Batum's value goes beyond the box score for this veteran Clippers team.
The Los Angeles Clippers have found their groove at the right time, and veteran forward Nicolas Batum has played a key role in their recent surge.
Ahead of Tuesday's matchup against the Sacramento Kings, head coach Tyronn Lue had nothing but praise for the 37-year-old forward and what he brings to the team every night.
Lue Explains Batum's Value
Before the Clippers took on the Kings, Lue shared his thoughts on why Batum remains such a valuable piece for this team despite being one of the oldest players on the roster.
"He's a great connector," Lue said of Batum. "He can play with any unit, can play with any other four guys on the floor, and he can do a lot of multiple things. … He's just a guy making winning plays every single night. You love to have guys like that on the team."
The praise comes at a fitting time because Batum has stepped up when the team needed him most.
Batum Delivers in Starting Role
Batum got the chance to show what he can do when he was inserted into the starting lineup for Sunday's win over the Detroit Pistons.
With John Collins sidelined due to illness and Ivica Zubac still out with an ankle injury, Batum stepped up in a big way.
He scored 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting while going a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range, and he also added four rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 31 minutes of action.
It was his third start of the season and his first since November 6, and he made the most of the opportunity.
The Clippers went on to dominate the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons in a 112-99 victory behind Kawhi Leonard's career-high 55 points and 28 points from James Harden.
A Much-Needed Turnaround
The recent winning streak has been a welcome change for the Clippers, who struggled mightily during the first nine weeks of the season with just six wins.
They went through a brutal stretch where they lost 10 of 11 games before this current run.
On the season, Batum is averaging 4.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 30 games while shooting 39.0 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from beyond the arc.
His numbers may not jump off the page, but his ability to make winning plays and fit alongside any combination of teammates is exactly what Lue values.
The Clippers will look to extend their winning streak to five games when they host the struggling Kings on Tuesday night at Intuit Dome.