Well I guess all the Batista hype was just hype

[Admin]

So many people got so worked up about signing him and he looks lost out there to me. I am gonna cut him some slack, but I doubt he ever becomes anywhere near starter worthy, even on our team.

Seems kinda silly that some of you got so excited about his signing, and then not signing, and then signing.

[Plainview1981]

Just about everybody looks lost out there so why wouldn't

a guy that's never played in the NBA be different?

[pathway23]

I like Batista here. He looks lost out there at both ends but he brings a hard playing mentality down low that we haven't had in a while - most of his fouls aren't cheap. Its funny he looks like he is 12 years old but he knocks the crap out of people and gets inside their head - the other parts of his game are work in progress but he is still very young.

[Gray Mule]

"Gets inside their head."

I believe Batman was the Hawk that the announcers said

was getting "Trash Talk" sent his way, but he only

understands Spanish!

That would mess with your mind. Talk to an opponent and

he looks at you with a blank stare !!! Ha!

He has a lot of learning to do, but, with the price of

his salary, he's going to be worth it. He's not costing

a bundle. He will get better.

[Hawkzzz21]

Quote:

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"Gets inside their head."

I believe Batman was the Hawk that the announcers said

was getting "Trash Talk" sent his way, but he only

understands Spanish!

That would mess with your mind. Talk to an opponent and

he looks at you with a blank stare !!! Ha!

He has a lot of learning to do, but, with the price of

his salary, he's going to be worth it. He's not costing

a bundle. He will get better.

---

I'm going with the mule on this one. In terms of NBA Salaries he's free!

We didn't give nothing for him, players, draft picks, etc...

He isn't Karl Malone out there. Could be a poor Charles Oakley though. He's still very young. I like his fierce play, and making other guys mad. We need that!

He isn't taking away anyone's minutes that deserves to be out there more than him.

I really don't see the problem.

As for the hype, all new players get some. In Batman's Case, he was the unknown. What will he be? How good? I have no problems with him.

[rascurrein]

Did you expect Shaq?

He's only 22, allways play as center, in Uruguay and Spain, now he's adapting to a new role in a team, and to the nba. He will be better sooner than everybody expects. He learn fast, and he understand the game which is the most important thing, that's the reason why you wont see him taking shots just because he understand that are teammates who are better, so he wont take unnecesary risks.

I can tell you this for what i know, he's working hard in his shooting range and for those who saw Bat-Man growing up in basketball terms, like me, don't have any doubt that soon you will be seeing a player a lot better than he is today.

Another thing: there's world basketball, and there's nba. Totally diferent sports.

[Dragitoff]

I think this guy will develop into a solid role player. He's aggressive and fights for the ball while he's out there. I think alot of his looking "lost" out there can definitely be attributed to him learning this team, this philosophy, and most importantly the NBA game.

[Admin]

He was signed because of the way he played Euro ball, as opposed to say a college kid who knows how to play American ball. I dont fault Batista and I hope he can become a solid role player, but so far I dont see it. I expected to see a guy fighting for rebounds and getting lots of them with the way he was pumped up before we signed him. I expected to see him putting some tough D on guys in the paint. Instead of I have seen a guy who has played timid and doesnt seem to be able to find rebounds very well at all.

I'm not knocking his signing by any means and I still have hope for him and I dont expect him to be a scoring machine, but I just wanted to make the point that people were getting far too upset about his not signing and then too excited about his eventual signing.

[Dragitoff]

Quote:

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I expected to see a guy fighting for rebounds and getting lots of them with the way he was pumped up before we signed him. I expected to see him putting some tough D on guys in the paint. Instead of I have seen a guy who has played timid and doesnt seem to be able to find rebounds very well at all.

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You apparently have never seen him when he gets a rebound. He clears out like no other. He's got bows flying everywhere. He played pretty good D the other night against Zack Randolph who's been unstoppable so far this season.

[Admin]

else has seen him play in the NBA. He isnt a rebounding terror or anything close to it. So far he has 5 rebounds in 30 minutes. Hardly what I would call stellar play.

Maybe some of you are confusing him with ZaZa, who is flying around like a mad man grabbing rebounds with elbows flying.