defense and his shooting has certainly come back at the right time. Nevertheless, Shane himself has said he can't jump the way he used to, which is no surprise.

He has made $50 million so far in his career, but he still has $6.4 million left in the last two years of his contract, so he certainly has a big incentive to keep going until he's 35.

I expect Shane has slipped a bit, but while you read about "Microwave" and "Instant Offense," starters always seem to score more than subs, per minute and total. This season and the stint at Memphis last year were the first times Shane wasn't a starter in the NBA since his third year in the league.

His 4.8 PPG and 2.4 RPG recorded this year were career lows. As a starter in the last 13 playoff games, however, Shane's stats are 39% 3PT, 7.9 PPG and 2.9 RPG, more in line with his prior years.

sagegrouse

[superdave]

I think that this hand in the face is dangerous play and bush league. I would have Perkins knock Battier from here til Tuesday.

mr beard...are you quoting? or is this your serious opinion?

It's a good defensive move. The announcers said the other night that Durant said he hated it. All defensive specialists do something like that. Artest would get up under people so they come down on his shoulders/elbows and get banged up. Artest is built like a defensive end so that works for him. Bruce Bowen used to sweep the leg. Seriously, google "Bruce Bowen trip".

That being said, I'd have Perk regulate on Battier. Run Battier off screens and knock him into next Wednesday. Then explain to him why you did it. That's 1970s NBA ball for you.

Another point on Battier...

According to his game log from this season, he scored 12+ TWICE in the regular season. Twice! He's done it four times in the playoffs, including in his last 3 games. His minutes per game have jumped by 10 from the regular season to the post season. So does he revert to the mean and cost the Heat the series or does he keep this up and bring them a title? Is he the most important player for the Heat? Could be...

[miramar]

I expect Shane has slipped a bit, but while you read about "Microwave" and "Instant Offense," starters always seem to score more than subs, per minute and total. This season and the stint at Memphis last year were the first times Shane wasn't a starter in the NBA since his third year in the league.

His 4.8 PPG and 2.4 RPG recorded this year were career lows. As a starter in the last 13 playoff games, however, Shane's stats are 39% 3PT, 7.9 PPG and 2.9 RPG, more in line with his prior years.

sagegrouse

Shane has made 64% of the Heat's threes in the first two games, according to another complimentary article:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/06/1...tier-adds.html

Of course, his defense continues to be outstanding, and this photo shows that he still knows how to strong-arm an opponent (scroll down a bit):

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/ba...navlink=navbar

[-bdbd]

Shane is going to make a great President someday. Smart guy. One of the best defenders in the NBA. MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP!

[greybeard]

mr beard...are you quoting? or is this your serious opinion?

A little to strident, but serious. You move your head in a normal way, or maybe drift forward a bit, a hand into your face and a finger maybe into your eye. How well would you shoot? If you did that to a shooter on Riley's Knicks, say Patrick if you could reach that eye, Oakly would knock the snot out of you, all legal like, a foul maybe. He'd find a way, and then another, and then another.

Dean Smith used to have his players not "contest jump shots." Oh no, he just had them put their arms straight up in the air looking all innocent like and once the shooter elevated take a step toward the shooter, making it a crap shoot if you followed through "normally" you might end up landing on the defender's foot with a badly sprained ankle. I never understood how the refs let el Deano get away with that c@#p. I think it outrageous that the refs let Battier.

If Battier has been doing it the entire season I am all the more shocked. I'd say I haven't seen that before but, hey, I had him guarding the wrong guy in the series against the Celtics. That sad, wre was thi dfese the first game against Durrant? Pat Riley tactic that in my view has no place in basketball, has nothing to do with impeding vision and has everything to do with instilling hesitation, with planting a seed of warrented concern for a series ending series, unless one was real careful not to float forward a tad. You make someone change what they are doing by putting their face, their eyes in danger is not defenseto me but intimidation, intimidation by someone with a skweaky clean reputation, I KINOW what Pat Riley would do. I also know what he did now. Me, I'd go after Battier and get him real good. Perkins would be my man. We'll see.

[moonpie23]

he's been doing it for years and it's an incredibly savvy defensive play....

so, you're just going with the goon-squad rebuttal?

[gumbomoop]

If Battier has been doing it the entire season I am all the more shocked.

I am one of the less informed posters around here re NBA. But in the famous Michael Lewis article a couple of years back, this tactic was mentioned, positively, as far as I can tell.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/ma...ewanted=1&_r=1 [Scroll down, p. 3]

And the several times I've seen Battier guard Kobe, the hand in face was a constant, when Battier was close enough. So, whether controversial or not, it's not just the playoffs, nor just this season.

[sagegrouse]

If Battier has been doing it the entire season I am all the more shocked. I'd say I haven't seen that before but, hey, I had him guarding the wrong guy in the series against the Celtics. That sad, [where was the defense]... the first game against Durrant? Pat Riley tactic that in my view has no place in basketball, has nothing to do with impeding vision and has everything to do with instilling hesitation, with planting a seed of warrented concern for a series ending series, unless one was real careful not to float forward a tad. You make someone change what they are doing by putting their face, their eyes in danger is not defenseto me but intimidation, intimidation by someone with a skweaky clean reputation, I KINOW what Pat Riley would do. I also know what he did now. Me, I'd go after Battier and get him real good. Perkins would be my man. We'll see.

FWIW, Greybeard, Battier has been doing it for years. I thought it was mentioned in the NY Times Magazine's cover article a couple of years ago. - sage