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You quite speculate there. We only know that Spurs like a lot both.
Anyway, good luck with Blazers and Batum. He is a true jewel.
I just hope Blazers won't put him in the doghouse with their deep roster. Batum deserves to have a fair chance in NBA.
From my understanding, he (or at least the Spurs) made first round promises to both Batum and Hill. Anyway, it was just intended as idle banter, please don't take offense. Forgive me if I'm still giddy after the draft. (thanks for Kevin Pritchard, by the way)
You quite speculate there. We only know that Spurs like a lot both.
Anyway, good luck with Blazers and Batum. He is a true jewel.
I just hope Blazers won't put him in the doghouse with their deep roster. Batum deserves to have a fair chance in NBA.
Better hope Oden really isnt 96.
Without him they are still just a mediocre team.
They will make the playoffs without him.
From what I have read, Batum wont even come over this year... so a trade could still be a possibility, but he won't be in the plans this year.
I think its more realistic to try and trade for Portland's other young SF like Outlaw or Webster (more a SG imo) then to worry about Batum at this point.
I for one am just curious to know why the Spurs FO didn't think about purchasing someone else's draft picks. Seems like there were some decent players purchased, but they are the pros, not me.
We will see what happens when FA opens up.
Really!? I thought he would be at least in the D-League this year if not on the roster... but he is with Portland now and they have a glutton of real young and real good talent/potential now... Wonder if alot of that is for trade bait...
I think if both would have been there at 26, the Spurs would have drafted Batum, then immediately found a way to trade up and get Hill.
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/or...780.xml&coll=7
Batum wants to come and Blazers want to let him overseas.Pritchard said the rangy and athletic Batum likely will come to the United States and be on the Blazers' roster next season, in large part because he doesn't have a buyout clause in his overseas contract, forcing the Blazers to make a commitment. Other foreign players the Blazers have drafted -- Petteri Koponen and Joel Freeland -- have buyout clauses in their European contracts, allowing the Blazers to decide when they want to bring the player over.
"He's probably not ready for the NBA," Pritchard said of the gangly and raw 19-year-old Batum.
I truly think what happens is quite a disaster for Batum. He needs some playing time to improve and he won't get it with Blazers behind Outlaw and Webster. The future doesn't look bright for Batum because both are young players.
He will end up on the bench with Rodiguez or in the great city of Boise.
Blazers and KP reminds me a spoiled child who have damn rich parents. He can get all the toys of the world so he gets them without wondering if he needs them.
The problem is that these toys are human being and at the end he will likely up the career of players like Batum.
Batum is a nice guy and a heck of a talent. I really feel sorry for him.
Batum is going to be sent to the D-league a la Mahinmi. Blazers ultimately will run the risk of having too much talent and some very disgruntled players. Batum could well be one of them. I can't imagine why Batum's agent is happy about him going to Portland. That'd be the last place he or his agent should want him to end up.
Batum is going to help the Stampede repeat next season.
I believe he is happy because the Blazers really wanted him, even if their plans aren't the same the Spurs had for him
I wish him easier debut than Diaw had in Atlanta
F them and their coach who is a cheater.
Go Toros.
Maybe he should demand a trade. The Spurs 2011 draft pick is available.
Who Gives A About Batum....he Is Not A Spur And Never Will Be.
The Batum situation is unfortunate. Maybe the Blazers trade him for the TE, the cash it cost to buy him and a future pick. Not sure the Spurs would do that...in fact, I'm sure they wouldn't. But the Blazers don't have roster space and could live without the headache of his not wanting to be there. They'd come out ahead by a pick in that scenario, which would make Pritchard happy.
If I'm Batum, I'm pretty pissed. He can't be too pissed publicly right now because he's property of the Blazers but he got screwed. If Pop told him that he could play right away, I believe Pop and that would have been a great opportunity for Batum. 10 to 15 minutes off the bench a night would have done wonders for his career. Couple more years he'd be ready for a big role if all went as planned.
I also feel sorry for Batum because he was dressed in black and silver attire and ready and willing to give up millions to come to San Antonio. Blazers ruined that plan but for what reason? He doesn't project to get minutes in Portland for a long time. Maybe if they dump a few swingmen but even then he doesn't fit as nicely as he would in San Antonio.
D-League won't help Batum at all. He's an unselfish player whose best part of his game is playing well within a team concept. Team concepts don't really exist in the D-League.
For the Spurs, I'm not convinced who their first option was. It could have been Batum or it could have been Hill. Perhaps the Spurs tried to lockup Batum because they thought Hill would be off the board. Who knows, the Spurs could have secretly been relieved that Batum was off the board and Hill was on the board so they wouldn't have to decide between two players they gave promises to.
Truthfully, the offseason could work out better with Hill than Batum. With the way this draft was, there were no halfway decent point guards in the second round. Batum, Hairston and Gist wouldn't have made any sense. The Spurs would have had to maybe go big, which wasn't that much of a need. Additionally, with Batum instead of Hill, the Spurs would have had to scramble for a point guard in free agency ... and there really isn't anyone affordable who is much better than Vaughn.
This is going to be interesting to look back on in a few years. Hill will end up being compared to Batum, Arthur, Chalmers and Greene. If Hairston defies the odds and becomes something, he's an asset the Spurs never would have looked at with Batum.
The Spurs could actually be better off without him depending on how things pan out so there isn't really anything for Spurs fans to feel sorry for. Hill sounds eager to learn from Parker, Pop already likes him and he will be given a golden opportunity to succeed. I wish nothing but the best for Batum because he did everything in his power to become a Spur. Huge props to him and hopefully he gets time sooner than later.
the Blazers
Oh and if the Spurs REALLY wanted Batum, they could have traded with Presti at 24. 26 and 45 for 24 would be a no-brainer for Presti. Then Presti could have still gotten Ibaka at 26 plus yet another asset to use in the second round. No way the Rockets take Ibaka at 25 with Greene on the board -- the player they wanted the whole time.
But it sounds like once 24 rolled around, the Spurs knew they'd get either Batum or Hill and were fine with either.
maybe Batum can demand a trade to the Spurs if the Blazers dont let him to come this season
How do you know?
the Blazers become my NO' 1 most hated team after what they do to us and Batum
Absolutely. No one, other than the Sonics, were drafting Ibaka in round 1, per his agents request. Presti and the Spurs would have done that deal.
It may be that the Spurs were really high on Hairston too. Not wanting to give up 45. Who knows. Something doesn't square, though.
Oh hey, maybe somewhere down the road Presti can help us out and give us K.D. for nothing!!
Ibaka and Seattle had maybe an agreement that they could use the 24th pick on him but not a later one.
Even if the difference is small, a 26th pick get less money than a 24th pick. Given Ibaka contract situation in Spain, he could be in a case where every dollar is important.
Who cares about Batum? We got George Hill and I cant wait to see what he's got
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