RE: NBA Off-Season Winners?
Thanks for the feedback. I had to do some research on JJ after you posed the question. I feel that at this point in his career, he is what he is. He's been a model of consistency over the last 5 years. 15-16 ppg a game and 2.6 triples a game. We know he can't create offence off the bounce so his scoring numbers and assist totals won't take a bump. The one thing he could improve on is his 45% shooting which is not bad a for sg anyways. He did manage 48% in 2014 and 2015 though.
Factors JJ has going for him in 2017 - contract year, possibly a bigger focal point in the faster paced offence, going to be looked at as a leader in the locker room who's somewhat "been there, done that".
Factors against JJ - age (33), learning a new offence, he'll miss CP3 finding him at the 3 point line in transition, Griffin kicking out of a double team (all though Fultz and Embid will have something to say about that)
All in all, I won't bump him any higher on draft day.
JJ's tough to predict, but here's my two cents. He took the third most shots per game last season in a not-exactly-slow moving offense, and benefited from actually being healthy for the full season unlike most of the other Clippers. I don't see him continuing to get nearly 12 shots per game in a lineup that includes Embiid, Simmons, Fultz, and a very talented Dario Saric. Okafor likes his shots, so does Convington. He'll definitely be the beneficiary of Embiid double-teams, and Simmons (potentially) has a rare elite court vision...but that just describes the Griffin/CP3 situation he came from.
So I'd say lower shot volume, lower offensive numbers. And let's just say he's not going to start making up for that with steals and blocked shots ;)
Haha excellent analysis buddy! I agree it will be tough for JJ to get a lot of looks on a young Sixers team that's exploding with talent. Simmons does have great court vision though and I expect him, Fultz, and Embiid to find JJ on some open looks. It will also keep the defence honest in having to guard the rest of the team 1 on 1. You can't leave JJ to help on Embiid! He will burn you with the long ball!
Awesome man, appreciate you looking into it and dropping some knowledge. Your post got me to get my notebook out and start prepping for draft time. I needed a little boot in the ass and interesting articles that sound exactly like me and my friends talking, although obviously put together in a better way than our convos would be. Anyway, thanks again and I'll see ya soon!