Midseason trade still irks Battier
Battier, a free agent whom the Rockets traded to Memphis in February, knows his time in the NBA is limited. The impact of missed games next season isn't going to be diminished by a long-term contact offer.
"The end of my career is closer than the start of my career," said Battier, who just finished his 10th season in the league.
Though a natural for the broadcasting booth, Battier isn't in a hurry to get there.
"I can see myself playing for three or four more years, then moving on to the next phase," he said.
Battier expects to draw interest from contenders, which is one of the reasons the Rockets elected to trade him. Don't be surprised if the next time the Michigan native takes the court he is spotting up outside the 3-point line for the Chicago Bulls or taking charges for the Miami Heat.
One thing is certain: He won't be with the Houston Rockets.
Battier was disappointed, bothered really, that the Rockets traded him at midseason. With as much as he had put into the organization, he left thinking the job wasn't done.
"I was disappointed that I couldn't see to the finish what I started out," he said. "It would have been nice to go through one more stretch run with those guys. If it didn't work out, I would have been happy with time I put in over the five years."
"I was happy that I went to a place that worked out and we found lightning in a bottle, but it was disappointing in a weird way to see (the Rockets) finish behind us," Battier said.
"Houston is a franchise in transition. From a talent standpoint, Memphis is going to be a force to deal with for a few years," he said. "Talent wins. You can have all the rah-rah you can muster, but at the end of the day in the NBA, talent wins.
"The Grizzlies are more talented than the Rockets."
See? Sometimes Battier's swing is pretty good.
"Last year, we were just crossing our fingers hoping that Yao (Ming) would be the Yao of old," Battier said. "Had he been the Yao of old, no question we would be a playoff team, a 50-win team. Instead …"
