NBA Rankings: Top 10 small forwards for 2014-15
8. Nicolas Batum:
2013-14 Stat Line: 82 games, 36.0 MPG, 13.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 5.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, .465/.361/.803 shooting, 15.8 PER
We’re giving the edge to Nicolas Batum over Trevor Ariza for our No. 8 spot if only because he’s so well-rounded on a team that severely needs the underrated services he provides. The 25-year-old Frenchman is often overlooked because of his overpriced contract and the fact that he shares the court with Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge, but the Blazers would be even more miserable on defense than they already are without him.
Batum was also particularly durable last year, playing 36 minutes per game in every single contest while posting that well-rounded 13-7-5 stat line. Batum’s numbers aren’t always pretty, but if you’re looking for the NBA’s most likely player to put up a 5-5-5-5 on any given night and fly completely under the radar in the process, Batum is your guy. In other words, a lot of what he does is unglorified dirty work that doesn’t always show up in the stat column.
At 6-foot-8, Batum has the length to make him one of the best rebounders in the league for his position. His lanky arms and massive wing span help him defend the wings and play the passing lanes and he’s a serviceable shooter on a team filled with dangerous long range threats. When defenses pay too much attention to Lillard or Wesley Matthews on the perimeter, or to Aldridge wherever he’s at on the floor, Batum is the guy that makes them pay.