Nic Batum overpaid? Sure. But he has Hornets value, as win over Pistons showed
Nic Batum is overpaid. That’s not the same as useless. Charlotte Hornets fans should make peace with that.
Batum wasn’t the Hornets’ best player in a 102-101 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. That was Devonte Graham, who finished with 16 points and a career-high 15 assists.
But the Hornets don’t break a five-game losing streak if Batum hadn’t provided a broad spectrum of skills -- defense, ball-movement and some first-half scoring. Teammate Marvin Williams says all the time that Batum is undervalued by the public in the sense that he’s the most versatile player on this roster.
“On both ends he has always brought a calm and a steadiness to our team, as long as he has been here,” Williams said. “He is so reliable at making plays other guys just can’t make.
“He’s the most versatile guy that we have. You add that to his incredible intelligence, and that’s a great combination.”
I asked Batum post-game how he views his role. He continuously used the word “support.” As in, this Hornets rebuild season is about helping Graham, Miles Bridges, Malik Monk and rookie P.J. Washington realize their potential. That means he and Williams -- starters the vast majority of their careers -- are fine on the second unit, playing when coach James Borrego needs them and mentoring the rest of the time.
“Play defense, try to be there for the young guys, do a little bit of everything,” Batum said. “If you watch my (box score line), I try to have numbers everywhere. Sometimes I play 18 minutes, sometimes 30. It doesn’t matter how much I play.”
That contract
Batum posted 13 points (a season high), five rebounds, two blocks and an assist in 31 minutes Wednesday. It was one of his better games since returning two weeks ago from a fractured finger in the season-opener.
His numbers will never be commensurate with the $25.5 million Batum makes this season as the Hornets’ highest-paid player. The Hornets misread the market in the summer of 2016 when they offered him $120 million over five years to re-sign.
Batum hasn’t been as good as he was the season going into that contract negotiation, but he hasn’t been radically worse, either. He was never going to average 25 points or 10 assists per game. He describes himself as a “glue guy,” someone who can connect the other pieces of a roster.
If the Hornets vastly overpaid for glue, then isn’t that the fault of former general manager Rich Cho or team owner Michael Jordan? Would you, if you were Batum, have turned down that money?
If you feel Batum isn’t fiery enough or doesn’t aggressively enough hunt for his own shot, then those are legitimate critiques. But he wasn’t either of those things before the contract. He was always the support guy.
The money is guaranteed, and it’s unlikely Batum gets traded before the contract expires after next season. So the wise move by Borrego is figure out how Batum can help a team in a dramatic shift from orbiting around the departed Kemba Walker.
Defense first
I asked Borrego post-game if he ever prods Batum to shoot more. Borrego was diplomatic in his response. He made clear that the thing he needs most from Batum these days is defense.
“When he has an open shot, just like any of our guys, I expect him to take it. I want him to shoot the ball more if the ball finds him at the right time,” Borrego said.
“But the No. 1 things he’s doing for us right now is defending and rebounding.”
Batum spent much of the second half guarding Derrick Rose, who isn’t anything close to what he was physically when he was NBA Most Valuable Player in 2011, but he is still explosive off the dribble. The Hornets aren’t strong defensively most nights, but they held the Pistons to 41 points in the second half.
“Rose is still a tough cover,” Williams said. “(Batum) has the the length and savvy to pick him up full-court and slow him down.”
Is that worth $25 million? No.
Is that still something of value? Yes.
This story was originally published November 27, 2019 at 11:37 PM.
