Batum of the Barrel

Nor'easter drops Batum, picks up McCants

Nicolas Batum is getting a bit annoyed - picked up twice, dropped twice, only getting to play twice. He's been discussed a few times, and while his situation hasn't changed, he's put up two goose eggs in a row (after his two double-digit games), making it difficult to justify rostering him. We still think Portland is too deep, and Batum too raw, for him to be particularly valuable this year.

McCants was dropped by thenopp after suffering a back injury, as discussed here. But his fortunes have changed rather markedly in the last week - Corey 'C-Brizzle' Brewer is out for the season with a torn AC-Lizzle, and Mike Miller sprained his knee yesterday (it looks like Miller will be OK). If McCants is healthy, he'll get around 25 mpg, and he'll certainly shoot a lot of 3s. Whether any of them go in is another matter.

Judgment: A nice pickup, We like McCants' opportunity, and while he doesn't contribute in an 'all-around' way, and he's not a very good basketball, he will score and hit some 3s. We love Batum, but we'll have to wait at least a year for his breakout.