SB Nation User Blog: #10

Batum: "I'm on time, even ahead of schedule. If it continues like this, I will be able to come back...

#10 — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:36:13 -0000

Batum: "I'm on time, even ahead of schedule. If it continues like this, I will be able to come back in February, just after the All-Star break. That will give me 30 games to play. I'm getting ready to play a "Pro A" season, two and a half months."

Regarding future competitions with France: "It won't be so easy in the future. The World Championships (2010 in Turkey) should be fine, but Euro 2011, maybe not."

http://www.lequipe.fr/Basket/breves2009/20091211_093252_batum-dans-les-temps.html

short Batum interview (Nov 15th)

#10 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:26:49 -0000

link

via www.basketusa.com

His shoulder having finally given way, Nicolas Batum is the biggest French absence of the start of the NBA season. While he's unavailable for up to five months, the Blazer's wing was willing to respond to Basket USA's questions to talk about his health and his team's condition.

Right off the bat, how do you feel after your operation?
It's alright... but five months pisses me off. I knew since August that I would need surgery one day or another.

Have you started rehab?
I started around 15 days ago. Three days after the operation because I didn't want to lose time.

It's the second major operation of your career (after having a broken foot 4 years ago). How did you react learning that?
Like I said, it pisses me off. But I have to deal with it, and the important thing is that I'm recovering well.

What do you think of the Blazers' start to the season?
The beginning was difficult with two losses at home but now we're doing well, we're progressing...

What is your opinion of Portland's big signing, Andre Miller?
He's an experienced point guard, which we needed to help Blake at the point. He's a good signing for us.

Do you think that Portland can stop you from going to play with the French national team this summer in Turkey?
I think that it could be difficult. To tell you the truth, I don't know after what happened last summer... We didn't really talk about it with Kevin Pritchard or Nate McMillan. Once I'm back, we'll see.

What time-line have you set for your return?
The doctors told me that I should return around March but I'm targeting the All-Start Break to come back and practice again. We'll have to see how well rehab goes.

Last question, what do you think about Le Mans' season so far?
They're doing well, they have a good team and they played well Friday night. It's really too bad that they didn't qualify for the Euroleague.

Translations of Nic Batum's Blog - Before and After his Injury

#10 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:51:22 -0000

More great translations from Blazersedge reader #10.

In this post he translates two of Nicolas Batum's blog posts, before and after Batum decided to have shoulder surgery. Click through the jump for literally everything you need to know about this setback.

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

the blog was obviously written before the injury :( It's a bit of a loose translation, but I don't think anything got distorted. I'll try to update this post later as I'm sure there's going to be plenty of new interviews coming in.

"If we're not playing for the title, what are we playing for?"

via www.basketsession.com

Hello everyone, it's been a while since I've posted, but after the difficult loss against Spain, everything has happened very quickly. Training camp started a week after the end of the Euros. We started on Monday and I had arrived in Portland on Friday, just to be able to get over the time difference and to rest before attacking. Monday was media day. There were photos, interviews, videos, photo sessions, clips for the pregame intro or the ones that are played in the stadium. It was pretty long. It lasted two, two and a half hours.

via www.basketsession.com

In the interviews, pretty much two thirds of the questions were about the Eurobasket. They were really interested over there. I was a little surprised but apparently they followed what Rudy and I did and the France-Spain game was live on TV in Portland. Even our teammates followed a little, they were happy for me. I also talked about it with Rudy. But it's good, he's cool, he doesn't brag too much... Well, a little bit. The worst was during the Fanfest, in front of 17-18,000 people. We were sitting in chairs in the middle of the court and they asked us each two or three questions in front of everyone. And he was ahead of me and they basically asked him "You're the champion of Europe, what does that mean to you?" He was like: "The best thing isn't being the champion of Europe, it's scoring 20 points on France." 18,000 people, everyone laughing, everyone looking at me, everyone teasing. But I can't say anything...

Now, in retrospect, that fact that I came back without anything around my neck bothers me a bit. At first, in the heat of the moment, I was more positive. But now that I'm thinking about it, it pisses me off to have not won a medal. Being 5th, with only one loss, is just...crap.

After media day, going back to basketball went well enough. I was fairly well in rhythm. I tried to attack like last year and to be at practice at 7:30 or 8:00, to train before team practice. In fact, coming back to Portland pretty late, three days before we started, let me go to sleep really early because I hadn't gotten over the time difference. So I was up at 6:30 and I could go to practice awake. So I took some shots and lifted weights before the start of practice, because they had warned us, me and Rudy, that it was going to be soft the first week. It has to be said that we had only had 7 days between the end of the Euros and the start of training camp.

So we trained normally, except that, when we played games, Rudy and I were on the same team, and we rotated. Sometimes we didn't even participate in parts of the game. The other thing was that we didn't do the conditioning test that I talked about last year, with 4 series of 5 sprints cross-court. At the same time, it's to test your fitness, and as we had just been at the Euros, were were fortunately in shape.

But, even if we had a lighter regime, we still practiced hard because you have to earn your place, there are a lot of people. Notably Webster who is back. So coming to the gym early, it's also a way of showing that I was there and that I was working. So weights and shooting. At the end of the season, they told me that I should take just shots in the corner anymore, not be just a Bruce Bowen. So for my shooting sessions, I no longer take just set shots, feet on the ground like before. Now, with Monty Williams, I work more on coming off screens, on the dribble, one on one.

via www.basketsession.com

I think that it has been fruitful, even if I can't really see it in the preseason games because, like Rudy, I'm not playing much. Nate told us that he was going to rest us during the preseason. Webster is playing a lot. With his ability and knowing that Travis is also going to play the 4 sometimes, we'll be able to rotate because we have lots of quality wings who can bring a lot of different things to the table: Roy, Rudy, Bayless, Travis, Webster, and me.

Ordinarily, I should still be in the starting five. McMillan wants to keep me there, but still it's up to me to keep my place. If I play like shit, I'm not going to stay there :) But he said that for the moment the best combination, the one that worked best for him, is between me and Roy. First of all, he doesn't defend, I do. No I'm joking: in fact, it's just that I Take the best opposing attacker, and Brandon doesn't have to deal with that. And [Nate] also told me that my game combines perfectly with Roy. He brought up the example of Pippen who was able to adapt to Jordan's game. And me, a fan of Pippen, when he tells me that, I'm obviously happy... So my game has to improve in that sense.

In attack, now, Nate told me: "As soon as you sense an opening, a possibility, take it." And so in preseason, I'm trying to be more aggressive, to attack the paint more. I've even had the remark: "alright, not too much..." :) The coach told me that sometimes I attacked too much, that I attacked all the time. Sometimes, I go too far. I have to do what I did last year, but adding a few things on offense, but not completely changing. Whereas every time I had the ball in the preseason, I attacked immediately and saw the possible passes afterwards. It's also an adjustment period, because I'm trying to be more aggressive, but I'm doing it a little too much. That's what they tell me: "You're coming off a big summer, you're full of confidence, you think you can do everything. Don't forget that you're in the League. You're not playing against European players, it's Carmelo Anthony or Kobe Bryant." So I have to add more variation to my game.

And we have a team that has great expectations this season. So we need to have a coherent and structured game. Our goal is pretty much to win the title! That's what they told us from the very first day. First day of practice, we had a notebook, and under the cover of the notebook, nothing was written, just a photo of the trophy. Some laughed. The coach said "Why are you laughing? Everyone in this room who isn't playing for that, leave! Why are you in the NBA? To do what? You're coming off a big season, you made the playoffs, we know that you can do something special. So, what are you playing for this season? To make the playoffs? Nobody cares." And it's true, if you're in the playoffs, it's to be champions. It's not to tell yourself "I hope that we'll only reach the first round."

So it's not going to be easy, we know that we're going to have to make a lot of sacrifices, work hard, but we're telling ourselves that he do have a chance. It'll make a lot of people laugh, people are going to say "sure they're talented, but they're still young, it's not their time." But we know that we have a chance, and we owe it to ourselves to have this goal when go out on to the court. If we aren't playing for that, what are we playing for?

UPDATE - new blog, written after his injury, posted on the 27th (in France).

via basketsession.com

As you perhaps know, on Friday I'm going to go get my shoulder operated on. For two weeks I've felt more and more pain inside. It was more and more frequent and the pain more and more intense. And it's true that in the end, you can't stand it, because it hurts; and I continued to play with it. And so on Sunday, I took a screen from Greg Oden. A good screen... and that was the last straw.

I left running towards the doctor's office. It was the first time I had left running like that, I was nervous. I kicked the ball away. I was fed up with my shoulder. It's been seven months with this problem, it bothered me more and more during the last three months, and the last two weeks, the shocks were more and more frequent and the pain even worse. So I was sick of it. When I took that blow, I knew that it was dead and just two days from the start of the season... it sucks! But I can't play 82 games like that. Even with all the willpower in the world, I wouldn't have been able to be at 100%. With the role that I have on this team, guarding Kobe, LeBron, etc..., getting hit on screens every night, that would've been even worse. So it's wiser to get operated on now.

In fact, at first, I didn't want to have surgery. Kevin Pritchard joined us in the doctor's office, we spoke and he told me "Are you sure that you can really play the whole season like that?" And I kept saying yes. I didn't want to be out for three months at the start of the season. But I can't continue. They told me: "We don't want you to be out, but it's not just the player we're talking to, it's also you, the person and you're health above all. We don't want you to be out, but..."

Even if at first I didn't want the surgery, I changed my mind after thinking about it. Play 82 games, with a bum shoulder, with the goals we have, it's useless. And then if I'm not at 100%, I'll lose playing time, I'll lose credibility, I'll lose the coach's confidence, the staff... it wouldn't have been good for me. And it would've aggravated my health. So it's better for me to have surgery. Even if I don't want to... I want to call them and tell them "No, it's good, it's over, I'm not going to have surgery and I'm playing tomorrow." I'm dying to do that. But a moment comes when you have to be clear and judicious for the rest of my career. Maybe it will make me miss 5 months, but I'm not 30 either, I'm only 20, it's ok. And at my age, I hope that I'll be able to come back even faster.

I'm going to have a hard time being out 3-5 months. The operation will be in Los Angeles on Friday. I'm going to be operated on by the doctor ElAttrache. He's a shoulder specialist, one of the best in the US and the world. He's the official doctor of the Los Angeles Dodgers. And given the specifics of baseball, he has lots of experience with shoulders. He's the one who operates on 75% of NBA players who have shoulder problems. Notably, he operated on Blake and Aldridge. I saw this doctor two weeks ago when we played the Clippers. He told me that I should get surgery but if I managed to play with it, I could continue. But after practice yesterday, we called him and he said "I have an opening every Friday, he just has to come then."

McMillan is crazy pissed off. He came after practice and told me: "It bothers me because you're now a big, big part of this organization. You're my starter at that position, I have confidence in you. But if that's what you have to do, do it. I don't like it, but do it anyway. But come back quickly. Because like I told you, I want to see you on the court with Brandon, I want to see you on the court every night. We'll miss you a lot." It really made me happy that he said that. So voila, the official starting 5 will be Blake, Roy, Webster, Aldridge, and Oden. This morning, McMillan talked to me in his office and told me: "When you come back, you have to be ready, because I'm going to put you back in the starting lineup on your return." I was happy to hear that as well.

Personally, it's alright, but I have a hard time imagining that I won't be on a court for three, four months. This morning, I was at practice, I stayed to the side and I didn't do anything. And voila, that's what's going to happen for at least three months. And f***, it sucks! It's hard to tell yourself that I'm going to be in a suit on the bench for three months.

During the next weeks, I won't be doing nothing either, but I'll only be able to work on my legs, do situps and dorsal exercises. I'm going to reinforce my back and abdominal muscles. For the moment, I haven't had the time to start this program yet, because we're talking more about the operation, but basically that's all I'll be able to do in the coming days.

Translated BasketUSA.com Interview: Nicolas Batum on Brandon Roy

#10 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:21:42 -0000

[Bumped to the main page]

A fantastic translation of an incredible interview that Nicolas Batum gave about Brandon Roy to BasketUSA.com. The original was in French and was translated for your enjoyment by the numerically-named "#10."

Click through to get a look at the inner workings of the Blazers locker room and a great snapshot of Brandon Roy the person, player and teammate.

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

Nicolas Batum on Brandon Roy

via www.basketusa.com

Two time All-Star, Portland guard Brandon Roy is now playing among the greats.
Nicolas Batum, sharing his daily routine, describes a player both introverted and generous. An ideal teammate for the French wing.

Brandon Roy, the basketball player.

Brandon has an extraordinary sense of composure. I want to call him "Iceman" because he always plays under control. He doesn't do or try anything without reason. He only has three years in the NBA behind him but he really is very mature. He's already been an All-Star twice, that's not bad... In Portland, Brandon has assumed leadership very naturally. He speaks when it is necessary. He does it during time outs, for example, after the coach has given his instructions. You sense that there is a real trust between Nate McMillan and him. The veterans of this team noticed that evolution with Brandon last season. He wasn't like that the year before. In fact, he's more confident in himself.

His nickname
Everyone calls him "B-Roy." Even the coach! You always hear "Give the ball to B-Roy!" in moneytime or at an important moment in the game. I call him by his nickname, like the others. He addresses me by calling me "Nic" or "Frenchy." From the beginning, we have had a good feeling between us.

The boss
Last season, I was his rookie. It's better to be Brandon Roy's rookie than Joel Przybilla's rookie. He chose Jerryd Bayless and I can assure you that Jerryd went through hell... Joel didn't stop asking him for different things. For me, I only had to take Brandon's bag and bring it up to his room when we got to a hotel. That's all. I knocked on his door to make sure that everything was fine and he would answer: "OK, Nic, thanks. Goodnight." And then I could go. Bayless, however, had to go look for newspapers or different things for Przybilla. Rudy didn't do anything. At first, with Rudy, we were supposed to bring in breakfast for all the players. Brandon was the one who had established this rule with Travis. I worked out a little plan with Rudy: we never brought what they asked for... We took shelter behind the language barrier to justify the lack of understanding. After a week, Brandon told us: "OK, forget it guys..." (laughs). As a result, we were relaxed: no breakfast duty in Portland! Only Sergio Rodriguez was aware of our little game.

The pre-game
Brandon is in the middle of the locker room. He doesn't speak. He's incredibly focused, with big headphones over his ears playing music that's for the others as much as for him, given the volume... He's already in his game, very concentrated. I think that he's like all the stars in the league: he is very pro and wants to focus on the game well before the warmup. The journalists know that and avoid bothering him. They leave him alone. I think that he needs that to prepare, it's his method. Others prefer to talk to reporters or other players, not "B-Roy." Personally, I sit between Greg and LaMarcus. They adopt a different approach, talking a lot. The fact that Oden and Aldridge are so loud doesn't seem to bother Brandon. He's an introvert. He's not the one who will liven up the dressing room like Travis does. If it bothered him, I think that he would intervene. But that's not the case."

The DJ
At practice, the rookies are often at work, in the weight room for example, when he arrives. We'd put on our music and worked. Brandon would immediately stop our mixes and put on his own... It's not an abuse of authority because that's not his style. He told us one day, laughing: "Rookies, you listen to what we give you..." He's into rap, so it doesn't bother me, even if R'n'B is more my thing. But it's good, I like his tastes. Though Rudy sure doesn't have the same opinion... You can't say that he's a big fan of rap. Roy knows it, so he plays even more rap. That's his little provocative side, with Travis and LaMarcus. They're like kids with their rap. As soon as one of them leaves, the other changes the CD and so on. But those are the sort of things that create a good atmosphere on a team. Brandon does it with a lot of tact and always while adding nice words. We don't even pay attention to it anymore.

The bodyguard
You could say that Brandon took me under his wing, both on and off the court. One time, we went out together after a game. A guy started bothering me, Roy came and got rid of him real quick. Let's say that we get along well. When I wasn't playing well in mid-December, he came to reassure me. We were in Denver a few days before Christmas. He invited me to dinner, face to face, because he saw that I was getting tired. He gave me confidence explaining to me that he also struggled with the "rookie wall" at that point of the season. When your franchise player takes interest in you like that, it's reassuring and encouraging.

The phrase
"Don't pay. A rookie doesn't have money." That's what Brandon kept telling me when we went out together. So he paid for things. He paid the bill at restaurants, gave me little presents from time to time... He doesn't go too far though, he's not the sort to splash out money. He's a simple guy and it's obvious. For example, he only has one car. All the veterans have two or three. I've already seen him come to practice on a bike... We live in Portland, a very green city. But seeing your franchise player arrive on a bike, in this environment, is pretty funny... With Brandon, I'm in good hands. It's in my best interests to listen and follow him: his personal career is a total success, from every point of view. I doubted my arrival in Portland after the end of the summer league... Today, it's the complete opposite, I'm really happy to be with the Trail Blazers. A big part of that is thanks to Roy that I'm living this adventure so fully.

Winning shots
It's starting to become Brandon's specialty. There was Houston, New York, Phoenix... He catches on fire in the last four minutes. Each time, you sense that he's taking over. It's impressive. He's relaxed. When he scored 52 points December 18th 2008 against Phoenix, it was crazy. It was his new NBA record. And it was live on TNT. When we went back to the dressing room, he didn't stop repeating: "I scored 52 points on TNT!" We sensed that he was happy for himself as well as the team. We won yet another big game. 50 points is a mythical mark in the NBA. All the big stars have reached it at least once. He immediately realized that. It was really funny to see him talking all alone... We sensed that he was really happy. I think that he was the third best guard in the league this year behind Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. You can't call him selfish though, he gives up the ball without a problem. OK, he is a little selfish, like all the stars, but he doesn't go overboard.

Trash talking
That was a bit new last season. As he was succeeding, he started to talk trash. In November, he wasn't like that on the court. Now, as soon as a player starts to make him sweat, he dishes it out. He doesn't hesitate to talk trash. It follows the evolution of his game: they go hand in hand. Brandon knows that he's playing better and better. He also knows that his opponent will play harder to stop him. So he tries to find something else to put a barrier between the others and him. He's becoming more and more vicious. Chalk it up to experience. Fouls come by more easily. It happens quickly when you have a status like he does... I saw this evolution in the space of several months because he's constantly making progress. He's really good at getting calls, something he didn't do in the same way at the start of the season. All the stars in the league know how to get calls. Some go too far. With Brandon, he hasn't yet but he knows that the whistle will be in his favor 95% of the time if he's up against a simple role player. That's also why the best players in the league have great games so often. If Brandon scores close to 23 points on average all while getting assists, there's a reason... The refs call the game differently because he is an All-Star.

The positive attitude
Brandon doesn't often criticize his teammates. He's constantly encouraging us. He is very positive in his manner of tackling things. When I was down, he found the right words so that I rebounded. It's especially on a psychological level that Brandon excelled. He took me aside, we talked just the two of us, he didn't do it in front of the whole team. I think it's good to do it like that. Put you in your place in front of the whole group, especially when you're a rookie, is hard. Roy doesn't make fun of you. Unlike Travis or LaMarcus, who don't hesitate to tease you. Only once I saw Brandon visibly shaken after a game. He wasn't negative, because he didn't talk, but he was desolate in his corner, close to crying. We had just gotten beat by at home at the buzzer by Orlando, on a three pointer from Turkoglu. He was mad at himself because just before, he had missed a free throw. He was yelling at himself, it was pretty impressive. I went to see him, adopting a positive attitude like he had the habit of doing. That's when I saw that he needed the support of others.

Private life
Brandon is very discrete. We know his wife and Brandon Jr., who is two. For the rest, not a word. We don't go have dinner at his place. I find it normal. We have lots of young single guys in the team and he's married pretty early. At 25 years old, he already has a full family life. I think that's also why he's already so mature. He doesn't have a "show off" side, no bling, like some. He keeps his head on his shoulders.

Red
Brandon often wears red. I've deduced that it's his favorite color. Red jackets, red shirts, big red hoodies... You can't miss it! At the same time, it's also the color of the Trail Blazers. Maybe that explains it. I'm not going to hesitate to tell him about it because personally, I hate red clothes... (laughs).

Something annoying about him?
It's something related only to basketball... He penetrates, drives to his left and dunks with his left hand when he's right handed. Look at his game: 70% of the time, he drives to the left even though he shoots with his right hand. If he really wants to dunk it, he goes with his right hand, but on the fast-break, he drives to his left. We asked him why and he doesn't have an answer. He says that it's natural, that it's always been like that... At the same time, it's pretty disruptive for the opponent. It's one of those things that makes him so good.

The anecdote
I found it a bit odd that he was hurt when his daughter Maria was born... During that week, he didn't play! The doting father at home... I thought it was a funny coincidence. What's more, we had big games against Boston, New Orleans, the Lakers, and Detroit. The day his baby was born, we beat Boston at home. He prepared a party for us in the locker room to celebrate that arrival of Maria, it was really nice.

What else?
Brandon is always the last to show up when we meet. Along with Travis, you get the impression that it's a contest... We're meeting at 2:45? Brandon turns up at 3:00 without a problem. Always late. Yet another "star" thing...

Batum ... MRI - updated 8/23 w/ highlights vs Italy

#10 — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:52:05 -0000

edit - here's the video that the French doctor showed the Blazers:

interview from a few days ago

Nicolas Batum, how have you managed the trip to the US and back at your team's request, when the qualification campaign isn't even finished?
First of all I'm relieved by the problem with my shoulder, which we're now pretty sure is benign, but also a little frustrated because I wanted to be at the game tonight (France takes on Finland for the last game of group B). But I have a lot of confidence in the team.

What happened over there?
When I arrived in Portland, the osteopath of the French team was waiting for me with the Blazers' doctor. From the airport, we left directly to the hospital for an MRI. While I was taking the tests, our osteopath showed the Blazers' doctor the video from my game against Italy and talked with him. Leaving the MRI, the just told me that I could go back the next morning.

What was your reaction?
I was a bit annoyed because they made me spend 14-15 hours in a plane to take a 15 minute MRI and tell me that it was good...

We're you thinking you'd have to stay in Portland longer?
Yes, I thought that I would have to stay there at least a week. And in fact, I only stayed 21 hours there...

Patrick Beesley, the sporting director of the Bleus, explained that the video of your game against Italy had been very decisive (18 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals for Batum)... Did you think about Portland while playing, telling yourself that you had to have a big game to show them that everything was fine?
To be honest, yes. I told myself that I had to have a big game to show them that I could play, even with my shoulder problem.

Do you understand the reaction of your club?
Yes, the club wanted to make sure that it was fine. On one hand, it's normal because they invest a lot in us. But at the same time, it leads to some weird methods at times. The most important thing is that everything is good now.

In the end, isn't it also a little gratifying to see that a team like Portland is counting on you that much after only one season in the NBA.
We'll look at the positive side of things and say yes. It shows that they're really counting on me for the next few years. It's true that it makes me a bit happy as well.

After your conclusive win over the Italians Friday night in Pau (81-61), you're already qualified for the final of the qualifiers, which will be played August 27th (away) and 30th (home). Between Bosnia and Belgium, who would you prefer to meet in the final?
Let's say Belgium, it's not as far.

It's also less dangerous?
That too (laughs).

When will you meet up with the Bleus?
I'm going to watch the game (against Finland) tonight on TV. Next, we have a few days off; it starts up again on Friday. While waiting, I'm going to rest at home with my family.

Batum interview / France vs Italy, Friday (11am PST)

#10 — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:22:40 -0000

link

via basket.blog.lemonde.fr

How is your shoulder, Nicolas?
It's fine, I'm rejoining practice this afternoon (Wednesday), the tests confirmed the "instability" of my shoulder, but I got the green light from the doctors. Yesterday, I didn't practice, but it was only a precaution, we didn't want to take a risk.

You've been playing with this pain for several months. How has it developed since the end of the season?
It's simple, five months ago I was playing with only one arm! I couldn't bend my right arm, I ran with my arm hanging at my side. Whereas today, I'm playing normally, I've never even felt so good! We'll just have to see: I'm jumping everywhere, I'm running everywhere, I'm shooting three-pointers, I'm trying to dunk the ball all the time...

What treatment have you had?
At the time, we just did a few treatments, but because NBA games are so close together, I didn't skip a single one. On the other hand, I've been lifting weights since the end of the season to reinforce my shoulder and I think that's why it hurts less or even not at all. The pain simply returned because I took a hit. But my shoulder hurts like my knee would hurt if I had taken the hit there.

How has Portland management reacted?
The French staff transmitted the medical results and we're waiting for their response. I have no idea how they're going to react. There's never been a precedent for this, contrary to San Antonio where we know how it works. So I don't know what to expect. I just hope that I'm not going to have to go there and back like Tony [Parker]. After that, if they want me to come back, there are a few options, maybe I'll be able to play Friday and leave for the U.S. Afterwards. Kevin Pritchard knows that I'm doing well, I had him on the phone yesterday (Tuesday) and he even talked to me about my good statistics.

Despite everything, have you managed to concentrate on the game on Friday?
Of course! That's all I think about, my priority at th e moment is the French team before everything else. It's a decisive game because after Italy's win in Finland, we know that we can't slip up. If we lose Friday it will be a catastrophe. We know what we have to do, and we'll have the fans behind us, we're going to have a great game.

How are you preparing for the game?
The same way we prepared for the game over there. Why change when we won? Simply, we'll have to concentrate even more because they know that they still have a chance and they'll give all they've got. Especially after the loss in Cagliari, they'll be looking for revenge, so we know what to expect. But I think that they're afraid of us. We'll have to start out just like we did in Italy, hit them hard, give them a good beating here, and go to the final.

How do you react to Carlo Recalcati, the Italian coach, who's spending his time stressing the athletic qualities of the French players?
It's getting really annoying. Especially for the older players, I think, because they've heard that for a long time. Basically, it means that we're poor basketball players and that we're just athletes. We want to show them that we also know how to play basketball together and that our win over there wasn't just luck.

The group has had to cope with quite a few little problems since preparations began, how do you deal with it?
By being united with each other. But don't worry. Little by little, the team will be at 100% and then if we win against Italy, that could trigger the rest, because we know that we'll be able to beat Belgium, Bosnia, and Portugal in the final. After the Euros, if we're serious, we know that we can go all the way. We're aware of that, but we have to work and we can't relax.

Batum blog June 16

#10 — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:35:16 -0000

Defending against Kobe, I was told “good luck”

Nicolas talks about what he has done since the end of the season as well as the playoffs. As a defensive specialist, he also takes a look at the job Mike Pietrus has done on LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

Since the playoffs finished, I've trained a bit, but passively it has to be said. During the three weeks following the end of the season, I didn't touch a ball. I really needed it, because since last August it's been non-stop basketball, 95 games... After a while it becomes hard, physically as well as mentally, and you have to take a little break. Especially because the elimination in the playoffs was frustrating. We had had a good season, we had succeeded in winning home court advantage, something which isn't easy in the West. And it's too bad that we messed up the first round, we could've won. It's true that the first game put us in a hole, losing by 30 points or so. We did learn during these playoffs, but it's good to take a break. Because we left exhausted and frustrated, and what's more we're watching the other games on TV.

So, during this time, I did some quick weight lifting, some running here and there, but it was really light. In fact in Portland, the coaches and the physical trainer told me to not touch a ball, to rest three weeks, even all of May. They told me: "run two or three times a week, lift weights two or three times, but very light, and be sure to rest, see your family, your friends, have fun." After three weeks, I started to miss basketball. Even after two weeks, in fact, but I couldn't play immediately because I was on vacation.

The first time (or so) that I touched a ball again, it was last weekend for a tournament, le Quartier Ouest. The first day, Saturday, I couldn't feel my lungs anymore, I had the impression that I was missing one! But it was funny, I met with some friends that I had played with in Caen, before I left for Le Mans. It was just to play together again, because it had been a long time. In the beginning it was for fun, but once it started, I wanted to win, so we were in until the final and we won. On top of that, in the final, we played against some of my friends, so it was fun.

Tonight as well I'm going to touch a ball again, but in a wheelchair! I'm going to be the sponsor of the club of Pont-L’Evêque, where I played when I was really little. Today, they're doing a tournament for kids, so I'm going to come, and after the tournament, they're doing a handicap game with the professional team from Le Havre against the first team of Pont-L’Evêque. And I'm going to play with them, in a wheelchair too. It's going to be hard!

I didn't touch a ball until this week, but I still followed the playoffs. They were balanced this year, with lots of good teams. It really was a good playoffs. The ones that beat us, the Rockets, were good afterwards. Too bad that Yao Ming got injured, they could've shocked some people. Aaron Brook surprised me, he had a good playoffs.

But the series that I preferred was the Lakers-Denver, it was great. I thought it was better than Orlando-Cleveland. Carmelo, except when he got sick, played at an impressive level. I'm really happy for him, because he has been criticized and I think that he's one of the most underestimated players in the league. He's not talked about enough. He's talked about, but I don't think that he's recognized like he should be. He defended, attacked, he was a true team player, whereas before some thought that he was only an attacking player, a scorer. He must've had 4 or 5 assists each game in the playoffs. He's a true player now, complete, accomplished in all aspects of the game. He's a true leader. I was happy because he's a player that I really appreciate.

I was also impressed by the series that LeBron had in the conference final. It was crazy. In fact, I was impressed by the people that elevated their level. Nowitzki also had a great playoffs. And then there's Kobe, who was Kobe. He's in his objective since the beginning, he really deserves to win. As far as disappointments, first off there's our team, but also Boston, even if it was difficult with Garnett out. I didn't really have the time to follow their series against Chicago, I watched it vaguely...

At the heart of it, in the final, I saw Orlando winning 4-2. In particular, I thought that with their bigs, the Lakers couldn't defend Rashard Lewis. But what made the difference, in my opinion, was the Lakers' experience, just look at the last game (game 4). So now I see the Lakers winning 4-2. Orlando should win the next game and they'll lose game 6 in Los Angeles. I saw the rerun this morning and it's true that Fisher scored two very big shots at the end, and in overtime, Kobe was Kobe. I don't think that he especially forced it, he just wants to win. He carries his team and he wants to do well. He isn't forcing it like he did before. He wants to win this title. He takes lots of shots, but he had 8 assists. And he can't be too far from a triple-double. It's not forcing it to hog the ball, it's to win. That wasn't Kobe before, who forced it to score his 80 points. It's not easy to explain but for me it's different. He knows that he's the one on his team that can score so he takes shots. Even if Mike Pietrus is playing great defense, he scores 30 points anyway.

For that matter since the start of the playoffs, Mike is good, eh! And not only on defense, he also scores. He scored 15 points that night. Aside from the 2nd game, he's scored 14, 18, and 15. That's pretty good for his first finals. And then defensively he's been great. LeBron maybe put up lots of points, but he still limited him. He forced LeBron to play for himself, made him lower his head and the others stopped moving. So sure LeBron scored 40 points, but the others didn't score more than 10.

That's what you have to do against LeBron. For us, in Portland, that's what we do against him. "Let LeBron score 40, it's not important as long as the others don't score 20." If he wants to, he'll score 40 anyway. You have to try to limit him and make him shoot a poor percentage. But you especially have to cut off the others and give it your all against him. Anyway, that's what you have to do against these guys. Sure, you have to try to stop them, but the objective is above all to limit them more than to stop them, because they're so good... After LeBron, you can try to let him shoot, because his shot is less fluid and precise than Kobe's, even if he's starting to become better and better.

It's a bit different defending against them. For LeBron, I was told "stay back and avoid letting him in the paint. It's better to let him shoot." For Kobe, it's "good luck." Wade, for me, is different, he was maybe the toughest to defend. Well, no, in fact, you can't say that he's the toughest to defend out of the three because they're the three best players in the world. It's crazy how skilled Kobe is. Wade is too quick, his lateral quickness is crazy, in a thousandth of a second he puts his right foot on the other side compared with his left foot, you don't know how he did it. And LeBron, he hits you with his shoulder and you end up in the stands. To summarize: Wade too quick, Kobe too skilled, LeBron too physical.

In any case, watching the finals really makes me want to be there. I'm in the NBA, maybe I'll have the opportunity to play in the finals one day, it's even more motivating. Before I just sorta watched them, but now that I'm here and I see the team that we have, given that we'll maybe have the chance to play in the finals in the short or medium term, that really motivates me. But I'll still have to work. I'm leaving this weekend to workout in Dallas, where Alexis Ajinça and Mike Gelabale are working at the moment.

Batum interview (June 6th)

#10 — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 06:01:33 -0000

"I surprised myself"

Nicolas Batum, present at Roland Garros (the French Open), recounts his first season in the NBA, and talks about the NBA finals between the Lakers and Orlando as well as the future of the French national team.

Nicolas, what is your prediction for the final between the Lakers and Orlando?
I think that it will go seven games. It's a very open final and that's why it's difficult for me to make a prediction. But it wouldn't be bad if Orlando won. After from Tony (Parker), Mike Pietrus would then be the second Frenchman to win an NBA title.

How do you judge Mike Pietrus' season?
Mike missed around thirty games in the regular season because of injuries. But he's had a great playoff. Against Cleveland, he had become the X factor. Everyone is talking about it in the United States. After LeBron James, he's going to have to take care of Kobe Bryant.

What did you think of your first year in the NBA?
I surprised myself. I didn't really know where I was going with Portland at the start of the season. In hindsight, when I see what I did... (Nicolas started 76 games in the regular season). But I still have work to do.

This summer, the French team is waiting for you, to help recover and qualify for Euro 2009...
You could say that we're on alert. Besides, the players are aware of it. That's why everyone wants to come. If we are serious, we can qualify for the European championship.

What is your opinion of Vincent Collet, your old coach at Le Mans that you will meet again with the French team?

Vincent is someone very open, he's very passionate. He always talked a lot to me. We still called each other regularly this year. He's the coach who sent me into the professional world. I owe a lot to him.

Batum blog May 5

#10 — Wed, 06 May 2009 22:54:37 -0000

"Next year, we'll challenge for the title"

via www.ouest-france.fr

Portland wasn’t at all familiar with the playoffs. We missed the experience. We knew that we had the means to advance but losing the first game really hurt us. Despite the defeat (4-2 against Houston), we learned a lot. We learned that the regular season is nothing compared to the playoffs.

In the playoffs, everything takes on another dimension. Each possession is crucial; the game is raised up a notch. It’s exhausting. How does San Antonio or the Lakers manage to challenge for titles? After winning a game, we told ourselves that we had given so much. I didn’t think that it would be so hard.

I don’t grudge the coach for playing me less in the playoffs or for not starting the last game. It was necessary to adapt our game against Houston and my role changed a bit. There were a lot more touches for Aldridge and Roy. But it’s logical. When the pressure rises, the best take things into their own hands. Look at Kobe Bryant with the Lakers or Tony Parker in San Antonio.

After the first round, the Blazers’ staff told us that they were proud of us. We did finish 4th in the Western Conference, all while being one of the youngest teams in the league. We’ve already turned towards next season. I don’t think that the team is going to be changed. The objective, though, will be different: we won’t play to make the playoffs, but to win them.

I had a personal interview with the GM. He told me: “When we drafted you, we didn’t really have a plan for you. Today, we’re really proud of what you have done.” He added that he would stop by to see me this summer playing for France. Then I talked with the coach, Nate McMillan. He reassured me because I was a little worried. He confirmed that I would start next year, saying that it was up to Webster and Outlaw to knock me out of the starting five. And if I’m not the starter, I will be part of a second unit whose mission will be to play “small ball.” Both cases would suit me well.

These remarks were good for me. Just like the welcome we received when we came back from Houston. Even though we had been eliminated and it was 3 in the morning, there were 200 or 300 people there, waiting at the airport to congratulate us. The city follows our every move. These last days, in the street, I’ve only heard “thank yous” or “bring on next year!” Everyone is behind you, so when you play at home, you feel good, you’re even obligated to feel good. We have the biggest crowds in the NBA. Not a single game was played in front of a crowd of less than 20,200 people!

I didn’t do anything during the two days after we were eliminated. The third day I was itching to go work out. It’s not easy to stop a habit after getting used to such a rhythm. I haven’t yet managed to sleep in; my body pushes me to wake up at 9:00. When everything is over, the feeling is mutual. I told myself: “there you go, finally, I’ll be able to catch my breath.” On the other hand, you want it to continue. I know that it will hurt a bit to watch Houston playing against the Lakers.

I was also able to have a look at the first round between Boston and Chicago. In the US, the media consider this series as the best ever! Joakim Noah impressed me. He raised his game….a lot. He did a great job. I hear certain people say: “yeah, he scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds but he played 45 minutes.” Maybe his stats aren’t exceptional given his playing time but he did a lot of things that don’t show up in the box score.

I hope with all my heart that he will be there with the French team. I didn’t talk about it with him but, through Vincent Collet, I know that he wants to. If he comes we can really have a great team.

I don’t know yet what exactly I’m going to do. I’m going to rest for a few weeks and get ready in June. I’ve had very good memories up till now with the French team and I hope that it continues. If we don’t qualify for the Euros, it will be a failure. There is no room for error, we know what we have to do. There will be a lot of pressure but if we succeed in doing something it could make an impact. July 12th, the day we meet up, I’ll be ready.

Batum interview April 19th

#10 — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 03:02:08 -0000

Nicolas Batum: "In the NBA, everything is intensified"

keep in mind that the interview was conducted before Game 1

via 20minutes.fr

How would you judge your first NBA season?
Very positively. I love the experience, I don't know how to explain it but in the NBA everything is intensified, crazy things are always happening. In the beginning, I wasn't even supposed to be on the bench, there was even talk of sending me to a secondary league [NBDL]. In the end, I started 75 out of 82 games. I took advantage of injuries, I put in two months to convince everyone. If I had missed this chance the season would have been over for me.

Compared to Le Mans, you're focusing a lot on the defensive end. Do you have to get past that in order to eventually have more offensive freedom?
Initially, the coach saw me as a defender, but now, if I forget to take an open shot I'm going to get yelled at. But I stay in my role, it's not up to me to ask for the ball to try a one-on-one. Maybe that will change with time, but for the moment I concentrate on what the coach asks of me.

You have defended some of the best NBA players. Who is the most impressive?
I played my first NBA game against LeBron James. The guy's a “messiah.” He scored 34 points, which is routine for him. At the end of the game, the coach told me to not worry because he also had experienced difficult nights against Jordan in his time.

What type of coach is McMillan?
He often keeps us in check (recadrer?). We're a team of kids, the youngest in the league. There were five, six games this season when we were in complete tailspin. We were a bit raw (On s’y était un peu crû ?). If you see McMillan on the court, you'd think that he's mean. But he's above all a winner, a great pro, it's not a coincidence that he's one of the four best coaches in the regular season.

Is there a big difference in mentality between an NBA team and a European team?
I was expecting a world even more individualistic, especially with such a young team. But we have succeeded in creating a great team spirit. We often eat together whereas in the NBA it's more “room service” for everyone. It's also because of that that we work well on the court.

Have you experienced any especially tiring moments during the interminable regular season?
Out of 82 games, I admit that I had twenty or so really difficult games. When you play five games in a week on the road, you have to have some [difficult games]. At the end of the year, my shoulder started to hurt, my ankle too and I caught the flu. But I'm happy with myself, I succeeded in playing 79 out of 82 games.

Do you have the time to see the United States?
That depends on the schedule. Sometimes you can have a free morning where you have the time to wander. I was able to explore New Orleans, I liked it in particular the French Quarter that I had heard about.

Don't you get the impression that you spend your life in airports?
No. We travel in a private jet. Generally, we take off from Portland at 3pm, we park our car on the tarmac 15 minutes before, we give them our bags and then we take off. Here, they take care of everything for you, you don't even have to carry your bags. Everything is done so that the player doesn't get tired, so that he only thinks about basketball.