Jun 4, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; Miami Heat forward Shane Battier (31) speaks to the media before practice before game one of the 2014 NBA Finals against the San Antonia Spurs at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
If you are a long time fan of the Houston Rockets odds are Shane Battier was one of your favorite players. I recall the announcer for the Toronto Raptors at the time used to always tease Battier telling him he expected him to be president one day.
For those of us a bit older we know Battier was infamous for the preparation he took prior to games going over his defensive assignments. He kept notes on each player and it’s likely why he was always considered a solid 2-way player.
Recently Battier sat down Joel Blank and Adam Wexler for a Red Nation Round Table 30. The trio covered Battier’s philanthropic efforts, his previous playing days and what he thinks about the Houston Rockets and their upcoming 2015-16 season.
As per his Take Charge Charity karaoke night coined Battioki he says his favorite all time performance was by Luis Scola singing Total Eclipse of the Heart. And also highlighted Chuck Hayes and Kyle Lowry‘s duet which won the night.
As for James Harden, Battier saw his star ascending long before it reached it’s heights last season. He could tell he was the type of top 5 player who could not only excel, but change the outcome of a game. He believes Harden has matured and the trio discussed how his time on Team USA really helped to develop his leadership skills.
As for Houston’s off season, Battier joked someone must have stolen Daryl Morey’s phone. This was a joke tied to how much turn over the Rockets have endured for countless seasons especially with Morey in charge. Battier went on to extol on the brilliance of signing Ty Lawson and how much that is going to open up the floor and scoring opportunities for Harden.
Battier thought the signing of Corey Brewer last season was pivotal to why the Rockets performed as well as they did and he again talked about players who need to sacrifice for a team to excel.
Perhaps the most important thing Battier said was how important it is to feel disappointment before you get the hunger to win. He pinpoints how the Heat felt after losing to the Mavericks and points to what San Antonio did the year after their disappointment. The area he feels the Rockets need to improve the most is in their pick and roll defense, rim protection and overall defense. Notably he also points to Dwight Howard staying healthy as a critical component.
Click the link in the tweet above for the full video, I definitely recommend a listen, it’s worth your time.
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