Nicolas Batum sets his sights higher on defense, offense He is widely viewed as a “glue player,” merely a complementary piece of the Trail Blazers’ championship puzzle. But ask Nicolas Batum about his aspirations for this season and how he hopes pundits and players look at him come April, it’s clear he has a drastically different view of his role and place in the organization. “I want to be somebody in this league,” Batum said. “Not just on this team. I want to be recognized as one of the best defenders in the league.” While outside observers talk about a Blazers’ Big Three of Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and — if he ever gets healthy — Greg Oden, there is a faction inside the organization that believes Batum is equally important to the franchise’s success. And he has plans on legitimizing this thought. Batum said he wants to earn the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award this season, an achievement he thinks will be aided by the fact that he played in just 37 regular season games last season because of surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. What’s more, Batum hopes his much talked about defense is recognized with a selection to the NBA’s All-Defensive Team. The Blazers cemented Batum’s importance to the organization during the NBA Draft in June, when they traded former lottery pick Martell Webster, the second-longest tenured Blazers player, to Minnesota. The trade opened a clear path for Batum to start at small forward — which he had already earned — and stimulated a dose of inward reflection for Batum. “I was surprised,” he said. “But it just showed they trust me, that they want to put me on the court much more than last year. I’m ready.” Entering his third NBA season, Batum has been asked to do more than ever. Unlike his first two seasons, the offense will feature a handful of plays for him and he has been asked to expand his offensive repertoire. Before Monday’ s 109-100 exhibition loss to the Utah Jazz at Memorial Coliseum, Batum spent roughly 30 minutes working on a variety of offensive moves. He practiced post-ups on the block. He worked on pull-up jumpers. He practiced shooting off screens and finishing with contact near the basket. Batum already has proven he can run the break and consistently make three-pointers, which is — and will continue to be — his main role in the Blazers’ offense. But coach Nate McMillan also has asked Batum to become a more aggressive offensive player in an effort to help take pressure of Roy, Aldridge and the Blazers’ key offensive weapons. This evolution continues to be a work in progress. Batum asserted aggressiveness early Monday, taking the Blazers’ first shot of the game and later scoring their first field goal by draining a three-pointer from the top of the key. But he mostly sputtered from there, finishing with just five points on 2-of-7 shooting. Through four preseason games, Batum is shooting 50 percent from the field (13 of 26) and from three-point range (6 of 12). But make no mistake, Batum is mostly focused on defense. On Monday, McMillan was informed of Batum’s desire to “be somebody in this league,” and earn a place on the All-Defensive Team. The Blazers’ coach flashed a sheepish grin and raised an eyebrow. “He’s listening,” McMillan said. When the Blazers went through their exit interviews following the 2009-10 season, McMillan posed a question to Batum: “Do you think these players, the main guys, do you think they think about you when you come into their arena? People talk about (Ron) Artest and Raja Bell and some of these top defenders. Do you think these other teams are talking about you? He didn’t think so. And I agree. But I think he can be that type of guy — a pest that can really disrupt a team.” And to take that next step, McMillan says, Batum must become more physical, more nasty and even more determined. Batum said he needs to become more vocal, a challenge considering he is shy and reserved by nature. In just two seasons, Batum has matured from a late first-round draft pick into a vital piece of the future. But whether this is the season he matures into the defensive stopper he aspires to be remains to be seen. “I had a good season last year, but I only played 37 games,” Batum said. “ I can do a lot more.” http://tinyurl.com/2bcetgl -- Batum一向被认为是很好的"万用型"球员 但他不想仅於如此 想成为联盟中一号人物 "be somebody in this league" 个人表示今年目标是争取年度最佳进步奖 还有希望能被选进防守前二队 对於 Webster 被交意掉感到吃惊(SF都压宝在你身上了) McMillan希望他能更 physical, nasty, determined(更强硬难缠 现在太乾净了) Batum则说他必须勇於大声和挑战 --

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