This time last year, not very many people knew who Isaiah Canaan was and what he could bring to the table. He was a benchwarmer for the majority of last season, so a lot of fans couldn’t get a proper look at the lefty point guard out of Murray State University. He did manage to appear in 22 games last season, playing 11.5 minutes per game. It was too small of a sample size to properly show us what he brings to the table.
Fortunately for Canaan, he has had plenty of time to show off his abilities to start the year. With Patrick Beverley being seemingly made of some type of extremely weak glass, Canaan has had his opportunities to start the year. And though it is a really small sample size, he has impressed me so far. He has been what the Rockets have needed at the point guard position. Nothing more and nothing less. Sometimes, it’s good to know your limits and not try to do too much.
Essentially, Canaan has been a good role player for the team. His ceiling isn’t very high, but if he can continue to play at this level, he could be on the team long after his rookie deal expires. Let’s take a quick peek at his numbers:
| Season | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | 8 | 5 | 23.1 | 3.3 | 7.3 | .448 | 1.8 | 4.1 | .424 | .700 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 9.1 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/13/2014.
As you can see, he has only played eight games so far, so we are dealing with a small sample size. What the numbers show is pretty encouraging, though. He has started five games, which is five more than he did all of last season. It’s always a bit difficult to go from bench player to a starting player, but he’s been able to perform well enough with the starters and that’s encouraging.
While his field goal percentage is a tad bit low at 44.8 percent, it’s perfectly adequate for the types of shots that he is taking. His 70 percent from the free throw line is disappointing given his position, but it’s not a deal breaker. Similarly, the low assist total of 1.4 per game to 1.8 turnovers per game is also okay; Canaan is not there to be a distributor or a scorer. He is there to play defense and make his shots when he gets them. This is really the only time it’s okay for a point guard to have such a low number of assists.
Besides the low assist numbers, everything looks good for Canaan. What has been impressive has been his high three point percentage. His 42.4 percent is actually the fifth highest mark on the team and that really goes to show just how well the team has been shooting it from out there. As a team, that percentage is going to go down by quite a bit. However, if Canaan can continue to hit them at over 35 percent, the Rockets might have another solid piece to add to an already elite offensive team.
Thankfully, Houston fans can finally see what Canaan is all about. The only bad part is that it came at the expense of Patrick Beverley and his extreme tendency to get hurt. It’s good that the team has found that they have a player who can fill in for Beverley, should he go down again later in the year (at this point, it’s basically a guarantee). Here’s hoping Houston and Isaiah Canaan can continue to play some good basketball on their way to another successful season.