Shane Battier News: Pro Sports Daily

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October 30

Houston Chronicle

"Chuck Hayes' duties as a Rockets co-captain along with Shane Battier have been limited. He had to answer a question about being a captain. "I'm a captain?" he said. "I didn't know I was. That's news to me. Wow. I can't remember the last time I was a captain. I guess as far as the captain is concerned, I'm more of the Robin to Shane's Batman." There was, apparently, no ceremony. There was no vote. There will be no 'C' stitched onto uniforms, hockey style. For Hayes, there is not even a pregame chat with officials. That falls to Battier. "Shane does that, and I get the layups ready," Hayes, 26, said. "I guess I'll second whatever he says. I'll let my voice be heard, but I don't know how to ..."

If big guys win race, Rockets get the spoils

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October 21

Houston Chronicle

"Shane Battier sprinted up the floor, beating the Toronto Raptors to his favorite spot in the corner, a step beyond the 3-point line. Aaron Brooks raced the ball up the center of the floor, veered to his left and delivered a sharp pass to Battier, who quickly swished his 3. Brooks knew just what to say: "Good job, Chuck." Chuck Hayes never touched the ball. He didn't get the rebound or send an outlet pass to Brooks. He certainly did not lead the break or hit the 3. "Normally, when I pass the ball to Shane and he hits a 3, I'll say, 'Good job, Chuck,'?" Brooks said. "It all starts with our big guys. "That's the most important thing, because when the bigs beat them down (the court), it draws ..."

Developing rhythm with Battier

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October 12

Houston Chronicle

"With forward Shane Battier available for the first time in the preseason, Rockets coach Rick Adelman said he would concentrate on keeping players together in groups more the way he expects them to be in the regular season. "We need to get him (Battier) out there and watch his conditioning, but I think I want to see the guys that are going to play together be on the court more," Adelman said. "I'll try to play nine or 10 guys in the home game (tonight). I'm not sure about the two road games." The Rockets play a back-to-back Wednesday and Thursday, with Adelman playing a shorter rotation in one, and experimenting more in the other."

Forgetting Battier not in the cards

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October 2

Houston Chronicle

columnist Richard Justice

"Shane Battier prepared for this season by carrying boulders and logs up and down a mountainous country road near his Michigan home. "It was a little more Rocky-style training," he said. Rocky? "Rocky IV," he said. I'm not sure how Rocky IV is different from the other 20 Rocky movies, but the symbolism is perfect for these Rockets. As you may have heard, they're a different kind of team than they've been in past years. The Rockets have no idea when Tracy McGrady will return, and they don't know if he's still capable of playing at a high level. They'd be thrilled to have Yao Ming healthy this time next year. Instead of size and experience, they're going to be constructed around speed, youth, ..."

Battier out for a week with muscle pull

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October 1

Houston Chronicle

"Battier out for a week Shane Battier will be out for at least a week after a slight muscle pull suffered late in Tuesday's practice. "I was pretty disappointed last night," Battier said. "I got home and told my wife I'll see here tomorrow and locked myself in my room. I want to be out here with these guys and playing. I don't think it's too severe of a pull. ... "It's not something I want lingering. It's not worth rushing back to where I'll have to deal with it the rest of the season." Beck gets a chance With Shane Battier nursing a hamstring pull and the Rockets opting not to sign Rashad McCants while he is battling an abdominal injury, the Rockets brought in 6-8 guard/forward Romel Beck ..."

Battier surprises himself

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May 11

Houston Chronicle

"If someone had claimed that Rockets forward Shane Battier would outscore Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals — or any game in this series — such a statement probably would have been met with laughter. That fact wasn't lost on Battier after he accomplished that feat Sunday in a 99-87 Rockets victory at Toyota Center. "This box score may be framed in my house somewhere," Battier said with a chuckle. "I don't think it's going to happen too often in my career." But it happened Sunday, as Battier netted a playoff career-high 23 points to Bryant's 15 in the win to even the series 2-2. With center Yao Ming out of the playoffs because of a hairline ..."

One less question for Battier

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May 1

Houston Chronicle

"Shane Battier gingerly placed his 30-year-old feet in a tub of ice water, exhaled and smiled. The first round of the playoffs was over, and he still had basketball left to play. While the Rockets were celebrating putting 12 years of playoff frustration behind them, Battier exorcised his personal postseason demon by reaching the second round for the first time in his career. Battier, teammate Tracy McGrady and Denver's Carmelo Anthony had played in more games than any active player without advancing the second round, but that changed for Battier in the Rockets' 92-76 rout of the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 6 on Thursday night. Five first-round failures So how does it feel? "Probably the ..."

The smart money is on Battier

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March 31

Houston Chronicle

columnist Richard Justice

"Shane Battier might be the key to the Rockets winning in the playoffs, but we'll get to that later. First, though, we take you to courtside Saturday night at Toyota Center and to a scene that was both fascinating and bizarre. It played out time and again. As Los Angeles Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy called out a play for his team, Battier would turn to his teammates and describe the play. Sometimes, he'd even use the same terminology. Don't you just hate smart guys? "That's a Duke thing," Battier said Monday . Thanks, Mr. Obvious. "No, really," Battier said. "Coach K taught us that. Even if you don't know the play, call it out." Why? "It puts doubt in the other team's mind. Maybe just a ..."

Battier might be 'Money'

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February 19

Washington Times

columnist Dan Daly

"Deep down, all serious basketball fans - especially denizens of fantasy leagues - are closet GMs. They know who the best players are, who the stiffs are, who's underrated, overrated, rising and falling. Given a chance, they could put together a much better team than Ernie Grunfeld. Just ask 'em. So it created something of a stir in the hoops world when the New York Times ran a story Sunday suggesting that Shane Battier is one of the NBA's best players - a "No-Stats All-Star" who, through some mysterious means, makes his club significantly better. The piece has gotten a lot of attention because it was written by Michael Lewis, whose best-selling "Moneyball" shined a light on the growing use ..."

Battier fine-tuning his jump shot

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February 3

Houston Chronicle

"Shane Battier’s scoring dipped to a career-low 6.6 points per game, but he said he has worked to fine-tune his shot. He knows perseverance is important. Battier is making a career-low 39.7 percent of his shots this season and made just 35.3 percent in January. “Every shooter comes out of a slump; it’s just a matter of sooner or later,” he said. T-Mac progressing Tracy McGrady returned to practice Monday feeling confident about playing after missing one game with a sprained left ankle and calling his conditioning the best it has been this season . “I just feel good that I’m back playing,” he said. “I figured it was probably going to be one game, but I came in here, had a couple days off, ..."

Battier expected to miss next 6 games

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December 31

Houston Chronicle

"Battier takes time off Rockets forward Shane Battier, struggling with soreness in his right foot, received a cortisone shot on Tuesday to ease the swelling and pain and is expected to miss the next six games. Battier has played in 16 games this season, averaging 7.6 points and making 41.9 percent of his shots. “It got to the point after the Utah game (Saturday), I stayed in bed for four hours,” Battier said. “I couldn’t get out. We’ve had a lot of games, a lot of excessive pounding I didn’t react well to. Hopefully the shot of cortisone will address some inflammation and I can manage the pain.” Battier will be out for a part of the schedule in which six of the next seven games are part of ..."

Battier ready to don work clothes

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November 26

Houston Chronicle

"For the first 15 games of the season, Shane Battier has been more clotheshorse than workhorse, receiving notoriety for that infamous red blazer style statement rather than his usual black-and-blue style of play. Fans around the NBA have reacted warmly, calling him everything from a lost member of a marching band to a stadium usher who should be showing them to their seats instead of sitting on the Rockets’ bench. But in the world of haute couture, styles change, and so it is that Beau Brummel is ready to become Joe the Basketball Player. After watching from the sideline since the first day of training camp while nursing a deep bone bruise in his left ankle, Battier is hoping to make his ..."

Battier to practice soon

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November 18

Houston Chronicle

"Rockets forward Shane Battier, who has spent the preseason and first three weeks of the regular season working to rehabilitate his sore left foot, is expected to practice with the team today, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said on Monday. Battier has not practiced with the team yet, but after a demanding workout on Monday was cleared to join the team’s practices unless there is any set back after Monday’s workout. Alston returns Though the Rockets beat the Hornets and built a 14-point lead against the Spurs without him, Rockets teammates were happen to have Rafer Alston back. “It was tough,” forward Chuck Hayes said. “Since I’ve been here, if you look at the record, whenever he’s not ..."

Battier sees easier path for his son

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November 11

Houston Chronicle

"Zeke Battier slept. The world he joined five months before Election Night might have changed around him, and perhaps someday his father will tell him the way much of his life was transformed when he was just a baby. For now, Shane Battier considered the redemptive potential of change and believed that hope was not audacious at all. Barack Obama was elected president of the United States, and Battier thought that perhaps his son would never feel the sting of childhood labels, would never deal with the awkward uncertainty, never ask the questions that filled his father’s childhood. “I think I share a very similar experience to Obama from the standpoint we both grew up mixed in a black and ..."

Battier still sidelined with foot injury

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November 10

Houston Chronicle

"Forward Shane Battier held out slim hope that he might return to practice on the Rockets’ road trip. That hope is now gone. Battier had continued to step up his workload in his effort to come back from a bruised left foot. In addition to his own drills, he had gone through one-on-one and two-on-two workouts with teammates. When the swelling increased, however, the decision was made not to increase his workload. “It’s day-to-day more than ever,” Battier said. “I’m trying to test it, push it and see how I respond. I don’t have any pain, but I don’t want to lead to worse things. It really is a watch and wait and see, learn about it every day.” Team doctors had instructed Battier to slow down ..."

Battier still day-to-day with ankle injury

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October 28

Houston Chronicle

"Shane Battier on Monday went through a light shooting workout for the second consecutive day, but said he could not predict when he would add more demanding drills or be able to practice for the first time. “I felt pretty good today, but it doesn’t matter how I feel today; it’s about how I feel in the morning,” Battier said. “It’s a slow-healing injury. It’s just a matter of getting confidence back and strength back in the ankle. “I have no idea what my timetable is. It’s going to be a day-to-day thing. If one day I wake up and feel great, I’m going to try to practice. That’s only after doing a lot of one-legged explosive drills. I haven’t done anything one-legged, yet. If they just need ..."

Battier unsure when he'll play

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October 26

Houston Chronicle

"Forward Shane Battier, sore Saturday after a 30-minute workout Friday, said he will test the rehabilitation of his ailing left foot with another workout today. But he would not predict when he would return to practices or be ready to play in games. “It’s really about how it reacts,” Battier said. “It really is a day-to-day thing. I’m not going to put a timetable on myself. “I want to have a couple days of practice before I do that. I’m not going to play until I can get a couple days of practice under my belt and can play without pain the next morning. “I worked out yesterday, shot the ball — shot it pretty good, actually — and I felt pretty good moving around, shuffling. I didn’t do any ..."

Rockets Notes: Former Rice forward Harris cut

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October 23

Houston Chronicle

"Harris cut, leaving 15 The Rockets cut former Rice forward Mike Harris on Wednesday, reducing their roster to 15 players. The 6-6 Harris had played 25 games with Guandong Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association last season before signing a 10-day contract with the Rockets on March 8. Harris eventually stuck with the club through the end of the season, averaging 3.6 points and 3.1 rebounds in 17 games. But for the second straight year, he was caught in a numbers game where the Rockets roster is crowded with forwards. It is likely Harris’ agent, Tony Dutt, will seek a contract with an opt-out clause overseas, giving Harris an option to once again pursue an NBA career should any ..."