What It Means:

Batum's expected return date is November 15th, earlier than originally thought. However, Clifford notes that Batum could play more minutes on certain nights while playing less on others. Coming off the bench is also a possibility, with Jeremy Lamb excelling in Batum's absence. That could mean less ball-handling responsibilities for standout rookie Malik Monk.

Over a projected 43 games, our models have Batum down for averages of 15.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists the rest of the season.