Breaking news: LA Lakers finally sign Nicolas Batum for $80 Million’s…
From the moment the Sixers acquired Nicolas Batum in the James Harden trade, the French forward always had the skillset to be a quality two-way wing for a team in need of just that.
A forward who could seamlessly support the team at both ends of the floor. And over his season with the Sixers, Batum went above and beyond to impress in Philadelphia.
It didn’t take long for Batum to become a fan favorite, making little plays — from sharp rotations to help protect the basket to launching threes without hesitation — that the team hasn’t been used to seeing from its wing rotation. Batum went on to average 5.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks in 25.9 minutes per game with a 39.9 percent three-point stroke for the regular season.
The box score numbers (apart from the solid rebounding rate and three-point percentage) aren’t what matter with Batum, though. Offensively, he does all the main things the team needs from a complementary forward. For starters, he’s a quick-trigger shooter who won’t hesitate to fire when he has a little room.
He can shoot against closeouts or pump fake into space if need be, and shoot off the catch without even needing to lower the ball before releasing — an extremely difficult skill that he’s mastered.
Then there’s his passing. The Sixers don’t need Batum to be the higher duty ball-handler or playmaker he was earlier in his career. He doesn’t have the burst or shiftiness for that anymore, and that’s ok on this team.
He’s still adept at a variety of reads, from smart passes around the perimeter to smooth post entry feeds to Joel Embiid. The latter can’t be taken for granted either when thinking about how much this has been an issue for Embiid’s teammates in the past.
