Pacers Among Shane Battier's Final 4 FA Choices
by SethGrandpa on Dec 4, 2011 11:37 PM EST
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PrintApparently the Pacers are in the mix for Shane Battier. According to NBA.com's David Aldridge it's between the Pacers, Heat, Griz, and Raptors.
Link. (For some reason the actual original blog isn't loading on my CPU, but it's Aldridge and it's NBA.com, so it's legit.)
It's interesting to hear this because I've not heard Battier's name connected to the Pacers at all until now. That said, I'd be all for it. I would MUCH rather spend cap room on Battier than Jamal Crawford. Batter makes much more sense for the team as it's assembled, providing a perfect backup for Granger at SF. He'd bring defensive intensity and 3-point shooting in addition to his lauded reputation as a good character/locker room guy.
While the Heat are the clear front-runners to get Battier's services, the idea that we're there's a chance is exciting.
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why not
We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.
Always remember that you're unique, just like everybody else
As long as it doesn't stunt PG's growth.
"A champion is someone who gets up when he can't."
- Jack Dempsey
by infinityzero.systemerror on Dec 5, 2011 3:21 AM EST reply actions
I’d love to have a guy like Battier. Just not sure about playing time. With Lance, PG, Hill playing the majority of the minutes at the 2, he seems to only be a backup for Granger. Love to have him, but not sure how it would work out.
No to Crawford.
And it's now my sig
by Bronn on May 17, 2011 4:56 PM EDT
Are you crazy???????
The Pacers would be better off re-signing Mike Doneleaving then going after Battier. Battier play’s the exact same position as Danny Granger and Paul George. HE’S ABOUT THE LAST THING THE PACERS NEED!!!!!! Plus he’s another classic Duke the Poop That Makes You Wanna Puke first round bust just like Mike Doneleaving!!!!!!!!!
by PatsR18andDONEwithoutCHEATING on Dec 5, 2011 10:50 AM EST up reply actions
Are you?
He’s one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, he’s an excellent spot-up shooter, he’s completely unselfish, and he’s by all accounts one of the best character guys in the league.
Every team could use Shane Battier.
First, I’m a big fan of signing battier. He is exactly what we need to control the locker room and set an example of professionalism for our young guys (lance). We definitely lack veteran voices and he just got done making a deep run with a young Memphis team that is pretty comparable to us in terms of talent, so he should be comfortable and experienced in the role we are asking him to play. However, can he still be considered an elite wing defender? No doubt he can hold his own. He can probably even shut down a bunch of starting 3s. But this is not the guy who was dogging Kobe for 30 mins a game. He can’t really guard faster smaller players anymore. So, while I definitely think he would be a great addition, lets be real about what services he actually provides on the court.
Shane Battier=Mike Doneleaving
DON’T SIGN HIM!!!!!!!!!!
by PatsR18andDONEwithoutCHEATING on Dec 5, 2011 10:48 AM EST reply actions
you bring this place down a notch all by yourself
I cringe when I see your name under a post
My Blog on lifting, movies, fish, and some mma: www.themindofshadow.blogspot.com
And just for the record
I’d much much much rather the Pacers spend their cap money on a high priced big man so they can release him next season with out pay and look at making the biggest splash in free agency in franchise history. And just for the record Jamal “the selfish prick” Crawford and Shane “The Asshole From Duke The Poop That Makes You Wanna Puke” Battier would both suck ass as Pacers. Shane is a SF that’s about the last thing the Pacers need and Jamal Crawford is an old slow selfish prick with character issues. Sound familiar, hhhhmmm sounds like another Stephen “Just Shoot Me” Jackson and Mike Doneleavy. Well maybe a Stephen “Just SHoot Me” Jackson who can actually shoot the ball and another Mike Doneleavy.
by PatsR18andDONEwithoutCHEATING on Dec 5, 2011 10:55 AM EST reply actions
I'll sell you a Shane Battier rookie card if you want
Since he seems to be your favorite player and all.
Paying him too much worries me
I have heard the Pacers are interested. I can’t remember who said it, but it was on a radio show (either Grade/Big Joe or JMV, as those are the ones I’m most likely to be listening to at lunch break or after work). Perhaps it was Mike Wells? Anyway, whoever it was cited Battier as the Pacers “top priority,” and this was last week. The person talked about it like the Pacers would prefer Battier over Crawford. But I’ve also sort of assumed Battier was one of those guys who has handled his money well (he’s really smart) and wants to win. If that’s the case, a mini-mid-level to a team like Miami would make a bunch of sense. Then if that’s true, we’d probably have to pay him more than that $4-ish million, and while I think he’s probably worth it, I don’t think we’d get our money’s worth unless we gave him, and not Paul George, a lot of minutes behind Granger at SF. With our current 1-2-3 rotation of Collison/Hill/George/Granger I see only 10 or so minutes for a guy like Battier, and you clearly don’t want to pay big money for that. So unless they’re going to trade someone, or plan on stifling George, I’m not with it. This brings me back to the obvious areas of need, which are, to me, clearly at the starting PF and backup C positions. There are only two NBA players on our roster at 4-5, with two potential end-of-benchers we could sign (Famous and Smith). If they’re going to make a splash anywhere this off-season, I’d prefer it be on a big, even if it’s an extra center who probably can’t play with Hibbert, like Gasol or Nene, simply because that’s where the roster is thinnest. Call me crazy, but I kind of like the guards and wings we have on our roster currently. All that said, Battier would provide what we needed last year, which is a top-notch defensive stopper.
"You're hitting the wrong person. Don't you know you're hitting Ron Artest?"
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In addition...
People are also forgetting about Lance and what adding an extra 2 or 3 would do to diminish his playing time.
Nope
Totally remembered Lance…He’s the second-lowest paid player on our team and our current 3rd string PG. Not losing any sleep over his PT
"You're hitting the wrong person. Don't you know you're hitting Ron Artest?"
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Well
I wouldn’t be against signing Battier, it’s just I don’t think he fits the system. He’s a great character, and a proven vet, but he is still playing well and would demand minutes like Luke mentioned. Would absolutely love it if he took a pay cut, then he could replace Dunleavy, and no he isn’t the same as Mike, Battier is better. And besides that, he gives us more playoff experience. I feel like Hill is going to be our defensive catalyst, along side George. If we can bring in either Nene or Milsap, our roster will be tough to handle. And who knows how good of a job Hibbert did convincing Nene to come here. Gonna be an interesting week. Our roster could be completely different by the weekend.
What's this...
I hadn’t heard. Did Hibbs go after Nene? If so, they obviously believe the two of them could play together…
I think we already have a potentially devastatingly-effective trio of perimeter defenders in Hill, George and Dhantay Jones (yes, I think he could still be useful in spot duty). If we’re adding Battier, I just hope it means we’re trading Rush and have some weird plan to run Granger at 4 when it actually works (not just whenever we feel like jacking up threes with 21 seconds left on the shot clock). Believe it or not, over the last two years, Granger was actually MOST effective, based on PER, playing PF. Obviously that only works for a few minutes at a time, and against slow defenders who we want to draw out of the middle of the court.
So if we could sign Battier and Nene we could conceivably run a rotation that looked like this:
PG-Collison (65% of the minutes/Hill 35%)
SG-George (85%/Hill 20%)
SF-Granger (55%/Battier 45%)
PF-Nene (40%/Hansbrough 50%/Granger 10%)
C-Hibbert (65%/Nene 35%)
Then fill in the rest of the roster with young, cheap camp guys like Famous, Smith etc. a loyal vet or two (like Foster) and the other guys on our squad already (Jones, Rush, Price and Stephenson). Bring over Stanko if possible, or wait until next year. That’s a lineup with size, speed, athleticism and defense. Spot shooting would be a problem, as Granger remains the only pure perimeter scorer, but I’m confident Hill helps on offense and George makes strides. It’d be a very difficult team to score on, similar to those Pistons teams that were so good in the early 2000s, only we’re not assholes.
"You're hitting the wrong person. Don't you know you're hitting Ron Artest?"
Come visit The Fantasy Ninjas. We'd love to hear from you.
math not my strong suit...obviously 80/20 for George
"You're hitting the wrong person. Don't you know you're hitting Ron Artest?"
Come visit The Fantasy Ninjas. We'd love to hear from you.
It's so obvious Nene & Hibbert are a match it's not even funny
They’d be just nasty with Roy in the high post and Nene down low.
I think there might be a better shot at Battier than people expect, if they’re pitching him right. Yeah, maybe you win a title in Miami, and perhaps expectations for that aren’t reasonable in a short window in Indy. But if you’re a key cog in a team that wins one playoff series, your celebrity’s going to stick. Also, he’s from Michigan and has 2 small kids, so it’s close to home.
Hyperbole much?
I think you’re stretching just a tad on Hibbert and Nene being a “match.” Hibbert’s a 31% jump-shooter who spends all of his minutes at center and Nene’s a 29% jump-shooter who spends all of his minutes at center. One of them is going to have to develop some sort of jumper in order for this relationship to work (or else they’re both just kind of standing around in the lane), and I’m guessing it’s not Nene. I’m all for it if, as you say, Hibbs can develop a high-post game. He’s got the vision, he just needs to improve his consistency with the jump shot and be more collected with the ball (like, not lose it so damn much). Really, someone like David West (only not old and injured) would be a better match next to Roy, but there’s no one out there like that who’s worth it.
As for Battier, I’m not buying your celebrity status argument with Battier. Actually, it goes beyond me not buying it. I don’t understand what you’re trying to say at all. If you’re saying a person gets more recognition by losing in the Conference semis for Indiana than they do winning a title with Miami, I’d have to point to your apparent crack habit as “exhibit A” in the long list of things that are wrong with that assertion, not even mentioning the fact that we don’t know for sure if Battier is interested in “celebrity” (i.e., he may be interested in money, just winning, minutes, etc…).
"You're hitting the wrong person. Don't you know you're hitting Ron Artest?"
Come visit The Fantasy Ninjas. We'd love to hear from you.
In my crack-addled brain, Hibbert=Smits and Nene is a SuperDavis.
As for Battier, naturally it was a speculative argument, since we’re talking on the Internet.
My point was that if “they,” as in Pacers brass, are making their pitch correctly, they will admit that no, a Finals appearance isn’t assured. But in a town like Indy, a quality role player who “does the little things” on a team emerging from years in the wilderness is going to have a much bigger name (relatively speaking) for post-career opportunities than in a place like Miami, with all of its sex and money and cocaine.
That’s really the only way you can pitch Indy to free agents.
I'd like Hibbert to = Smits, but he needs about 5 more feet on his range and a LOT more consistency on his jumper
Makes all the difference in the world. And Nene will probably never be the rebounder that Dale Davis was.
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