Washington Wizards: An Analytical Look at Free Agent Alternatives to Kevin Durant in Free Agency
By Osman Baig
Nicolas Batum
Can Nicolas Batum be a franchise player? 2.4
WoA Factor was not kind to our friend Nicolas here.
Batum would be a good addition to the Washington Wizards. The Wizards haven’t replaced what they lost in Trevor Ariza and calling Nicolas Batum strictly a 3-and-D would be a disservice to his skillset.
Averaging 14.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game, Batum would bring versatility to Washington — a player who can have an impact even when he’s not scoring 20 points in a game.
What he is, is a good player who can play various roles that help the Wizards win. What he’s not, however, is a franchise player
Does Nicolas Batum make the Wizards a Contender? 3
At a $25 million per year max contract, is Nicolas Batum going to elevate the Washington Wizards to a status where they can dethrone LeBron in the East? Based on his 14.9 PER, 41 percent shooting from the field, and 35 percent shooting from behind the arc, consider WoA Factor skeptical.
The other thing to consider is will Washington get the Nicolas Batum who showed up in a contract year in Charlotte, or the version that was dealt away from Portland after a terrible 2014-2015 season?
Can Nicolas Batum be more popular than a Chik Fil-A sandwich? 1.8
This represents an all-time low WoA Factor score.
While we default to the notion that any significant long-term free agent investment will lead to greater interest from the fans, let’s not kid ourselves, the casual NBA fan or “event fan” in Washington has no idea who Nicolas Batum is.
If the Wizards signed him early in free agency, fans would likely be confused and think that Ernie Grunfeld still managed to draft a European player despite dealing away Washington’s first round pick to the Phoenix Suns.
His on-court style and ability to defend would bring energy, but from purely a marketing point of view, he’s probably as far a cry from #KD2DC as you can find in terms of a max contract free agent and it would be an easy first round TKO for the Chik Fil-A sandwich.
WoA Factor: 7.2
Next: 4) Barnes