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Strengths: Athletically, Batum is a great leaper with tremendous wingspan and solid quickness … Excellent finisher in transition where his length and athleticism make for effortless lay-ups or dunks … Has no problem grabbing rebounds and creating fast break opportunities for his team … Creates a great deal of mismatches with his versatility as he can alternate between the small forward and shooting guard position … Will quickly take advantage of this by posting up small defenders and using his length for finishes around the basket … Unselfish player who constantly looks for open teammates … Court vision is decent for a player his age … Defensively, his wingspan and timing allow him to be a quality help defender who can block shots … Possesses quick hands and long arms to disrupt passing lanes … Owns a nice first step that he can use to create separation from his defender … Underrated rebounder - he is such a perimeter oriented player whose numbers don’t truly record his effectiveness … Uses his long arms, mobility and athleticism to rebound out of position … Moves well without the ball and is a threat around the basket for lob passes where he is a solid finisher … Has three point range on his shot … Although not a pure mid-range shooter, Batum has shown vast improvement … Coachable player with a great work ethic to improve … Feel for the game is tremendous and will only increase with time … Potentially, given Batum’s physical gifts and various intangibles, his upside has great promise …
Weaknesses: Not a great creator off the dribble because his ball handling ability is suspect when heavy defensive pressure is applied … Naturally, as with any player his age, Batum’s upper body strength will need improvement … Defensively, although improved this season, Batum remains a work in progress as he lacks the consistency and court awareness to lock down opposing players … Some of this has a lot to do with his intensity level - there are some games where he appears unfocused … Despite all his physical tools, Batum rarely looks to initiate and at times shies away from contact, leading some to question his toughness … Confidence tends to wavier appearing as if he needs to be reminded that he is the best player on the team … Because of this he has a habit of deferring to teammates instead of dominating his opponents … Batum’s three point shot and perimeter shooting can go through periods of streakiness … Shooting mechanics are in need of some refinement as he doesn’t always fully extend on his release … Mental mistakes are still a result of his learning the game and reflect his experience level … Lacks the strength to absorb contact and finish around the basket … Will telegraph his passes at times, leading some defenders to pick them off …
Matthew Maurer - 3/6/08
| Statistics |
|
SEASONS
|
GP
|
FG%
|
3PT%
|
FT%
|
SPG
|
BPG
|
RPG
|
APG
|
PPG
|
|
2006-07 Le Mans
|
39
|
50.7
|
28.3
|
55.5
|
0.4
|
0.3
|
2.4
|
1.1
|
4.2
|
|
2007-08 Le Mans
|
37
|
51.1
|
35.4
|
74.0
|
1.3
|
0.7
|
4.8
|
3.6
|
12.0
|
|
Totals
|
76
|
51.0
|
33.1
|
70.1
|
0.8
|
0.5
|
3.6
|
2.3
|
8.1
|
|
