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Charlotte Hornets: Nicolas Batum Named to Sports Illustrated's Top-100 NBA Players List

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Charlotte Hornets’ small forward, Nicolas Batum, was ranked as a top-50 player on Sports Illustrated’s Top-100 NBA players list heading into the 2016-17 season.

Yet another Charlotte Hornets‘ player has made an appearance on Sports Illustrated’s Top-100 list for the 2016-17 season. Nicolas Batum was named to the list as the #43 overall player in the NBA according to SI. After a breakout season with Charlotte, Nic’s rank rose from last year’s list.

Nicolas enjoyed a career season in his first year in the Queen City. Head coach, Steve Clifford, helped bring out the best in Batum’s game as he was given the freedom to create and play his own game. The Hornets acquired Nic last offseason from the Portland Trailblazers when they traded Noah Vonleh and Gerald Henderson for him.

The 6’8 small forward averaged career highs in points per game and assists per game. The biggest knock on Nicolas last season were his turnovers which were a career high, 2.9 per game. That was expected with his expanded role in a new system but that needs to improve going forward.

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Batum was vital part of the team’s success last season and after his breakout season, he was a free agent this summer. Charlotte were able to re-sign him to a five-year, $125 million deal which was less than he would’ve gotten on the open market. That speaks to the faith he has in the Hornets, Steve Clifford, and the city.

The 27-year old French international averaged 14.9 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, and 5.8 assists per game last season. He appeared and started in 70 games for the Hornets and averaged 35 minutes per game. Nicolas also shot 42.6% from the field, 34.8% from the three-point line, and 84.9% from the free throw line.

Ben Golliver covered some negatives and positives about Nic Batum and his game:

+ His arrival helped lift Charlotte to its most wins (48) and best offensive efficiency rating (107.1) since the franchise was reestablished in 2004
+ One of only five to average at least 14/6/5 last season (LeBron, KD, Westbrook, Harden)
– Shot just 28.8% in clutch situations and 19.4% from deep last season
– Despite his long-standing reputation as a good defender, lapses in awareness take a toll on his impact

After being ranked #55 last season, Batum saw a 12 spots increase in Sports Illustrated’s list. It will be interesting to see if that rise continues going forward and for next year’s list. Now that Nic’s signed a big deal, he will need to continue to prove himself for the Charlotte Hornets.

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