Nicolas Batum had a triple-double last game? Was this, like, a retroactively granted triple-double? Because I totally would’ve made a video for it had I noticed about, but I swear I did and I swear he only had 9 assists.
Too late now. I don’t go back in time to do highlights. So I apologize for missing that one, and I also apologize for not showcasing Treveon Graham’s 14 points in that same game. I think I just hate the Hornets.
I’ve been ragging on Batum’s contract for the whole season, but if he keeps playing like he has the last three, maybe it won’t be so bad. That’s a big if, but at least he’s proving he can still be useful at least some of the time. 31 points, like he had tonight, squarely fits in any definition of “useful” you can come up with. He was a key part of the Hornets’ monster 49-point first quarter, a quarter that allowed them to coast the rest of the way while Batum frittered and fidgeted his way to a few more triples.