San Antonio Spurs: 3 goals for Patty Mills in 2020-21

After the San Antonio Spurs missed the playoffs for the first time this century every player needs to step up. Here are 3 goals for Patty Mills in 2020-21.

After the San Antonio Spurs missed the playoffs for the first time this century, every player on last season’s roster will be under some scrutiny. Despite completing his ninth season for the Spurs, Patty Mills is not an exception to this.

Mills actually had a tremendous season averaging 11.6 points, 1.8 assists, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.8 steals in just 22.5 minutes per game. His scoring average was the highest of Mills career and he was very efficient with shooting splits of .431/.382/.866.

Mills’ role last season on offense was to provide floor spacing given that he took 6.1 of his 9.1 shot attempts from deep. This was actually the highest shot attempts from deep last season of any member of the Spurs line up.

How Patty Mills is valuable to the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs have used Mills as a bench captain for years. His role has always been to come on and help run the second unit. Coach Gregg Popovich has always set great store in having a very strong bench and Mills, with the exception of 2017-18 has never started more than 10 games in a season.

While his defense is not strong, Mills impacts the game with his speed and his shooting. Now that Brys Forbes has gone, Mills is the only true 3-point shooter on the team. As he is 32, it is unlikely that Mills is going to expand his role too much more. However, here are three goals for Patty Mills in the 2020-21 season.

Season goal for Patty Mills No. 1: Get back to 40 percent from deep.

For his first three seasons with the Spurs, Mills hit the 3-ball at over 40 percent every season. It did not matter how much court time he got, he was ready when he hit the hardwood. Every season his role expanded which culminated in helping the Spurs win the 2014 NBA championship.

Then he needed shoulder surgery which would keep him out for the start of the 2014-15 season. On his return, Mills was not able to maintain this level of consistency. In his next six seasons, Mills has shot the ball above 40 percent once, in the 2016-17 season.

He has been close for the last three seasons, going at 37.2 percent in the 2017-18 season, 39.4 percent in the 2018-19 season, and 38.2 percent last year. While he is thereabouts from deep, Mills needs to get back to his shooting best next season.

Without Forbes, the Spurs floor looks to have very little space on the floor. The two guards accounted for 12.1 of the Spurs’ 28.5 attempts from deep. If Mills can get his percentage back above 40 percent then he could increase his playing time.

The Spurs are filling out their roster with a lot of younger players but their core is still LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, and Mills. They are all in the final years of their contracts and as one of the leaders, Mills’ skills in this area will be crucial moving forward.