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Tuesday January 30, 2007 5:17 PM


Defensive Stand


Battier still building reputation as one of the game's best defensive players


Damien Pierce
Rockets.com Staff Writer

HOUSTON -- Before the Rockets acquired Shane Battier from Memphis over the summer, Tracy McGrady already regarded the 6-foot-8 forward as one of the NBA's toughest perimeter defenders.

He had the bruises to prove it.

"He always slapped my wrist," McGrady said of Battier. "Every time. After games against him, my whole wrist would be red and bruised up."

McGrady, however, never blamed Battier for his tactics.

"I never saw him as a dirty player," McGrady said. "He's a smart defender. He just does everything he has to do to slow another guy down."

Call it Battier's M.O.

The Rockets forward might not have a collection of defensive awards like Ben Wallace and Bruce Bowen, but Battier has gained a reputation around the NBA as a defensive stopper.

Battier doesn't shut down star players because no one does that. But the Rockets forward chases them around every corner and screen for nearly 40 minutes, harassing them and making them work for every shot. He basically swarms around stars like an annoying gnat.

That's what Battier does for a living.

He's the guy that draws the often thankless task of covering another team's best perimeter scorer, whether it's 7-footer Dirk Nowitzki or NBA Finals MVP Dwyane Wade.

And Battier relishes it.

"There is never an off-night for No. 31," Battier said. "I've always enjoyed playing defense. It's not just about blocking a shot or stopping your man, it's about poking the ball away that causes a steal for a teammate or drawing a charge. They aren't the most glamorous things and you're not going to see them on SportsCenter or Fox Sports. But I know those type of plays help win games and that's what I'm about."

Battier has had such a defensive mentality ever since he picked up a basketball.

While most kids grow up dreaming about dunking over a helpless 7-footer or crossing over an NBA point guard, Battier grew up in Beverly Hills, Mich. trying to master every aspect of defense.

He made it his calling card before he was even finished with junior high.

"I've always had a passion for playing defense," said Battier, who was a three-time NABC Defensive Player of the Year during his college days at Duke. "I was 6-feet tall in the sixth grade so I was the tallest kid in my class. I was the Dikembe Mutombo of my junior high team. I really enjoyed blocking kids' shots and controlling the paint. I can't block shots like I used to in YMCA basketball, but I still enjoy playing defense."

Battier doesn't have a secret for keeping the league's best offensive players from exploding for 40-point performances. Well, maybe one. He simply tries not to give up anything easy.

He showed as much against Chicago’s Ben Gordon on Jan. 8. With the Bulls star catching fire in the fourth quarter in a tight contest, Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy switched Battier off Loul Deng and onto Gordon in the final two minutes.

The move paid off. Battier forced Gordon into a contested, off-balance jumper with just over a minute left and then made the game's most decisive play in the closing seconds. Despite allowing Gordon to get past him on a drive, Battier recovered to block the Chicago's guard shot with 25 seconds remaining and saved the ball to one of his teammates before it went out of bounds. The two stops sealed Houston's win.

Van Gundy said it's that relentless nature on the defensive end that makes Battier such a strong defensive player.

"He tries," Van Gundy said. "It's hard to find guys that try every possession. He has good instincts, a good level of concentration and good courage because he's not afraid of contact. He also has a good feel for what he's getting hurt by because if he's getting hurt, he doesn't keep getting hurt by the same thing. He adjusts on the fly."

McGrady, a two-time scoring champion, recalled seeing those sort of adjustments from Battier when the players were on opposing teams.

"He's not athletic, but he uses his smarts," McGrady said. "He's very smart on the defensive end. He's very good with his hands and moving laterally. He gives you enough space to take away your first move. That's how he draws so many charges. He's just a very smart defensive player."

The surprising thing is that Battier has received little recognition for his defense.

Despite drawing praise from opposing coaches and making life miserable for the league's elite scorers, the Rockets forward has never made an NBA All-Defensive Team.

Rockets point guard Rafer Alston said he recently chatted with Battier about the fact that he's never been on the squad.

"He's got to be a top five defensive player because he can guard so many different positions," Alston said. "Shane can guard a shooting guard, small forward and power forward on a consistent basis. But one of the reasons that he's not on the All-Defensive Team is that he's not a guy that has a bunch of steals or blocks. He pokes the ball away from guys a lot, but usually I'm the guy picking up the steal. So I'm getting credit for what he did."

Battier said he isn't bothered about being left off on the All-Defensive Team and not being mentioned in the same breathe as some of the league's other top defenders.

He knows stars like McGrady know what he is capable of doing on the defensive end.

"I know I'm good defender," Battier said. "The postseason awards are really funny about how things work out and I don't need any postseason awards to validate who I am as a player. It would be nice to be recognized, but I give a great effort every night. That's good enough for me."