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8 - Nicolas Batum

6-8, 210 Shooting Guard/Small Forward
France International
Birthday
12/14/88 (35.3 yrs)
Hometown
Lisieux, France
International Team
Le Mans
2007 Statistics
Euroleague Profile
Athleticism
9
Size
9
Defense
8
Strength
7
Quickness
9
Leadership
6
Jump Shot
7
NBA Ready
8
Ball Handling
7
Potential
9
Passing
8
Intangibles
7
94 Overall:

NBA Comparison: Rudy Gay

Borko Popic – 6/13/2008

Strengths: Very long and versatile wing player Explosive leaper possessing a nice first step Extremely quick off the floor, especially on his second and third jumps His big strides allow him to run the floor with the best of them and his length allows him to finish on difficult drives Is most effective shooting one or two dribble pull ups from midrange A high release and great elevation make it difficult to contest his shot His moves out of the triple threat are hard to defend because his jabs are so long and they get the defenders off balance with regularity Stays within himself, rarely getting out of his element to force plays Possesses a great feel for the game and sees the floor exceptionally well, especially for a player his age Delivers well timed and precise passes showing off his mature decision making Defensively, has all the tools to become great A player possessing his type of length and athleticism to go along with great lateral foot speed is a rarity Could eventually become a defender capable of guarding all 5 positions on the floor

Weaknesses: Did not have the type of season that was expected of him Had some good games, but was too inconsistent Is still a few years away from being ready to contribute at the NBA level His frame is frail looking and he needs to put on weight and add muscle He is easily thrown off balance by the slightest contact, making his finishes that much more difficult, as a result he shies away from contact and settles for jumpshots Lacks confidence handling the ball with his left hand and also struggles finishing on that side of the hoop because he always tries to switch the ball back to his dominant right hand He dribbles the ball too high and becomes an easy strip victim in traffic Does not have the best rebounding numbers, his length and athleticism are negated on the boards because he gets pushed out of position too easily He is a rhythm and flow kind of player, when things are going well, look out, but when hes off, his game goes downhill fast Gets overly passive and defers to his teammates too often At times he seems to be coasting and he gets lost in the action Reacts defensively as opposed to anticipating, leaving him out of position, but with more experience that should change There is concern about his inability to play as well away from home, particularly how difficult it will be for him to make the adjustment to moving to the US and adapting to the NBA game … Landing in the right situation will be crucial for his career …

Aran Smith – 5/2/2006

Strengths: Agile forward with size, an incredible wingspan, and great all around skills Has a natural feel for the game, and great physical attributes Competitive Team player, but also knows when to take over Clutch player. Shows the ability to raise his level of play in big games Makes his teammates better with his vision and ability to create Has a diverse offensive game with the ability to pull up off the dribble, hit from outside, and penetrate to the rim Shows a good stroke from outside, and excellent confidence to shoot through cold spells Has 3 point range Quick hands and feet, plus athleticism make him a potential lock down defender His foot speed and first step is very quick He has huge upside but needs to gain more experience

Weaknesses: Needs a lot of weight Right now he’s at least 15-20 pounds below where he needs to be Getting stronger will allow him to go inside and finish as well as make him stronger defensively Must continue to develop and gain experience Must gain more defensive intensity Must prove himself on the senior level

Notes: One of the top prospects in his age group in Europe Led France to win the 2006 U18 Championships in Greece Won MVP of the 2006 Albert Schweitzer Tournament, leading France to first place Still just a kid, his face looks like he’s even younger than his age

YouTube Clip – 1/1/2008

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