Batum jumps into closing role A new twist was added to the Trail Blazers' playing rotation on Sunday: Nicolas Batum as a fourth-quarter closer. For the first time this season, the 19-year-old rookie from France finished the game on the floor, playing the final 8:43 of the fourth quarter in Sunday's 96-85 win over Detroit. Batum, a starter at small forward for the last 15 games, has played in six other fourth quarters this season, but only two when the game was still on the line, and none of them as long or as important as Sunday's effective stint. Batum entered the game in the fourth after Detroit took its first second-half lead, 77-75. When the game was over, the Blazers had gone on a 21-8 run, which was keyed by Batum's defense on Richard Hamilton and an important baseline jumper with 4:28 left that put the Blazers up 89-80. All told, Batum set career highs in minutes (31), rebounds (7) and assists (4). He also added seven points and a block of a Tayshaun Prince fast-break layup. Usually, Batum starts both halves and plays the first six to eight minutes before yielding to Travis Outlaw or Rudy Fernandez. The 6-foot-8 forward entered Sunday averaging close to 16 minutes, with a season-high of 22 -- both low figures for NBA starters. It has worked for the Blazers because it has allowed Outlaw and Fernandez to showcase their offensive talents. But with the Sunday struggles of both Outlaw (2 for 5, two turnovers) and Fernandez (1 for 4, two turnovers), McMillan took a chance and called for his wiry and unpolished rookie. "It's a big step," McMillan said of Batum getting a fourth-quarter call. "But I think what he did gives me confidence. It gives the players confidence, and it gives Nic confidence." McMillan says with each passing game and every subsequent film session he notices Batum more and more, which has pushed to the forefront the idea of playing Batum in fourth-quarter crunch time. "I know I feel comfortable with him out on the floor," McMillan said. "I know he is going to make whoever he is guarding work to get open. We need that in that group. He has provided that for us. He's a guy you don't have to call plays for him to be productive. He's rebounding, knocking down shots, but he is giving us defense every night." All while not complaining about his playing time. In fact, some on the Blazers can't recall if they've had a conversation with Batum. "You know what? I don't know if he has ever said one word to me," Outlaw said. "Must not like me." Outlaw, however, likes Batum's game. After all, before the game, it was Outlaw who suggested that a story be written on how well Batum has been playing. Turns out, Batum does like Outlaw and the rest of his teammates, though he finds himself gravitating toward the other foreign players on the team -- Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez. "I'm very quiet because I'm shy," Batum said. "And I'm young, I'm from France, and I'm trying to learn English. But it's cool. I love my teammates." He also loves what he calls a "fast" and "exciting" rookie experience. Although he says he would love to play more, he is happy with just being out on the court. "At the beginning of the season, I didn't think I would play more than two, three minutes a game," Batum said. "Now, I play 15 minutes, and I start. So yeah, I'm OK." http://0rz.tw/8d5ad -- Batum打了生涯最久的31分鐘，得到生涯最高的7籃板和4助攻，最後成功防守Hamilton 也是取勝關鍵。Batum還是很謙虛，也蠻安靜的，但也為能多上場感到高興。 --

※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 221.169.172.177