HoopsHype.com Rumors

Nicolas Batum: No way @Damian Lillard should be ROY, we should recount the votes lol....congrats bro well deserved #10times Twitter @nicolas88batum

Portland Trail Blazers, Nicolas Batum, Damian Lillard 

Nicolas Batum: I have to respect @jasoncollins34 . Hope people will respect his decision and respect for the courage it took.#support#respect#NBAfamily Twitter @nicolas88batum

Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Wizards, Jason Collins, Nicolas Batum 

Despite the injury and second-half swoon, Batum justified that contract and established himself as a key piece in the Blazers' roster rebuild. "What really impressed me with Nicolas was the number of ways he can impact a game," Blazers general manager Neil Olshey said. "The three ball was always there. He can finish in transition. The chase-down blocks. But being able to play multiple positions, being able to play with the ball in his hands; he's a much more creative passer than I thought. I always knew he was a willing passer. But the creativity and the vision; he saw plays that I wasn't sure he could see." Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Neil Olshey, Nicolas Batum 

“This year we showed we could beat good teams. We beat New York. We beat Miami. We beat Memphis,” Batum said in his exit interview in Portland this week. “But then we lost against Sacramento, Detroit, Washington. If we focus, have a good training camp, and don’t do the same mistakes we made this year, it won’t be crazy if we’re in the top five in the Western Conference next year.” HoopsWorld

Portland Trail Blazers, Nicolas Batum 

Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum will miss the team's remaining two games of the season to rest his sore right shoulder, his agent Bouna Ndiaye told CSNNW.com. The 6-8 small forward had an appointment Monday morning in Los Angeles with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the surgeon who performed successful surgery to repair a torn labrum on that same shoulder in October of 2009. According to Ndiaye, Dr. ElAttrache concluded there was no further damage and that surgery was not required, but rest is. “He'll be healthy soon,” Ndiaye said. “He just needs to get some rest. The good news is there is no surgery needed. We were glad to hear that.” CSNNW.com

Portland Trail Blazers, Injuries, Nicolas Batum 

Nicolas Batum: Just heard Kobe may have torn his achills. Hate to see one of the greatest hurt himself like that Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Injuries, Nicolas Batum 

The Trail Blazers' starting small forward skipped the team’s Saturday morning practice because of lingering right shoulder pain and said afterward that he would not play Sunday night, when the Dallas Mavericks visit the Rose Garden. But even though the playoffs are out of the question, even though there’s only six games left in a lost season, even though his shoulder continues to nag, he has no plans of mailing it in over the final 11 days. “The thing is, I feel bad to be sitting behind the bench and watching those guys lose,” Batum said. “I feel useless. I hate that. I have to try to keep playing. For my teammates, for my pride, for the fans. They supported us and I have to respect them. We have to play until the season is over.” Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Injuries, Nicolas Batum 

Batum said he will be reevaluated next week and if everything goes well, he hopes to return to practice on Tuesday in preparation for the Blazers’ Wednesday night matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers at the Rose Garden. “I want to play — I want to win,” Batum said. “I don’t want the season to end like this.” Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Injuries, Nicolas Batum 

So for so long there have been rumors about you coming to the Spurs. We're you ever close to coming to San Antonio? Nicolas Batum: Let me tell you a little story. During the (2005) NBA Draft they (Spurs) were trying to get me and I got picked before them. So when I got into the draft, they told me they were going to pick me so I was ready to go there. ProjectSpurs.com

Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Nicolas Batum 

Batum says the pain from 1-10 is a seven, but progresses to an eight or nine throughout the course of a game, limiting his effectiveness. All he is capable of doing right now is being a facilitator and rebounding. And teams are starting to figure out that he isn't willing to shoot the ball, making his passes predictable and and ineffective. CSNNW.com

Portland Trail Blazers, Injuries, Nicolas Batum 

All those really nice things you said when the Wolves were wooing you last summer, was all that sincere and genuine? Nicolas Batum: Of course, I was interested by the Wolves. The way they played last year was nice. Enough people wanted to be there and play with them because Rubio was good, Kevin Love was an All-Star, Pekovic ... all those guys. And Coach Adelman, I would have liked him as a coach. Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Nicolas Batum 

Chris Haynes: Batum says he also thought he broke his wrist in practice yesterday after getting it caught in a jersey. He'll continue to play through pain Twitter @ChrisBHaynes

Portland Trail Blazers, Injuries, Nicolas Batum 

Chris Haynes: LMBO: Got word a Minnesota reporter asked #Blazers F Nicolas Batum this morning if he sent David Kahn a fruit basket for that offer sheet. Twitter @ChrisBHaynes

Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, David Kahn, Nicolas Batum 

Nicolas Batum: Congrats to @LaMarcus Aldridge for his 2nd all star appearance #ripcity . And also to my 2 French brothers @Tony Parker and @Joakim Noah Twitter @nicolas88batum

Chicago Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker, LaMarcus Aldridge, Joakim Noah, Nicolas Batum, All Star Game 

“We're doing a bad job right now of playing the game consistently and the way we should,” Jeffries said. “We're a good team, but we're not taking anything away from nobody. It's frustrating because we're better than this. We're a good team and we always find a way to come back and be in games, but we need to find a way to be up in games.” Nicolas Batum had little to say. “I don't know what it is,” Batum said. “I'm not sure what the problem is. We're not closing games like we used to. We gotta figure it out because we got a tough schedule ahead.” CSNNW.com

Portland Trail Blazers, Nicolas Batum 

But instead of putting more pressure on him, Batum insists the deal liberated him. "That [contract] gave me more freedom," Batum said. "I mean, they pay me. They trust me. They show me they love me. So now I can go out there and play. Like I say, why should I get pressure? I play in the NBA. I'm not hurt right now. I've got a good contract and I can put my family in a good situation for the next 50 years. I play basketball. So why should I get pressure?" NBA.com

Portland Trail Blazers, Nicolas Batum 

Batum's goals for the season were to average 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal. "I started low," he said. But he's come on stronger the last month. He had at least eight assists six times in an eight-game stretch around Christmas, and in January, he's already had six games of 21 or more points. "It's easier," he said. "Now, I have a free hand; I can do what I want to do. Terry is like, 'Hey, man, you can do so many things on the court. Don't just stand in the corner and shoot. You can create, you can score, you can pass, you can rebound. You can play defense.' That's what I try to do. I have freedom this year. I have a lot of fun. I've got it this year." NBA.com

Portland Trail Blazers, Nicolas Batum 

Darren Wolfson: With Scola here tonight, don't think about the face stomp. Think how he was almost a Wolf. But they had no cap room w/ Batum offer. #twolves Twitter @DarrenWolfson

Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Luis Scola, Nicolas Batum 

Since the first day of training camp, every Trail Blazers player has received a morning text message from coach Terry Stotts. “9:01 a.m.,’’ Nicolas Batum says, pulling out his cellphone as proof. “9:01, 9:01, 9:01. Every day.’’ The message is inspirational in nature, chosen from a cache that Stotts has accumulated throughout the years. Sometimes, Batum admits, he has to read the passages twice to understand them. Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Coaching, Nicolas Batum, Terry Stotts 

It wasn't the first time Batum has closely followed Gallinari's numbers. Last January, Denver awarded Gallinari a 4-year, $42 million extension. The Blazers could not come to terms with Batum, who like the days in his youth, measured himself against Gallinari. "After he signed, I thought I should be around that," Batum said. "It wasn't like I said 'I have to get more than Gallinari,' but when you negotiate, you look at guys who are like you, with similar numbers. So I looked at him, Marvin Williams, Aaron Affalo. But I thought I should be around (Gallinari); I didn't think I would get more than him." Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Nicolas Batum