Author of 18 points once morest Phoenix on Tuesday, Nicolas Batum joined the club of players with more than 10,000 career pawns. A great accomplishment for the Clippers player and something tells us it’s not over.
This is one of the figures that we do not look at regularly but which are always a pleasure to see once released. On October 28, 2008, Nicolas Batum began his NBA career once morest the ogre Lakers. Three short minutes on the floor for the young rookie, the time to score two points on his only shot of the day. Almost thirteen years and four months later, Batman is still within the Great League and he continues to put the orange ball in the circle. By planting 18 points once morest the Suns in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, the tricolor winger has exceeded the threshold of 10,000 career points (we only count the regular season). He thus becomes the second Frenchman to achieve such a performance behind Tony Parker, definitively anchored at 19,473 points.
Nico Batum has also exceeded the bar of 10,000 career points last night in Phoenix.
Ranking of the best all-time French scorers in the NBA:
1) Tony Parker (19 473 points)
2) Nicholas Batum (10,008)
3) Boris Diaw (9139)
3) Evan Fournier (8907)
4) Rudy Gobert (7249)– TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) February 16, 2022
We start with two totally different profiles and the idea here is obviously not to compare them. This threshold of 10,000 points is above all the mark of a great longevity for Batum. His time in the closet with the Hornets had left us fearing the worst for his end of career, but his arrival in Los Angeles marked a real revival. Praised by his teammates and his coach, Batman seems to be going through his best period in the NBA. The scoring may be less flashy than in the days of the Hornets or the Blazers, but Nico is still able to step out of his box when the team needs him. We have seen it this season once morest Indiana for example (32 points). Although there are fewer buckets every evening, Batum has gained in efficiency. It’s simple, he has never shot so well from afar (41.5%) and you have to go back to his sophomore season to see him with such overall skill (49% once morest 52% during his 2009-10 season). A precious element of the Clippers collective thanks to his glue guy side, Nico can consider the sequel serenely. At 33, he still has a few more seasons to go and pump up the numbers and land a ring. With a player option for this summer, he has his destiny in hand but we can imagine him continuing the adventure in the City of Angels with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Offer a first title to the Clippers before hanging up, this is a scenario that would be stylish.
Nicolas Batum has validated the bar of 10,000 career points and he becomes the second Frenchman to achieve this performance. We never say two without three and Evan Fournier might join his comrades next season if he remains as productive.
