What if Nicolas Batum was currently playing the best basketball of his NBA career…. We are hardly exaggerating since the Frenchman has averaged 17 points, 6 rebounds for five matches, with 4.4 3-point successes per game, for very good percentages: 64% on shots and 60% at 3-points. A series that allows the Clippers to chain five wins in a row to go back to 5th place in the West, tied with Memphis and Denver.
After the meeting, Nicolas Batum basically talked about the team, and especially not from him. He praised the Clippers collective, and the series that made the difference against the Blazers. He insisted that the defense is not yet level, especially on the side without the ball, and finally to discuss his current good pass, we must turn to Reggie Jackson.
The leader remained more than 15 minutes in front of the press, and for five minutes, he talked about Nicolas Batum !
« When Nico plays badly, it’s because we’re not doing our job, especially in defense he replies first, before moving on. ” I’m not going to lie, growing up Portland was my second favorite team so I watched Nico play a lot. I have always admired his game, his way of being, his game, his way of behaving… There is this shot in the 3rd or the beginning of the 4th… He is incredible in defense, he defends all over the field. It’s crazy that he was the one who played the most minutes last year, then he went to the Olympics… He came back and he defends against off-road guys. »
“I’m just proud to say he’s my teammate, proud to consider him a brother”
As often with Reggie Jackson, it goes all over the place. Then, after recalling the stats of Nicolas Batum against Portland, he lets go even more.
« He takes care of the best opposing striker every night, he never complains… I don’t know if there is a better guy or a better teammate. Whatever we need, in attack, in defense, he takes care of it. He played pivot last year and again this year. There’s nothing he can’t do. He can direct the game, score, shoot, take important shots, make decisive actions in defense. When you have a guy like that to go to the front, you tell yourself that you are privileged, really privileged, because he is someone rare. »
We say that Reggie Jackson is done, but he puts a big layer.
« He doesn’t claim any recognition, and I just hope he’s never ignored, because this guy is unique. He is the strong link in our team, he keeps us going, he does everything we need, he is a silent assassin. He deserves his compliments. It is important to us. This is one of the main causes of our series of five victories. I’m just happy that he’s my teammate… I’m just proud to say he’s my teammate, proud to consider him a brother and play with him every night. This guy is a superhero. Frankly, he’s a superhero and he deserves all the compliments. I don’t know what more to say. I’m lucky he’s my teammate, we all are« .
| Nicholas Batum | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Tirs | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Until | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2008-09 | BY | 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 | BY | 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 | BY | 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 | BY | 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 | BY | 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 | BY | 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 | BY | 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 | NO | 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 | NO | 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 | NO | 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 | NO | 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 | NO | 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 | LAC | 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 | LAC | 40 | 25 | 48.7 | 41.8 | 66.7 | 0.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 8.8 |
| Total | 896 | 31 | 43.8 | 36.3 | 83.8 | 1.0 | 4.2 | 5.2 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 11.2 | |