As is his prerogative, Michael Lewis takes a lengthy look at the Houston Rockets’ Shane Battier, his team-oriented approach to the game, and why he’s one of the best-kept secrets in the superstar-driven NBA:
Battier’s game is a weird combination of obvious weaknesses and nearly invisible strengths. When he is on the court, his teammates get better, often a lot better, and his opponents get worse — often a lot worse. He may not grab huge numbers of rebounds, but he has an uncanny ability to improve his teammates’ rebounding. He doesn’t shoot much, but when he does, he takes only the most efficient shots. He also has a knack for getting the ball to teammates who are in a position to do the same, and he commits few turnovers. On defense, although he routinely guards the N.B.A.’s most prolific scorers, he significantly reduces their shooting percentages.
I wonder how Grizzlies fans will feel about Lewis’s conclusions on Battier?
safeguy wrote:
I wasn’t much of a basketball follower at the time, but the consensus around town seemed to be disappointment to let such an understatedly great player go.
Also, Atticus once kicked Shane Battier’s dog’s ass right in front of him at doggie day care. No joke.
Posted on 17-Feb-09 at 12:04 pm | Permalink
David Morton wrote:
Interesting. If he was valued by the community at large, why did they let him go? Seems like you’d want to keep your ticket buyers happy.
Posted on 17-Feb-09 at 4:07 pm | Permalink
safeguy wrote:
Haha… you assume that Grizzlies fans are represented by the community at large. Sadly, in this town, being a Grizzlies fan is actually somewhat rare. I’m sure ownership was trying to make performance improvements, so the preferences of all 10 fans weren’t particularly meaningful.
Posted on 17-Feb-09 at 5:38 pm | Permalink