La Resistance: Nicolas Batum’s Early Impact on the Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are 13–4 and tied for the best record in the NBA! Fans of the team should be thrilled! However, as much success as the team achieves in the regular season, it’s hard to shake off the end of last season. The fact that the 2020–2021 season began so soon after the collapse doesn’t help as there hasn’t been enough time to process the loss fully emotionally. When everything is good, and Paul George is covering the passing lanes, and Kawhi is forcing ball-handlers into passing out to a lesser option, on top of the offensive-flow, the team feels unstoppable. Sadly, watching these games early into the season, it feels as though no lead the Clippers create feels big enough anymore. The Warriors game earlier in the season was almost like a flashback to the Denver series. When things got tough, and the pressure was on, there was an immediate vulnerability and a feeling of “oh shit.”
Since the Warrior game collapse on the 8th of January, the Clippers have won 7 in a row. That’s the type of reaction you want to see out of a team after a bad loss/collapse. Something I wish to highlight on the Clipper’s initial success this season is the overall performance of Nicolas Batum, a player who I was initially hesitant towards the Clippers signing as his past couple of years in Charlotte were abhorrent. Even regardless of contract, Batum was a net negative when on the court with Charlotte the last couple of seasons. At the same time, when with Charlotte, he often got asked to be the second-guy filled on a team without much scoring options, a role that in his prime he’d barely fit, and especially now is unimaginable. On the Clippers, he’s the 4th or 5th guy on the court most of the time, and he’s adjusted well. Let’s breakdown some of the roles he’s filled, what’s sustainable from him, and what’s not:
Playmaking
Batum may only be averaging 2.5 assists per game, but his usage rate is a slim 12.6% (peak Batum was averaging just under 6 assists at 22% usage clip). While Batum isn’t touching the ball much, he is still making the most of his touches. His inherent passivity is welcome on a team with two superstars and two guys hungry to shoot like superstars (Lou Will and Marcus Morris). He isn’t the guy you want to have the ball in his hands at the end of the quarter; that’s not to say he shouldn’t be getting any chances as a primary-handler at times. Being able to set the table during the second-quarter with Kawhi and PG flanking opposite sides off-ball is scary, especially if you can have one of or both Ibaka and Kennard standing in the corners from 3. In Charlotte, when Batum had the ball in his hands, the best option to pass to other than Kemba was Marvin Williams or Jeremey Lamb; and not to besmirch their names, the Clippers have a minimum of four tertiary guys who are better offensively than Williams or Lamb.
An added wrinkle to Batum’s skill-set as a playmaker is he is a stellar inbound-passer. His passing vision, soft-touch, and 6'8 frame make him deadly in end-of-game situations. Batum got used heavily in this role in Portland, and it’s something that could come in handy in a close playoff game.
Shooting
Batum is currently shooting 47% from 3, which would be legendary if he keeps it up. Considering he’s shot 34.4% from 3 his last six seasons, we should expect a potentially stark regression to the mean coming soon. Then again, he’s also never been this open throughout his career. Batum is often the 4th/5th option on the court, and when teams try to lock down PG/Kawhi, the ball gets throws to him; he has to shoot and hasn’t disappointed yet. He doesn’t need to shoot 47% for the long-run and likely won’t continue to; a more realistic and necessary clip is about 38%. If he can hit 38% of his 3’s, he will be a net positive offensively. When Batum is shooting 3’s at a competent rate, it gives the team more spacing and opens up his passing as well.
What is vital is that he keeps shooting. In the playoffs, he’s going to be open in crucial moments when the opposing side double teams our primary options. No matter how he is shooting that day, he needs to have the confidence to fire at will. Good teams in the playoff feast on fear, and the Clippers need to be as fearless as possible. Small side-note: he currently leads the league in offensive rating.
Defense
The metrics have always had Batum as a net positive from the defensive-end. On another team, Batum might be the guy you put on a primary option as he’s 6'8 with a 7'1 wingspan and moves his feet well for a guy his size. With the Clippers, he’s currently the 5th best-defender in the starting line-up, which is more a testament to the rest of the team than an indictment on Batum. Playing with other strong defenders elevates him as well. When going through game-logs and commentary threads from his time with the Hornets, there is a constant complaint that he often becomes disengaged/aloof, leading to costly mistakes and easy buckets for the opposing team.
The fear of him not being engaged in a high-stakes playoff game is real. If he’s guarding someone who is a decent scorer but not a primary option in the playoffs like a Garry Harris or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, will he give them the respect they deserve, or will they randomly drop 20 on us? On paper, he should be able to lock them down, yet, that defensive version of Batum wasn’t always there in Charlotte. Optimistically, Batum should be an asset on defense, and the fact you can switch him 2–4 with ease is huge.
Conclusion
Financially, Nicolas Batum on a 2.57 million dollar contract has been an absolute steal. He has much more in the tank left than expected. Going forward, it’s less about what his strengths are and more so about whether or not those strengths transfer over to the playoffs. The Clippers goal is to win the Championship. If Batum will be one of the five guys on the court in the crunch-time, he needs to be confident enough to shoot the ball and stay engaged on defense. Winning a title with the Clippers would go a long way towards any legacy he has. It would definitely erase some of the bad taste from his 120 million dollar Charlotte contract.
