The LA Clippers jump into their 2012-2013 campaign with some key additions. Lamar Odom looks to bounce back into form after an uncharacteristically down year with the Dallas Mavericks (6.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.7 apg-all career lows) while Jamal Crawford (14 ppg, 3.2 apg, 2 rpg) looks set to add spark to an already prolific offense (105.2 ppg per every 100 possessions).
Among these additions is that of shooting coach Bob Thate. Jason Kidd, being one of Thate’s past pupils, owes his improved jump shot to work done with Thate. Kidd’s fg% from mid range-around 10-15 feet-went from 32% in the 2010-2011 season to 40% for the following year. Considering Kidd has struggled a bit from this distance (averaging a career high 41.4% in the 2009-2010 season), Thate seems to be well qualified.
With the task at hand, those qualifications will come in handy.
The Clippers suffered last year at the hands of their two talented bigs, DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin. Specifically, Jordan and Griffin limited offensive gains with their poor numbers from the free throw line. Both were situated in the same statistical valley, 52.5 ft% from Jordan and 52.1% from Griffin. The move to hire Thate is necessitated less by one and more by the other.
Though both sit on generally the same stats from the charity stripe (or it’s supposed to be charity), Griffin gets fouled far more often. We’ve seen him hit the floor, hard, on several occasions. But, the numbers show that Griffin attempts 7.1 free throws per game. Just to get an idea of how much that is, consider that perennial contact magnet Kevin Durant attempts 7.6 free throws per game.
With that many opportunities and an elite point guard who could pass you into even more, 52% simply wont suffice. Even when disregarding Chris Paul’s dazzling court vision, it’s no stretch of the imagination to suppose that Griffin-and to some extent, Jordan-are in for another year of hard fouls. Last year, Griffin’s 7.1 free throws per game was good for 6th most in the NBA. A jump to the Kobe Bryant/ Lebron James area of about 8 per game, combined with new-found efficiency, would greatly benefit the Clippers.
For a center/forward, the 70% mark from free throws would be pretty good. For a center/ forward averaging a Durantula’s share of free throws, it’s an untapped reservoir of offensive possibilities.
H/T to Elliot Teaford of LA’s Daily News.
Mohamed Abdihakim is a journalism student at Florida Atlantic University. He is a Phoenix Suns fan, who is not prepared for the possibility of Nash winning a title in a Lakers jersey. Mohamed is also a contributor at “Les Snobs”. Interests include International basketball, Mad Men, and blues music. Nearly all stats are credited to Hoopdata or Basketball-Reference.
Twitter handle: @Abdi_hakim
