http://www.memphisflyer.com/grizblog.html During the Memphis Grizzlies’ inaugural season, I didn’t write about the team. I just talked about them at parties, consistently drawing the ire of fellow fans for complaining about the drafting of Shane Battier. Battier was in the midst of an all-rookie campaign, playing big minutes (nearly 40 a night) and dropping in over 14 points a game, so I got all measure of grief for suggesting that the Grizzlies had made a mistake taking Battier with the 6th pick. Three years later, most of my doubts and assertions have been confirmed – that Battier would never play in an All-Star game, that he’d never average 20 points a game (indeed, that he’d never have a higher scoring average than during his rookie season), that he wouldn’t end up one of the six best players in his draft class. (跟 Battier 同梯的球员有：K. Brown, T. Chandler, Pau Gasol, Eddy Curry, J. Richardson, E. Griffin, Joe Johnson等.....) (参考网页: http://www.nbadraft.net/2001.htm) I still remember driving home from work the day before the draft and hearing a college-centric local talk radio host railing about what an outrage it was that Battier wasn’t going to be taken #1. I wasn’t sure at the time if he should have been taken in the top 10 and even now, if that draft were held again today, I don’t think it’s a certainty that Battier even goes in the lottery. But even if Battier wasn’t the best choice the Grizzlies could have made, it doesn’t mean he wasn’t a good one. As every Grizzlies fan knows, Shane Battier is a player whose worth can’t be accurately judged by how many points or rebounds he averages, but Battier’s subtle value has never been as apparent as over the past month, as this Grizzlies team has struggled through locker-room turmoil and an unending series of injuries to push itself back into playoff contention. As things seemed to unravel, the dependable Battier has been the glue-guy who’s held this team together. Last season, as a part of Hubie Brown’s structured system, a heavy percentage of Battier’s shots seemed to come either off spot-up threes in the corner or mid-range baseline jumpers on in-bounds plays. But under Mike Fratello, Battier’s offense has become more varied. Among other things, Battier has become smarter about the shots he takes and more adept at finishing plays around the basket. During his rookie campaign it was not uncommon to see Battier pump-fake a defender several times around the basket only to still get his shot blocked. With a keener sense of his own athletic limitations and a veteran’s savvy, it’s now far more common to see Battier darting into the lane to float quick shots over rotating defenders. Battier still likes the corner three, but lately he’s been taking (and making) more shots at other points around the arc. And Battier has also become more adept at exploiting mismatches in the post when they arise, even if these situations are more likely to result in drawn fouls or open shots for teammates than in buckets for Battier. Add in that Battier plays virtually mistake-free basketball whenever he’s on the court, and he has evolved into an offensive plus even if he’ll never be more than a role player. But as solid of an offensive player as Battier has become, it’s still the other end of the floor where his primary value lies. Though his on-court contributions might seem minor at first blush, Battier lead the team in plus/minus rating – a statistic that measures how well a team performs when individual players are on or off the court -- heading into Monday night’s game. Over the course of a 48-minute game, the Grizzlies offense has been 2 points better with Battier than without him, but the Grizzlies defense has been a whopping 9 points better with Battier on the floor. Battier is not this team’s best one-on-one defender. Both James Posey (when healthy) and Earl Watson have the superior strength and quickness to lock up opposing players in a manner than Battier can’t. Instead, Battier’s defensive value lies in a combination of versatility, intelligence, and hustle that makes him one of the best team defenders you’ll ever see on a basketball court. Rotating, doubling, picking up charges, swooping in from the weak side (or out of nowhere) for timely blocks and deflections: Battier seems to always be in the right place at the right time on the defensive end of the floor. In concert with one of the league’s best three-point-shooting attacks, the key to the Grizzlies’ recent success – 16-7 under Fratello and 9-1 over the past 10 games – has been an amoeba-like team defense that has allowed only 88 points per game since the coaching change and that seems to intensify as games progress (allowing Houston only 33 points in the second half Monday night). As the poster player for team defense, Battier has been the catalyst, especially with his versatility. With his 6’8” size and immense hoops smarts, Battier has proven adept at guarding pretty much any position – pint-sized guards (Houston’s David Wesley) to athletic wings (the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant) to bruising post players (the Clippers’ Elton Brand). And by moving away from the structured 10-man rotation that Hubie Brown deployed, Fratello has been able to make use of Battier’s versatility, thriving with small lineups that place Battier at the power forward slot, particularly to close out games. On a team crowded with quality swingmen, these lineups have meant more minutes for Battier, and he’s taken advantage. In January, as the Grizzlies have gone 6-1, Battier has been back in the starting lineup playing big minutes (34 a game) and giving the team big production (12 points per). Of course, Battier has made this statement as both Posey and Brian Cardinal, two players who boast a similar array of intangible skills, have been hobbled or held back with injuries. And now that those players are back into the lineup, Mike Miller is on the injured list. If this team ever has a full healthy lineup, it’s anyone’s guess how coach Fratello will manage to juggle the minutes, but you can bet Battier will find his way onto the court. He’s certainly answered any and all questions about his value to this team. A version of this column appears in the January 20th edition of The Memphis Flyer. --

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