Nicolas Batum Taking the NBA By Storm: Most Improved Player?

Nicolas Batum has started off the season with a bang. He's playing excellent defense and scoring consistently as well.

Selected 25th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2008 NBA Draft, they must really be regretting gifting him to the Portland Trail Blazers now.

Most people are acknowledging Batum as a potential Most Improved Player award winner, which is great for him.

Over the summer, he became a leader on team France in the World Championships with players like Tony Parker absent. He's definitely the future of team France at the international stage and he might be the future for the Trail Blazers as well.

He's only 21 years old, so he has barely scratched the ceiling of his potential. He looks like a future all-star the way he is going now. 

To start off the season, he has had some excellent fourth quarters to put the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks away.

Against the Phoenix Suns, he caught fire from downtown in the fourth quarter, which was key in an 18-1 run to end the game as a blowout for the Trail Blazers.

In the game against the Knicks, he showed the more polished part of his game, his offense. Late in the game, with Raymond Felton getting what seemed to be an easy layup for the lead, he jumped up and blocked it away. 

Consequently, New York couldn't get the go ahead basket and Portland won the game.

His teammates are showing confidence in him as well, with veterans Andre Miller and Marcus Camby telling him to ask for the ball when he's open and shooting it more.

To complement his offensive game, Nicolas Batum also has the rare ability to guard players at four positions.

In his short career, he has already guarded players like Dirk Nowitizki, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul.

Those are all top players at their respective positions, and he has held them to bad shooting nights more often than not.

The NBA has to watch out because Batum is a stud in the making and will make the all star team in years to come!