On the money

The glory boys are the ones that steal the headlines, while the grunt work is done by the drones. Most people aim to be the scene-stealers, but end up being dissatisfied drones. Very few people are able to accept their deficiencies (and strengths) and settle on simply being the drone.

It is these people that deserve most of the applause. In the NBA these days, content to fly under the radar, is one such player - Shane Battier. I followed his career when he was at Duke University but then lost track of him (and the NBA) because I just followed the headlines from time to time and he wasn't one of the featured players.

But Shane has not been totally forgotten, least of all by discerning fans of the NBA, such as DSC/BD. Recently, DSC/BD directed my attention towards Michael Lewis of The New York Times, who wrote a fantastic piece on Battier. Read it in its entirety and you will also appreciate all the hard work that Battier has put in. This man knows how to play the game. Oddly, I hope he continues to not get the share of the spotlight that he deserves. Read the article and you will understand why.

Battier’s game is a weird combination of obvious weaknesses and nearly invisible strengths. When he is on the court, his teammates get better, often a lot better, and his opponents get worse — often a lot worse. He may not grab huge numbers of rebounds, but he has an uncanny ability to improve his teammates’ rebounding. He doesn’t shoot much, but when he does, he takes only the most efficient shots. He also has a knack for getting the ball to teammates who are in a position to do the same, and he commits few turnovers. On defense, although he routinely guards the N.B.A.’s most prolific scorers, he significantly reduces their shooting percentages.