Not Kawhi Leonard or James Harden, however this underrated star is the important thing to the Los Angeles Clippers, says Danny Inexperienced.
The Los Angeles Clippers bounced again in opposition to the Denver Nuggets with a much-needed win in Sport 6 of the sequence.
After the win, the sequence is tied at 3-3 with the destiny of every franchise depending on the Sport 7 matchup.
Talking of the Sport 6 contest, former NBA star Danny Inexperienced gave his skilled opinion on the competition and identified which participant ‘modified the narrative’ for the Clippers.
At 36 years previous, Nicolas Batum is within the twilight years of his NBA profession. Regardless of the French star enjoying restricted minuets throughout the common season, he showcased his expertise in Sport 6.
Inexperienced broke down how Batum’s vitality on the ground was the important thing to the Clippers’ 111-105 win over the Nuggets.
“I gotta give plenty of flowers to Nicolas Batum. He got here in, guarded Jokic with plenty of vitality, made that further go. Issues that don’t present up within the stat sheet,” Inexperienced mentioned of Batum.
He added: “Simply his vitality modified the entire narrative of the sport. He knew the way to house the ground to present James his ISOs. He was the explanation they received that recreation tonight.”
Batum put up 6 factors, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists in 34 minutes of enjoying time. Nevertheless, as Inexperienced acknowledged, the veteran ahead impacted the sport in additional methods than what confirmed up on the field rating.
Defending Nikola Jokic generally is a nightmare for any participant, however Batum accepted the project and fulfilled it to perfection in Sport 6, limiting the 3x NBA MVP to 25 factors.
After the sport, Jokic acknowledged Batum’s efficiency and even made a prediction in regards to the 36-year-old, by way of Joey Linn on X.
“Batum is a significantly better shooter than Kris Dunn,” Jokic mentioned after suggesting Batum ought to begin in Sport 7.
To date, Batum has come off the bench in all six video games of the sequence. In spite of everything, Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell are the Clippers’ two solidified beginning forwards.
Nevertheless, Jokic believes Batum’s taking pictures potential and defensive prowess must be sufficient for him to et the nod over guard Kris Dunn within the ultimate recreation of the sequence.
