MVP candidates often sport Battier-like qualities

If it weren't for the NBA trade deadline and all the talk surrounding it, this article by Michael Lewis in last Sunday's New York Times magazine, about the underappreciated value of Houston Rockets forward Shane Battier, would have been the most talked about story of the week.

Lewis, the author of Moneyball, the most argued over (maybe most misunderstood) sports book ever, interviews Battier and Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who works to apply the principles outlined in Moneyball -- a book about finding value in underappreciated players in baseball -- to basketball. The story, unlike any of the trades this week, is a blockbuster.

"Here we have a basketball mystery: a player is widely regarded inside the N.B.A. as, at best, a replaceable cog in a machine driven by superstars," Lewis writes. "And yet, every team he has ever played on has acquired some magical ability to win."

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Throughout the story, Lewis tries to show why Battier has that magic touch. By revealing the forward's tricks of the trade and how he used them against Kobe Bryant on Jan. 13 in the Lakers' 105-100 win over Houston, Lewis essentially provides a scouting report on Bryant's weaknesses, which, of course, are few. Still, Lewis shows us how Battier uses Bryant's limitations to force Bryant to take 32 shots (plus nine free throw attempts) to score 33 points.

(I would love to see Lewis do a comparable article about Battier guarding LeBron James. The Rockets host the Cavs on Thursday, Feb. 26. I can dream, can't I?)

Though we appreciate Battier's brains, his defense and his tenacity, you won't find Battier anywhere near the Race to the MVP -- or anyone's MVP list for that matter -- because his traditional stats (6.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game) are, frankly, dismal.

But is he valuable? Not in the traditional sense, but to the Rockets, Battier has value beyond traditional quantification. These intangible values don't only apply to Battier. They apply to all of our "legitimate" MVP candidates, too, and raise a question we've touched on all season: Do stats make the man "The Man" or is it something else, like a player's confidence, his aura, his presence, his enthusiasm and his attitude?

The debate goes on. You can e-mail us your thoughts at service@bigtimekicks.com.

Line of the Week

Orlando's Dwight Howard, Feb. 17: 45 points, 19 rebounds and 8 blocks vs. Charlotte.

Nearly 45-20? Throw in the eight rejections (which is my record at the eighth grade dance, "No, Rob...") and you have an epic performance.

Rise of the week: Pau Gasol (back into the Top 10)

Drop of the week: Kevin Garnett (out of the Top 10)

Ginobili diagnosed with stress reaction

Manu Ginobili started the season dealing with an injury to one ankle. Now the San Antonio Spurs super-sub is sidelined because of the other one.

Coach Gregg Popovich said Thursday before the Spurs played in Detroit that Ginobili is expected to be out for 2-3 weeks.

"It's a stress reaction, not a stress fracture, which is important," Popovich said. "If it had been a stress fracture, there's no way he could have been playing, and certainly not as well as he has been."

Ginobili had X-rays, an MRI and a CT scan, and Popovich said the results were encouraging.

"The new bone is already starting to lay down, which means the healing process is underway," he said. "We're thinking that it will be 2-3 more weeks from tonight."

Ginobili had surgery on his left ankle last summer after the Olympics, forcing him to miss the first 12 games of the season. The current problem caused him to miss Tuesday's loss at New York.

"We'll handle it the same way we did the last time," Popovich said. "Whoever we've got left is going to play. I can't tell you who will get which minutes -- I'm going to do it on the fly."

Ginobili is the third-leading scorer for the Spurs, averaging 16.1 points. The Spurs (35-17) have lost two in a row, but still lead the Southwest Division.