The Los Angeles Clippers have reportedly signed veteran forward Mike Scott to a one-year deal. We grade the deal for the Clippers.
The Los Angeles Clippers are at an odd point as a franchise. Former faces of the franchise Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are sharing the spotlight in Houston and Detroit, respectively. The remaining member of that Big 3, DeAndre Jordan, just agreed sign a lucrative one-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks in his home state.
Other mainstays like J.J. Redick (Philadelphia 76ers) and Jamal Crawford (currently a free agent) and to a lesser degree, Austin Rivers (Washington Wizards) are no longer with the team either.
So where does that leave what’s left of the Lob City era?
The Clippers have undergone a huge facelift the past few offseasons, bringing in respected veterans like Mr. 94 Feet (Patrick Beverley) and perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate Lou Williams, while also making savvy trades for up-and-coming players like Tobias Harris and Montrezl Harrell.
In the 2018 NBA Draft, the Clippers added Boston College standout Jerome Robinson and Kentucky’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with their lottery selections. Now, Mike Scott will be added to the mix, per ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski. Where does he fit in?
The NBA community is split on what the Clippers are doing. They have a nice blend of youth and veterans, but it’s heavier on the former, and the latter are more complementary pieces than stars. With LeBron joining their crosstown rivals, Paul re-upping with Houston, and Kevin Durant staying put with the Golden State Warriors, is it worth competing? (Spoiler: the answer is yes, and this is where Scott comes in).
Scott spent this past season with the Washington Wizards. Of all of the five-man combinations head coach Scott Brooks used, Mike Scott appeared in four of the top five, posting net ratings of +28.4, +22.6, +16.5, and +14.8.
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Interestingly, the best lineup was comprised of Tomas Satoransky, Bradley Beal, Kelly Oubre Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and (obviously) Scott. Beal is the only All-Star in that lineup, and Scott was the perfect big to space the floor. He’ll be playing with a bevy of guards in Los Angeles that create and score better than (at least) Porter, Oubre and Satoransky, and Doc Rivers can now solely focus on getting the best out of his team next season with his front office role taken away.
During the regular season, Scott shot 40.5 percent from beyond the arc on 2.1 attempts a game, with his percentage ranking sixth among all power forwards. In the postseason, Scott shot a blistering 63.6 percent from beyond the arc on 1.8 attempts per game.
That’s called making the most out of your time on the court (18.5 minutes per game during the regular season, 21.0 minutes per game during the postseason). For a Clippers squad that ranked 23rd in 3-point percentage, and a bench that was 29th in the league in 3-point percentage, Scott will certainly be a welcome addition.
Mike Scott will most likely come off the bench next season, where he will be a plus to an already established position of strength. The Clippers ranked third in bench scoring this past season and second in field goal percentage as a whole. Scott’s career 47.6 field goal percentage (and 52.7 percentage this past season) won’t detract from that.
It may not be Kawhi Leonard, but Mike Scott is a solid addition in what’s been a fairly quiet offseason for the “other” L.A. team.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Grade: A