Greatest Grizzlies of All-Time: Shane Battier

A consummate professional and ultimate teammate, Shane Battier is #9 on our countdown of the Greatest Grizzlies of All-Time.

Depending on who you ask, there are many definitions of what exactly a “glue guy” is on an NBA team.

Some say it’s the guy who does the nitty-gritty stuff that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet (or at least didn’t until advanced metrics came along).

Others suggest it’s someone who plays with a high IQ; maximizing his team’s efficiency and elevating the play of those around him.

Yet another notion is a high-character teammate; someone who has his squad’s back, sets the tone with his work ethic, and gets along with everyone.

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This is relevant to Shane Battier, as he very likely could embody all the above characteristics better than any recent NBA role player. His sticky bond was a key component to the Memphis Grizzlies earliest playoff forays, and later championships in Miami.

A pure blue-blooded Coach K disciple, Battier spent all four years of eligibility at Duke. He was the anomaly of a 2001 NBA Draft that will be remembered as the birth of the prep-to-pros boom. Multiple high schoolers – four in total – were selected in the top-10 for the first time in a brief, cautionary tale-filled history.

Teams passed over Battier’s proven pedigree in favor of “youth” and “upside”. He had supposedly “plateaued” – as though he weren’t already very good. He fell to Memphis at #6; officially the first draft pick of the newly-moved franchise.

The only thing that jumps off the page about Shane Battier’s stats is how remarkably consistent they are (puzzling free-throw numbers aside). He’s a career 8.6/4.2/1.8 guy who peaked at 14.4 points in his rookie season. He wasn’t making Sportscenter Top 10s or putting fans in the seats, hell one of his top YouTube highlight reels is the same play over and over:

But that’s the point with Battier. His excellence was in his steadfast consistency; knowing you were getting the same subtle brilliance from him every night.

It’s about far more than Battier’s numbers. It’s about sneaky screens and drawn charges, timely help and extra passes, taking good shots; playing “the right way”. It’s about smart plays, not fancy ones.

He ranks in the Memphis Grizzlies’ Top 10 all-time in virtually every major advanced stat; so even in numbers, he’s left his mark.

But Battier will be remembered above all else for his presence and character as a teammate and leader. He was an integral contributor to the Memphis Grizzlies first three postseason runs; the “glue guy” holding the franchise’s first competitive teams together.

Every team needs a guy like Battier. He’s a rare breed in a league where players often act in their own best interests. It’s quite something make a career out of playing for the benefit of others, and thus the team, which lands Shane Battier at #9 on our Greatest Grizzlies countdown.