Expectation of Batum..

[WOW!!]

The bad part of this whole thing could be he's a one year rental and if he is close to Diaw as most French players around the league are.. This could be a scary realization as French players and Charlotte hasn't worked out..  But being a optimistic that he will stay after this year..  I expect his impact to be on pare with Captain Jack for the Bobcats..  For this trade to be a success I expect Batum to be our 2nd go to scorer on most nights and Avg.  18pg 5reb 4-3 assist and good perimeter defense... 

What do you guys expect?

[JJman Returns]

3 things I want from him

1. Stay healthy

2. Not to try and play better then he is. He already is a good passer/rebounder and an excellent shooter. Do that and he will fit in great.

3. Be the leader he was in Portland

[cbarrier90]

The expectation for him is that he is the defensive stopper/do it all wing player we hoped to get out of Lance Stephenson, and he actually has a track record of doing that, unlike Lance, who we all expected to just break out despite numbers that suggested otherwise.

The biggest thing this and the Kaminsky pick give the Hornets is the roster flexibility they haven't had in years, and that's a big proponent of why I'm hesitant to blame Clifford for the debacle last season with a roster that was flawed structurally and offensively challenged literally from the get-go. It's crazy that this might be our most complete roster since the Wallace-Jackson era, yet you'd never know it if you talked to Hornets fans after our recent moves.

With Batum on the wing, Clifford can now move MKG to the 4 on occasion in a Draymond Green-esque role where he can defend the rim with Al or Frank down low and be closer to the basket where he excels offensively. Batum also can play the 2 and the 4 if need be, and if we wanted to go full-on defensive stopper mode, bring in Lamb/Batum/MKG for great perimeter length.

The cult of Bismack Biyombo won't like this, but it's part of the transformation of the roster into a "new" NBA that just saw the Warriors win by running the Cavs ragged with small ball. Biz's defensive prowess is valuable, but he is so limited offensively he's almost a luxury at best with a team that has as bad an offense as the Hornets did last season. Clifford can mix and match schemes so the loss of Biyombo is minimal (he's been making a team that starts Al Jefferson into a top ten defense since he got here) but what he can't do is ensure Biz can catch an entry pass.

With Kaminsky and Hawes, the Hornets now add perimeter threats to their big rotation to go along with the defensive combinations on the wing. If you want to see what having five offensive threats on the perimeter looks like, watch the Atlanta Hawks. Also, with Frank or Hawes not clogging the paint and pulling out the interior defense, it allows MKG or Kemba to drive to the hoop, accentuating the best offensive attributes of those two. I expect us to move on from Al and focus on having Frank as a stretch five, because Al is obviously the odd man out in these scenarios putting an emphasis on spacing and versatility.

The Hornets have a roster that, on paper, can do some great things on both sides of the court, most importantly improving an unwatchable offense. The onus is now on the coaching staff to find the right combinations and the players to help maximize the strengths of the roster effectively.

[Batman]

He's a perfect fit beside Kemba & MKG. Hopefully being healthy he has a big year, and stays here long-term.

[Tub of Goo]

I expect him to be here 1yr.

[Wundrbread33]

I think 16 points, 6 boards, and 5 assists would be fantastic.

I would hope we could keep him for more than one year, but if not, there will be plenty of money to spend on what should be a nice free agent class next year.

[MichaelNewtonII]

14-15pt 4-5reb 2-3ast

[JJman Returns]

14-15pt 4-5reb 2-3ast

2-3 assists? Have you ever even watched him play or looked at his numbers? If he only averaged that we might as well of kept Hendo.

[rippadonn]

He was on the radio saying "are you going to be here more than a year?" Was the first question MJ asked him. He seems to relish the opportunity to be "that guy" and is looking forward to bringing his game east. He said he and Diaw are close and he heard good things from him about Charlotte 

[MichaelNewtonII]

2-3 assists? Have you ever even watched him play or looked at his numbers? If he only averaged that we might as well of kept Hendo.

I've watched him play but I do not expect him to be a guy who will have the ball in his hands that much to rack up assists

[mj4life]

A article on Batum in the Observer gave the impression that Clifford plans to have Bat um facilitate a good amount of the half court offense 

[MedellinHeel]

Love the addition. He's already our 2nd best offensive threat behind Al. 

If he can stay healthy, we got a huge steal. Hate trading away Vonleh but oh well nothing surprises me here anymore. 

 

Batum is on the same tier as Gordon Hayward. And a better defender. Cho made a good move. 

lets not get carried away her. batum in not on haywards level offensively. 

[carpanfan96]

13-14pts, 5-6rb, 5 assists. Cliff will have him run the offense a lot in half court and let Kemba play off him as a scorer. If anything I expect Kemba's efficiency to go up.

[Batman]

lets not get carried away her. batum in not on haywards level offensively. 

Their career numbers are nearly identical.