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Shane Battier finding his comfort level with Miami Heat

MIAMI – Shane Battier seems like the sort who would easily assimilate.

He’s personable, intelligent, professional and proven. He’s had experience trying to thrive in all sorts of situations, from his youth in Michigan, where his mixed race made it tough to identify with any single peer group, to the Duke campus and finally to NBA cities Memphis and Houston.

Still, the Heat swingman acknowledged that just as it took him some time to find his legs after the lengthy lockout, it has taken some time to find his place in Miami.

It has taken more time and work, for sure, to feel at home here than when he was traded from Houston to Memphis late last season. He began his NBA career in Memphis in 2001 and played five seasons there.

“I had a familiarity level with the organization and the city,” said Battier, 33. “Even though it was new guys, everything else sort of fit, and I was comfortable.”

He’ll see many of those guys Friday night when the Grizzlies visit AmericanAirlines Arena.

They’ll see someone who is starting to feel at ease.

“I feel more comfortable with my teammates,” said Battier, who signed a three-year, $9 million contract in the off-season. “And they know me.”

They know now that he’s a fan of Will Ferrell and Oasis and that, when it comes to NBA strategy, he has an answer for just about everything.

They also know he’s not afraid to embarrass himself, as he did when wearing a double-popped collar in the Heat introductory video, or when he wore a sequined white sport coat while singing Eye of the Tiger as the host of “Battioke.”

Their acceptance?

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By ETHAN J. SKOLNICK, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

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Daily Fantasy Basketball

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Miami Heat’s Shane Battier Beginning To Find Offensive Rhythm

With Shane Battier finding his stroke, the Miami Heat are a nightmare matchup for opposing teams.

When the Miami Heat added Shane Battier this offseason, the old proverb “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer” certainly came to mind. The veteran 6’8″ swingman out of Duke added even more depth to an already impressive collection at wing for the Miami Heat.

A career 38 percent three- point shooter, everyone expected Battier to thrive in the Heat’s system. With the presence of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, Battier was sure to receive some of the most open looks from beyond the arc of his career. It seemed like a perfect fit.

Unfortunately for the Heat, Battier got off to one of the worst starts of his career. In almost every basic statistical category (field goal percentage, three-point percentage, free-throw percentage, rebounds, assists, and points) Battier is below his career average. Some of this should come as no surprise.

No matter how talented a player is; playing alongside the Big Three is going to decrease your stat line, especially when it comes to points and rebounds. There’s only so much to go around, especially when Lebron is in the midst of a career year (and maybe one of the greatest regular seasons ever from a pure statistical standpoint).

At the same time, no one could’ve seen the dramatic decrease in his shooting percentage, especially from beyond the three- point line. The media were quick to panic, with some questioning whether Battier had arrived a year too late.

In their defense, Battier was legitimately struggling and over a period of four games- from January 30th to February 5th – Battier attempted 10 three pointers and missed them all.

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By Charlie Crespo – Miami Staff Writer

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Spoelstra meets with stressed Shane Battier

MIAMI – Shane Battier is stressed out. It’s visible in his stats, on his face and in his game.

Battier’s experience since signing with the Heat two months ago – and that carefree day must feel longer ago to him – hasn’t been pleasant.

He is mired in one of the worst shooting slumps of his career while playing a most visible role. Over the last few games, he’s clearly starting to press.

On Monday, after Battier slipped toward rock bottom after a 0-of-4 shooting effort Sunday against the Toronto Raptors, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra met with him.

Even 33-year-old strong-minded veterans need pep talks sometimes. Battier looks and sounds like he certainly did.

“I’m a guy who my entire life going back to eight years old I had a plan,” Battier said.

“I always knew this is the way I am going to do things. For the most part it has worked out that way. So when I have uncertainty, uncertainty does stress me out. That’s what I feel right now.”

Battier is shooting 31 percent from 3-point range and 31 percent on 2-pointers too. This is simply not what anyone expected when he was the Heat’s prime offseason pickup. He’s been solid on defense but his offensive struggles have seen his playing time and aggressiveness erode.

During Sunday’s game, Battier caught a kick out pass from LeBron James during the third quarter in the corner, his favorite spot. He was open. This was the exact reason the Heat signed him, to take this shot. But he didn’t, he passed up the shot and passed the ball.

“Shoot it!” Spoelstra yelled from the bench to Battier as he ran back down the floor.

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By Brian Windhorst, ESPN.com

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