5 Nicolas Batum SF

Batum tallied 15 points (4-6 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 5-5 FT), three rebounds, six assists and a steal across 32 minutes Saturday against Phoenix.

Batum had been held to just seven points in each of his previous two contests, but he shot an impressive 66.7 percent from both the field and from beyond the arc in a 135-115 victory. Despite Saturday's strong final line, the 30-year-old forward is averaging 9.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 45 contests this season, making him a risky fantasy play if used on a nightly basis. While Batum is certainly capable of a productive showing, he's yet to show much consistency in doing so.

Batum ended with 13 points (4-6 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 2-3 FT), nine rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block in 27 minutes during Saturday's 104-97 loss to the Kings.

Batum had one of his better games of the season Saturday, contributing across the board in the seven-point loss. This season has been far from exceptional for the veteran who had been hyped during the preseason with his move back to his more natural position. He is averaging just 8.9 points per game, hitting just 3.3 field goals. The Hornets would love to have some more offense from Batum but at this stage, it appears as though his high-volume scoring days are behind him.

Batum totaled 10 points (1-6 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 7-7 FT), five rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block across 37 minutes in the Hornets' 128-109 loss to the Clippers on Tuesday.

Batum managed to find his way to a serviceable final line despite a forgettable shooting night, generating his second double-digit scoring effort in the last four games with a perfect showing from the free-throw line. The 11-year veteran is taking almost three fewer shot attempts per contest than last season, but he's been appreciably more efficient -- Batum's 45.5 percent success rate from the field is his best over the last five seasons, and his 39.1 percent figure from three-point range ranks as his highest since the 2011-12 campaign.

Batum offered eight points (3-7 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, four assists and three steals across 36 minutes in the Hornets' 119-113 win over the Suns on Sunday.

It was a typical line for Batum, who's seen a notable drop in offensive usage and production this season that he's partly offset by a slight uptick in rebounds. The 11-year veteran is also posting his best shooting percentage (46.1) since the 2013-14 season, including his best success rate from distance (39.7 percent) since the 2009-10 campaign, his second in the NBA. However, as was the case again Sunday, he's frequently struggled to get to double digits in the scoring column thanks to a figure of 7.3 shot attempts per contest that's also his lowest since his sophomore NBA season.

Batum scored 21 points (8-14 FG, 5-8 3Pt) while adding seven assists and six rebounds in 39 minutes during Friday's 126-124 overtime loss to the Knicks.

The points and three-pointers were both season highs for the 30-year-old, and while Batum is capable of occasionally flashing his old multi-category form, his overall numbers continue to trend down for the Hornets -- he'd scored six points or less in five of the last six games coming into Friday.