Los Angeles Clippers: 5 goals for the 2018 offseason

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(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /

5. Promote the development of Sam Dekker

Essentially a throw-in as part of the multiple-player Chris Paul transaction, Sam Dekker was treated as such in his first season as a Clipper. In 73 games played, Dekker averaged 4.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in just 12.1 minutes per game.

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With a crowded frontcourt over the course of the season consisting of Blake Griffin, Tobias Harris, Danilo Gallinari, Wesley Johnson and rookie Sindarius Thornwell, Dekker was unable to find a consistent role in the rotation. However, as he demonstrated in his final season with the Houston Rockets, Dekker has the capabilities of being an effective player in the league.

Over the six games in which he played 24 or more minutes, he averaged 11.5 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting at an incredibly efficient 65.8 percent clip from the field. Most notably, Dekker was a +57 while on the floor during this stretch.

In emphasising this point further, you need only look at the five games in season 2016-17 with the Rockets in which Dekker played 28 or more minutes. During these games, Dekker averaged 18.0 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting at a 56.9 percent clip from the field. This stretch featured the 6’9″ Dekker scoring a career-high 30 points against the Memphis Grizzlies, which included hitting on 6-of-11 from 3-point range.

In the modern-day pace of the NBA, the highly athletic Dekker seems a natural fit with the current style of play. The following is an excerpt of his college scouting report from the highly reputable Draft Express:

"“One of the most versatile and efficient offensive players in the college game, Dekker does a little bit of everything, even if he doesn’t truly excel in any one area. He is good in transition, can attack his man off the dribble, moves off the ball intelligently, crashes the offensive glass, and can make an open jumper, giving him many different ways he can contribute to a NBA team early on in his career. Dekker’s size, athleticism and versatility shines through most vividly in the open floor, where he is very effective grabbing a rebound and going coast to coast as the ball-handler. “Defensively, Dekker is similarly versatile, being capable of guarding bigger players with his size, strength and toughness, and smaller players thanks to his solid lateral quickness and strong effort level. He should be able to switch seamlessly between shooting guards, small forwards and power forwards in pick and roll situations, which is attractive in today’s NBA.”"

However, the one key piece missing thus far has been his perimeter shooting. This season, Dekker hit at just a 16.7 percent clip from long range, only attempting 60 for the entire season. However, as we have seen in the above highlights of his career-high game, this is something the 23-year-old Dekker is clearly capable of producing effectively. The following is a further excerpt from his Draft Express report:

"The biggest question Dekker will face as he transitions to the NBA is his consistency as an outside shooter….Dekker is not a non-shooter, as he proved capable of making open shots from the perimeter from time to time (1.3 per game on average), both with his feet set and off the dribble, and got very hot on occasion, as he showed in the NCAA Tournament."

Considering Dekker was drafted three years ago, these predictions are all still very relevant to this day. With only two full seasons under his belt in the league (his first season was virtually a wash due to back surgery), Dekker now faces a summer in which a great emphasis must be shown into developing a consistent jump shot for the years to come.

With a team option available on his current deal after this season, he Clippers and Dekker should be working side-by-side this summer in order to unleash the Wisconsin product’s considerable potential.

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