Fans have been hearing about (Nicolas) Batum’s “potential” ever since he arrived from France four seasons ago and surprisingly landed a starting job as a rookie. But the 6-8 small forward no longer can use “potential” as a crutch. After a public and sometimes acrimonious free agent negotiation process last summer, the $45 million man has to bear the weight of expectations for the first time in his career.

Batum averaged 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists last season. Those numbers aren’t good enough for a player in Batum’s new tax bracket. The promising news is that those scoring and rebounding numbers are career highs, and Batum has increased his scoring in each of his first four seasons in the NBA. He could be poised for a breakout.

via Joe Freeman of The Oregonian