'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQf/2gAIAQEAAAAArAX/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAE/9oACAECEAAAAB//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAE/9oACAEDEAAAAGf/xAAhEAACAgECBwAAAAAAAAAAAAACAwEEAAYhBQciI4Gjsf/aAAgBAQABPwB3BU6iR2LZKTTsvRESqOpgEQmU+fkY3lhcJpkGq7IDM7DFYtvdn//EABcRAQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIBABL/2gAIAQIBAT8AJIk5m//EABoRAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEESH/2gAIAQMBAT8AVJdPLH//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Last season the LA Clippers were one of the best three-point shooting teams in the NBA. They only averaged the 14th most attempted threes in the NBA but were sixth in makes and first in team three-point percentage.
Ever since the Clippers acquired Kawhi Leonard and Paul George two seasons ago, they have been trying to win a championship. They ran into a wall in the seasons, blowing a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in the second round and then losing to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals.
A big part of their loss last season was Leonard tearing his ACL right in the middle of the playoffs. It seems like Leonard could miss most of this upcoming season, so if the Clippers want to be genuine contenders, they will need to find ways to replace his production. Luckily, they have some solid shooters who can help with that, and these are the five players who will have the most impact.
#5 Nicolas Batum, LA Clippers, Wing
Nicolas Batum might have one of the strangest NBA careers, with many highs but just the same number of lows. Batum was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers in 2008 and went on to play seven seasons for them. He averaged 11.2 points in 30.8 minutes per game, shooting 36% from three on 4.3 attempts. His play earned him a massive five-year $120 million contract for the Charlotte Hornets. Batum was a solid player for the Hornets, averaging 12.1 points in 32.2 minutes, but he could not live up to his contract, and he was cut in his final season.
Batum joined the LA Clippers in the 2020 offseason on the veteran’s minimum, became a starter and played a massive role for them throughout the regular season and playoffs. He earned himself another contract with the Clippers for two years, worth $6 million.
Last season, Batum put up his best shooting performance since his second season in the league. He shot 40% from three on 4.1 attempts. His career averages are 36% on 4.4 shots, so he made more of the threes he usually took last season. 99% of his threes were assisted, so he played off being with two All-Stars, but he will only be playing with one this season.
Batum should still have a solid shooting year, maybe not as good as last season, but he is still one of the better shooters on this LA Clippers team.
#4 Luke Kennard, LA Clippers, Shooting Guard
Luke Kennard’s 2020-21 season was just a weird one. In 2019-20, Kennard averaged 32 minutes a game, scoring 15.8 points per game, shooting 40% from three on 6.5 attempts, for the Detroit Pistons. The LA Clippers traded for him to bring in more shooting, and then he signed a four-year $56 million contract. He went on to only average 19.6 minutes per game with 8.3 points.
For some reason, Kennard could not find consistent playing time last season, and the minutes he would get would fluctuate. Despite never getting in a rhythm, Kennard still shot 45% from three on 3.6 attempts.
With Leonard out this season, Kennard can fill in some of that offensive production. Kennard was only assisted on 80% of his threes, giving him some ability to create independently. He is still a 42% shooter from three for his career, so it could stay the same with more volume, which he proved in his last season in Detroit.
#3 Reggie Jackson, LA Clippers, Point Guard
Early on in Reggie Jackson’s career, he was not seen as a shooter, and if anything, he has been a liability as a shooter. From his rookie season in 2012 to 2018, Jackson shot 32% from three on just three attempts per game. In the three seasons since then, he has figured it out, and over that time, is shooting 39% from three on five attempts.
Jackson's newfound range earned him a trade to the Clippers in the middle of the 2019-20 season, and his shooting just got even better. While playing for the Clippers, he is shooting 43% from three on 4.1 attempts.
Jackson only started 43 out of the 67 games in the regular season, but when the playoffs began, Jackson got hot. On 7.5 attempts from three, he shot 41% over a 19-game playoff run for the Clippers. His shooting played a big part in the Clippers going to the Western Conference Finals. Jackson earned himself a two-year $21 million contract to stay with the Clippers, and if he continues his shooting will be a massive player this season.
#2 Marcus Morris, LA Clippers, Power Forward
Marcus Morris did not come into the league in 2011 but is a sure one now. Last season he put up insane numbers, averaging 5.2 three-point attempts, making 47% of them. His three-point shooting had risen over the previous few seasons before being traded to the Clippers.
While playing for the New York Knicks, Morris took 6.1 threes, making them 44% of the time, career highs in both. Morris was then traded to the Clippers, who did not play well, shooting 31% from three on 4.4 attempts. In the 2019-20 playoffs, Morris seemed to have found his shot again, shooting 46% on 4.5 attempts. That led straight into his 2020-21 season, improving his percentage in more threes attempted.
Morris seems to be a streaky shooter, and in last season's playoffs, his shooting numbers went down a little, to 38% on 5.1 attempts. He will have a lot more work to do with Leonard out and is crucial to the Clippers' success.
#1 Paul George, LA Clippers, Wing
Last season, Paul George had the fifth-highest three-point percentage of players with over three attempts per game but took over 100 more threes than anyone else on the team. Despite what many NBA fans might say about George, he had a great three-point shooting season because of his previous playoff shooting blunders.
Last season, George took the third-most threes per game in his career at 7.7 but made it the second-highest percentage of his career at 41%. After shooting 33% on 8.5 attempts in the 2019-20 playoffs, he had one of the best shooting seasons of his career. George again struggled in last year’s playoffs, shooting 34% on 11.5 attempts, and after Leonard got injured, he had to take a lot more of the shots.
Overall, George played well without Leonard in the playoffs and will need to continue that again this season. George hadn’t played without another All-Star since the 2016-17 season when he was on the Indiana Pacers, but his offensive game has grown since then. This could end up being a tremendous season for George.
Also Read: What is Paul George’s Current Contract?
Guess the Lakers players!
