Esteban Batista

Batista spent two non-descript seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, and is now in his first season playing high-level European basketball. It’s been somewhat of an adventure for him and his team, as he’s had good games and bad ones, but is clearly a force to be reckoned with offensively inside the paint if you catch him on the right day.

Big, strong, but not particularly athletic, he uses his body extremely well to establish position for himself in the post, where he has plenty of ways to create shots for himself and good touch to finish. He has a great drop-step move, and beautiful pivots. He plays way below the rim, and can finish with either hand. He does a great job with pump-fakes, and is very skilled in the post, although he’s somewhat of a black hole and fairly predictable at times. Defensively, he is furthest from being an NBA player, just not having the agility to stay in front of quicker post players and getting absolutely roasted when forced to step outside on pick and rolls. He’s probably in the perfect spot as far as his level is concerned, and may have a breakout year next season if he’s utilized more.