Top 5 shooters on the LA Clippers' roster for the 2021-22 NBA season
Last season the LA Clippers were one of the best three-point shooting teams in the NBA. They only averaged the 14th most attempted threes in the NBA but were sixth in makes and first in team three-point percentage.
Ever since the Clippers acquired Kawhi Leonard and Paul George two seasons ago, they have been trying to win a championship. They ran into a wall in the seasons, blowing a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in the second round and then losing to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals.
A big part of their loss last season was Leonard tearing his ACL right in the middle of the playoffs. It seems like Leonard could miss most of this upcoming season, so if the Clippers want to be genuine contenders, they will need to find ways to replace his production. Luckily, they have some solid shooters who can help with that, and these are the five players who will have the most impact.
#5 Nicolas Batum, LA Clippers, Wing
Nicolas Batum might have one of the strangest NBA careers, with many highs but just the same number of lows. Batum was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers in 2008 and went on to play seven seasons for them. He averaged 11.2 points in 30.8 minutes per game, shooting 36% from three on 4.3 attempts. His play earned him a massive five-year $120 million contract for the Charlotte Hornets. Batum was a solid player for the Hornets, averaging 12.1 points in 32.2 minutes, but he could not live up to his contract, and he was cut in his final season.
Batum joined the LA Clippers in the 2020 offseason on the veteran’s minimum, became a starter and played a massive role for them throughout the regular season and playoffs. He earned himself another contract with the Clippers for two years, worth $6 million.
Nicolas Batum threes for your morning. https://t.co/pFPAIPztNq
Last season, Batum put up his best shooting performance since his second season in the league. He shot 40% from three on 4.1 attempts. His career averages are 36% on 4.4 shots, so he made more of the threes he usually took last season. 99% of his threes were assisted, so he played off being with two All-Stars, but he will only be playing with one this season.
Batum should still have a solid shooting year, maybe not as good as last season, but he is still one of the better shooters on this LA Clippers team.
#4 Luke Kennard, LA Clippers, Shooting Guard
Luke Kennard’s 2020-21 season was just a weird one. In 2019-20, Kennard averaged 32 minutes a game, scoring 15.8 points per game, shooting 40% from three on 6.5 attempts, for the Detroit Pistons. The LA Clippers traded for him to bring in more shooting, and then he signed a four-year $56 million contract. He went on to only average 19.6 minutes per game with 8.3 points.
Don’t care about this miss, this type of shot seeking behavior from Luke Kennard is material for LAC getting up more 3’s this year.
Transition DHO’s into 3’s for elite shooters are one of my favorite ways to get shooters free. https://t.co/EP3OY4fcEy
For some reason, Kennard could not find consistent playing time last season, and the minutes he would get would fluctuate. Despite never getting in a rhythm, Kennard still shot 45% from three on 3.6 attempts.
With Leonard out this season, Kennard can fill in some of that offensive production. Kennard was only assisted on 80% of his threes, giving him some ability to create independently. He is still a 42% shooter from three for his career, so it could stay the same with more volume, which he proved in his last season in Detroit.