Lamar Stevens: Junkyard Dog

[foucault87]

Anyone expecting Lamar Stevens to be more than a 10-12th man has higher expectations than he does. This is the scenario that we keep him around for where someone above him in the rotation is out and he steps up and contributes for a few games as a spot starter or in limited minutes. He isn't expected to see floor time on the average night and really has not. Imo he is actually a great value in that role but currently we are seeing him playing up two roles.

 

[BimboColesHair]

Disagree on Lamar not being able to defend SFs.

Last 2 seasons opposing SFs have a 47.8% eFG% with him as their primary defender. League average eFG% for SFs this season is 53.8%, last season it was 53.2%. So over the past 2 seasons he is holding opposing SFs ~6% lower than the league average.

Defense has never been his problem. He is a solid 2 through 4 defender. His struggles come against quicker opponents. Why the overlap of him and Okoro works defensively.

And just like Okoro, we need to keep context in our minds. Lamar is still a young player at 25. He's appeared in less than 2 seasons worth of games and hasn't even cracked 2500 total minutes played at the NBA level for his career. To drive that point home, Mobley is going to play more total minutes this season than Lamar has played in his entire career.

Young, inexperienced players can improve. Lamar, like Okoro, has improved his shooting and scoring efficiencies every season. Like Okoro, his 3Pr is climbing each season. And like Okoro, his numbers over the last half of the season are climbing to levels that make them very useful rotation players in the modern NBA. Lamar has shooting splits of 51.9/36.4/82.6 over his last 30 games played. Since he re-entered the rotation on 2/23 (10 games) he is shooting 41.2% from 3 on almost 2 attempts per game. He's also been a Net +12 player on the floor over that stretch, a stretch where we have played the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th best teams in the league and a well-coached Miami team twice.

If Lamar is developing into what he has been over the last few months, he's a very useful NBA player, especially with him proving that he can bang with some legit big men in the league over the past 10 games.

 

[The Oi]

This guy has the potential to be one of the greatest role players of all time.

 

[Kizzle]

You play a guy all year and he produces and you get to the playoffs against a team he matches up well with and you don’t play him 1 meaningful minute in 3 games


As a player why in TF would i want to play for JBB?

 

[B Mac]

You play a guy all year and he produces and you get to the playoffs against a team he matches up well with and you don’t play him 1 meaningful minute in 3 games


As a player why in TF would i want to play for JBB?

Why do you believe he matches up well? I think it’s the exact opposite. His lack of an outside shot will further clog the paint and allow Randle to rest defensively.

In the playoffs teams are really only going to go 8 deep. He would be playing in place of either Osman, who for all his bone headed warts, at least provides a threat from outside, or Green, who has given nothing, but you hope he can get hot and know he’s capable of it.

 

[CanadaEh]

It’s unfortunate Rubio got some burn before he did. No one was hitting shit, why not throw Lamar in there to battle on the offensive boards and raise the intensity level. Release the original Junkyard dog because this team is softer than shit.

 

[Kouki]

Seriously. He couldn't have done much worse than the 21% the team shot.

Coming in off the bench when your team is getting destroyed under the bright lights of MSG is also way different. I doubt the big stage would have bothered him a bit because his sole focus would be hustle and generally being a wrecking ball

 

[Kizzle]

Why do you believe he matches up well? I think it’s the exact opposite. His lack of an outside shot will further clog the paint and allow Randle to rest defensively.

In the playoffs teams are really only going to go 8 deep. He would be playing in place of either Osman, who for all his bone headed warts, at least provides a threat from outside, or Green, who has given nothing, but you hope he can get hot and know he’s capable of it.

A guy that can switch 1-4 is a good matchup to me . He will also shoot when open

 

[Green Lantern]

Fact is , Osman isn't doing anything at all. He's shooting blanks and getting torched on defense.
If Bickerstaff doesn't use Stevens at all no one is going to know if he could have been effective at all.

 

[buzzdog]

Did Lamar knock up JBB's daughter or wife or something?

 

[ticon12389]

 

[NMCav]

But why? I get he's gonna be at the end of the bench still. And I don't hate Stevens. But we really need more players even at the end of the bench who can actually shoot the basketball.

 

[2 For The Brew]

But why? I get he's gonna be at the end of the bench still. And I don't hate Stevens. But we really need more players even at the end of the bench who can actually shoot the basketball.

I doubt we could find 15 players in total better than Lamar and at his salary. He helped us in several games last year at a minuscule salary.

Every single NBA team will have players on their roster worse than him.

 

[PIP]

I really like Lamar Stevens. If he got consistent time he would be a fantastic player on both ends that can help you win games.

Bargain price for what he could potentially bring.

 

[Dr No]

But why? I get he's gonna be at the end of the bench still. And I don't hate Stevens. But we really need more players even at the end of the bench who can actually shoot the basketball.

The “why” is 1.9. Pretty cheap for a guy who we already know is playable and fits the culture.