Heat veteran Shane Battier has already said this would “probably” be his last year, but it appears that his pending retirement is now a certainty. Battier told reporters including Ethan J. Skolnick of Bleacher Report last night that his mind is made up (Twitter link). “It would take an act of God to change it and that act of God hasn’t come,” said Battier.
Battier is playing out the last year of the 3-year, $9.4MM deal he signed with Miami after the team lost in the 2011 Finals. The small forward has been instrumental in the Heat’s two subsequent championships, providing both the long-range shooting ability and defensive versatility that coach Erik Spoelstra has needed to fit his offensive and defensive schemes built around the unique strengths of LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
Battier has long been considered a player whose value isn’t evident in the box score, and was an early darling of the advanced metrics community. Still, his performance has waned of late. He spent much of last year’s title run out of the rotation, and is averaging career lows in minutes, points, and field goal percentage this season.
I feel privileged to have had a chance to see Shane Battier play every night over these last 3 seasons. He is one of those guys where he impacts you in a positive way just by him crossing your path. Most consider him to be the smartest player in the NBA, and I have no doubt he will succeed in whatever he ends up doing. Shane is a true champion. A real winner. He has won at every level. His professionalism is huge in the locker room, but he brings it on the court every night and doesnt take nights off. Defensively, he is amazing, and guarding 4s like he has these past 2-3 years has been very impressive. He has given this team something that they desperately need and is arguably one of its most important players. His intensity on defense, whether it be guarding Melo, KD, etc is invaluable. He gives up his body and takes charges as part of the Miami Heat culture. He is a great passer, can once in a while still take you off the dribble, and has been a knock down shooter. He is struggling this year, but when it matters, he’ll be there to knock down shots. He was instrumental in both championships, and I will NEVER forget him pulling the chair on Tim Duncan in Game 7 to save the game. That was totally Genius. It likely wont happen, but I hope his jersey eventually ends up in the rafters. He has been that important. If only more players were like Shane Battier. The league would be in great shape. I’m gonna miss him, and the team definitely will too