Batum’s brain and jumper especially shine in comeback victory originally appeared in NBC Sports Philadelphia
The day before the Sixers’ play-in tournament matchup against the Heat, Nicolas Batum predicted his role would “increase a little more.”
He realized he would need to find ways to get the ball to All-Stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in their ideal spots, serve as a “connector” and call on his considerable experience in difficult moments.
How about taking the Sixers from a nearly disastrous position and putting them in a first-round playoff meeting with the Knicks?
Batum didn’t do it alone on Wednesday night, but he was essential for the Sixers in their comeback victory over the Heat. He scored 20 points off the bench and was 6-for-10 from three-point territory.
The only other Sixer to make multiple long-range shots was Joel Embiid, who made two.
“Man, he was the man tonight,” said Kelly Oubre Jr. “He came in and brought his full clip. I’m so glad he shot. He just saved the game on both ends of the court.”
Batum also blocked a game-tying three-point attempt by Tyler Herro with less than 30 seconds remaining.
In November, a few weeks after the Sixers acquired Batum in a trade headed by James HardenEmbiid called him “the key” and praised his shooting, defense, passing and intelligence. The Sixers were grateful for all of that against the Heat.
They failed in Miami’s zone in the first half and only managed 39 points. The Sixers launched aerial jumpers, botched layups, ran around the perimeter and committed costly turnovers.
Batum recognized it was the right time to launch jumpers and score the most points in a game this season.
“I know we can’t expect the same game every night,” he said. “Some games they need me to pitch, like tonight. I’m not going to score 20 points a game. Don’t expect that. This was a game, okay? Maybe in the next game I’ll only take two, three shots, but I’ll contribute with something else.
“I try to make an impact on the game in my own way. … I don’t really care (about the stat sheet). All I care about are my team’s numbers. Can I impact my teammates and the Sixers by winning this game? That’s how I play. I am 35 years old; I don’t care what I do (personally). My kid will be like, ‘Oh, you only got two points.’ OK boy. I am trying. It’s just the way I play.”
One aspect of Batum’s game that the Sixers value is his ability to guard anyone. He’s long been a rangy, fluid athlete, but Batum is still happy to harass ballhandlers in the backcourt and limit the comfortable looks of the stellar wings.
And as Maxey pointed out, he’s still capable of holding his own against true centers.
“He’s protected from the little guys in the NBA like Trae Young to the tallest man in the NBA (Victor Wembanyama). Let’s really think about this,” Maxey said. “His defensive versatility is unparalleled. Tonight he protected Herro, he protected (Jimmy) Butler, he protected Bam Adebayo at times.
“What he did for this team was remarkable. … We’re going to need it in the future. He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do and tonight he hit some big shots. Joel is always talking about shooting threes, and he hit some big threes tonight and made them. We appreciate Nico.”
Asked when he realized he could defend virtually any assignment, Batum recalled a 2011 playoff series in which he defeated Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki in the same game.
Batum has been around for a while and his words carry weight.
“It feels like he’s been in the league for almost 25 years,” Paul Reed said last Saturday. “When he tells me something, I always try to listen, take what he says and really implement it in the game. He really knows what he’s talking about. He’s never really leading me the wrong way, so I always listen.”
For naturally intense and energetic players like Reed and Oubre, Batum’s balanced presence is helpful.
And again, it helps that his teammates trust Batum’s insights to be consistently excellent.
“He’s just a constant support human being on our team,” Oubre said. “He’s been doing this for a long time. He knows the ins and outs of the game and is very intelligent.
“He doesn’t say much, but whenever he does, he tells you what to do and you do it. And it always works. I appreciate him for his leadership and everything he brought to the game of basketball.”
With his words and his play, Batum honed a brilliant sense of spot picking.
“I played with a lot of great coaches, a lot of great players, so I’ve learned over the years,” he said. “I have been a professional for 18 years. This is my 18th year, if you count my pro (seasons) in France before being drafted into the NBA. So I think I learned to be calm in the game. I try to understand who I play with. How can I fit in perfectly with Tyrese? How can I help Joel in terms of space? How can I talk to these guys?
“I don’t have the same legs, but I still have the brain, so I just try to think about the game and help my teammates to be in the right positions.”
Thanks to Batum’s brain and his jumper, the Sixers can hope to make the basketball playoffs.
