Charlotte Hornets 2018-2019 Season Grades: Nicolas Batum
Nicolas Batum, the Charlotte Hornets’ much-maligned veteran, didn’t exactly wow a lot of people this past season, despite improving several key numbers.
If you ask most Charlotte Hornets fans what they think of Nicolas Batum, it’s usually not going to be a positive reaction.
None of it is personal, of course, but most feel like he isn’t living up to his hefty contract. This doesn’t fall entirely on Nic, however, as the management in place at the time seemed to have greatly misjudged his talent level.
I mean, how many people would turn down a contract paying them over $20 million a year, despite not exactly showing the skill warranting that kind of money?
That contract is indeed the elephant in the room most everyone isn’t afraid to address. The media and fans alike have aired their frustrations with Batum’s deal, most notably in its role in how difficult it might be to keep Kemba Walker.
Alas, that’s for another time and for now, we’re going to judging this past season for Nic. I know most are probably looking for a hit-piece, as some are wont to do, but it wasn’t all bad for the Frenchman.
For instance, his field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, and free-throw percentage were all the highest they’ve been in five seasons. The caveat here is that he took fewer shots of each. This all culminated in Nic’s third-lowest scoring output of his career, scoring just 9.3 points a game.
His assists were down, as well, dishing out only 3.3 a game, down from 5.5 last year, so he wasn’t as much of a focal point in the offense as he has been in the past. Whether it’s James Borrego’s system or simply that the younger guys took his minutes (and shots), Batum seemed to get lost on offense quite a few times this season.
Perhaps his confidence is shaken or maybe Coach Borrego doesn’t see much use for him. By this point, though, we’ve essentially seen what we’re going to get out of Nic and unfortunately, it’s not going to do the Hornets any favors this off-season.
His contract isn’t the only problematic one on the roster, but it certainly seems to be the most glaring.
Final Grade
Some may feel that grade is too harsh, while others may think it’s too generous. Nevertheless, it’s no secret that Batum underperformed this season.
There were times where he showed flashes of brilliance, but oftentimes, he was either a non-factor on the court or a flat-out liability. Add to that the fact that he stands to make $25.5 million next season, and you have what many would consider the most disappointing and sometimes infuriating Charlotte Hornet.
It’s sad, too, because Nic seems like a really cool guy who wants to help his team out as much as he can. I just think that he, along with the coaching staff, has lost confidence in his game.
Of course, I could be all wrong and he could just be phoning it in while the money piles up, but I’d like to think he cares about his teammates and Hornets fans.
It’s going to be interesting to see what happens to Nic in the near future. As of now, he’s virtually untradable, unless you package him with a draft pick or one of the young up-and-comers. With several bad contracts on the roster, it may just come to that.
If they are stuck with Batum, he and the coaching staff are going to have to find a way to better utilize him.
Him moving back to the small forward position was supposed to revitalize his play, but as the young guns started showing their stuff, Batum seemed stuck in a funk he couldn’t get out of. One way or another, he may be a player the Hornets are stuck with for the foreseeable future, so perhaps another year with this coaching staff might help him better integrate into the offense.
I know most fans are ready for the post-Nic era, but he may be here to stay unless Mitch Kupchak can work some Harry Houdini levels of magic. If Nic does remain a Charlotte Hornet, he’ll definitely need to improve upon this past season, because it wasn’t exactly one for the ages.