Down in the hole in Charlotte three seasons ago now, Nicholas Batum did not shun his little revenge against the Hornets the other night, when initialing a dream evening with 21 points at 7/10 from 3-pointers, plus 7 rebounds and 2 assists.
Now a veteran of the Clippers team, which can claim the title with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard both in action, Nicolas Batum is the firefighter on duty, brought to play in several positions, in a role of support and defender versatile. A role he gladly accepts, given his recent career curve…
“At the time, I was thinking more of retirement! »
“Two years ago, I didn’t think I would be in the situation I am in now, still playing a lot of important minutes, with a role in a team that is playing for the title. At the time, I was thinking more of retirement! »
Passing through Portland recently, the veteran who recently exceeded the bar of 1,000 NBA career games (season + playoffs) inevitably had a twinge in his heart. Because it was in the City of Roses in Oregon that the tricolor winger made his debut in 2008 and where he spent the first seven seasons of his American career (for 11 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists on average).
“It’s a special place for me”explains Nicolas Batum in the LA Times. “I grew up here! [Monty Williams, alors assistant coach] really said to me:You think you have the fangs and want your place to death, but don’t worry, there will be another Nic Batum next year, and the year after. There are Drafts every year! Being drafted is hard, but playing in the NBA is even harder. Staying in the NBA is the hardest part!‘ It’s a moment I will never forget. »
Stuck on the bench of the Hornets for his last season, lost in the dynamic instilled by James Borrego, Nicolas Batum was nevertheless one of Steve Clifford’s “favorites”, as during this golden period from 2015 to 2017 when he shot 15 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists average.
“It’s his basketball IQ”, starts Steve Clifford. “On both sides of the pitch to make the right decisions. He knows where the ball has to go before picking it up. It used to be that a lot of guys knew how to do it, but now it’s getting rarer and rarer. »
“He wanted to dunk [sur Pau Gasol] Everytime “
In Los Angeles, he also knew how to build a good relationship of trust with his coach Ty Lue, who came to see him this summer in Paris to tell him that his role was going to change as the Clippers have a plethora of wingers to play. Nicolas Batum currently responds with a career-best 3-pointer, with 43% completion.
“Sometimes if you tell a guy to do this, do that, they become robotic,” details Monty Williams. “But not him! He always kept this desire and he continued to grow as a player. He had that passion in him and I discovered it when he was playing against guys he’s been playing for a long time, especially Pau Gasol. He wanted to dunk on him every time and I wondered, but what is this stuff!? In fact, it comes from their history in national teams. But that’s how I found out [Nicolas] had this anger. »
Perhaps a little too satiated by his big contract and washed out by the exhausting rhythm of competitions year after year, especially after the 2014 World Cup, finished with the first tricolor medal at a World Cup, a place in the best five of the competition … but above all an old burnout from which he had to recover. Step by step.
“After what happened to me in Charlotte, I promised myself, especially with the French selection, to do my best to retire as I wish”explains Nicolas Batum who intends in this case to draw the curtain on the blue jersey on a last coup at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.
“That’s the attitude I’ve adopted now. I’m going to keep working and they’re going to have to kick me in the ass. I wish them good luck. »
| Nicholas Batum | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2008-09 | ORP | 79 | 18 | 44.6 | 36.9 | 80.8 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 5.4 |
| 2009-10 | ORP | 37 | 25 | 51.9 | 40.9 | 84.3 | 0.9 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 10.1 |
| 2010-11 | ORP | 80 | 32 | 45.5 | 34.5 | 84.1 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 12.4 |
| 2011-12 | ORP | 59 | 30 | 45.1 | 39.1 | 83.6 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 4.6 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 13.9 |
| 2012-13 | ORP | 73 | 38 | 42.3 | 37.2 | 84.8 | 1.3 | 4.3 | 5.6 | 4.9 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 14.3 |
| 2013-14 | ORP | 82 | 36 | 46.5 | 36.1 | 80.3 | 1.4 | 6.0 | 7.5 | 5.1 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 13.1 |
| 2014-15 | ORP | 71 | 34 | 40.0 | 32.4 | 85.7 | 0.9 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 4.8 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 9.4 |
| 2015-16 | CHA | 70 | 35 | 42.6 | 34.8 | 84.9 | 0.8 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 5.8 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 14.9 |
| 2016-17 | CHA | 77 | 34 | 40.3 | 33.3 | 85.6 | 0.6 | 5.7 | 6.3 | 5.9 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 15.1 |
| 2017-18 | CHA | 64 | 31 | 41.5 | 33.6 | 83.1 | 0.9 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 5.5 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 11.6 |
| 2018-19 | CHA | 75 | 31 | 45.0 | 38.9 | 86.5 | 1.0 | 4.3 | 5.2 | 3.3 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 9.3 |
| 2019-20 | CHA | 22 | 23 | 34.6 | 28.6 | 90.0 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 4.6 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 3.6 |
| 2020-21 | LAKE | 67 | 27 | 46.4 | 40.4 | 82.8 | 0.8 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 8.1 |
| 2021-22 | LAKE | 59 | 25 | 46.3 | 40.0 | 65.8 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 8.3 |
| 2022-23 | LAKE | 33 | 21 | 45.8 | 43.0 | 59.1 | 0.9 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 6.3 |
| Total | 948 | 30 | 43.8 | 36.5 | 83.4 | 1.0 | 4.1 | 5.1 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 10.9 | |
