Naturally, we tend to think of the negotiations in terms of the players that were traded. But there is another side to these transactions, where a player is suddenly given additional minutes and opportunities after his teammate is sent elsewhere. We’ve seen big names like Victor Oladipo, Nikola Vucevic and Lou Williams traded ahead of Thursday’s NBA trading deadline, so it’s worth looking at the players who now benefit from some of those moves.
As we see in the NBA all the time, players who have been buried on the bench or labeled as role players can often change their perception if given the chance, and addition by subtraction sometimes leads to better performance. With that in mind, here are six players who should benefit from switching their teammates on time.
Wood was in the middle of an All-Star caliber season when he was forced to lose more than a month due to an ankle injury. When he returned, the Rockets had lost 17 consecutive games, playing for the league’s worst record. The team continued to lose after their return, and Wood’s frustration came when he complained about his lack of touch at the end of the game in a defeat for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“I would like to be more involved in the attack in the final stretch,” said Wood after making just two shots in the fourth period in the defeat for OKC. “I am often left in the corner and out of the attack, and it kind of gets me out of rhythm.”
Victor Oladipo was the main reason for Wood’s lack of involvement in the games. Oladipo’s usage rate in the fourth quarter of 32.8 led the team, with Wood also dropping below John Wall and Eric Gordon with a usage rate of 22.8 in the final frame. With Oladipo going to Miami, Wood should have a lot more opportunities when it comes to the squeeze. His isolation efficiency hasn’t been great, but he certainly has potential in that area at the end of the games with his speed and ability to finish.
The Rockets’ net rating is 10.9 points per 100 best possessions with Wood on the ground, and he could soon emerge as the number one offensive option for the first time since joining Houston.
One of the most talented youngsters in the league, Williams is likely to become the full-time centerpiece of the Celtics, with Daniel Theis negotiating with the Bulls. Williams has the appearance of a runner and kick blocker due to his length and athleticism – and he does these things very well – but he also has incredible gameplay and passing ability. In his first start to the season in Friday’s 122-114 victory over the Bucks, Williams set the record for his career with six assists, adding seven points, nine rebounds and five blocks.
Boston is 24th in the NBA in assists, so involving Williams more strongly with the starters should generate a more open appearance for the league’s 13th-ranked attack, and he will provide far more rim protection than Theis. Williams is in the 82nd percentile, allowing 0.92 points for possession around the edge, according to Synergy Sports Technology. It will be fun to see him at both ends as he becomes one of Boston’s most important players in the final stretch and reaches the playoffs.
It is safe to say that when the Clippers hired Kennard for a four-year extension, $ 64 million, shortly after negotiating for him in the last off-season, they did not expect 7.9 points in less than 20 minutes per game. Sometimes, in the last month, Kennard has completely left the rotation. Part of the reason for Kennard’s limited production was his positional redundancy with Lou Williams, which was negotiated with the Atlanta Hawks by Rajon Rondo in the deadline. With Williams out of the picture, Kennard should become the top scoring option on the bench, with Rondo potentially providing him with more open looks.
Kennard’s pitches weren’t a problem – he’s fifth in the NBA with 47.8 percent in the 3-point range and is in the 91th percentile with 1.36 points for ball possession in catch-and-shoot scenarios, by Synergy – but he is only taking six field goal attempts per game. The volume is expected to increase with Williams elsewhere, now that Kennard has the freedom and confidence to fire at a much higher pace.
He showed his skill in a recent 21-point comeback against the Hawks, becoming the first Clipper in history to score 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists in less than 20 minutes.
“I am very happy that Luke Kennard was ready for the way he has played in the last four games,” said Clippers coach Tyronn Lue after the victory over Atlanta. “He is definitely deserved – he deserved something.”
One of the few exciting young Pelicans guards, Alexander-Walker struggled to find consistent playing time when JJ Redick was active. With Redick negotiating with Dallas, Alexander-Walker must fit into the role of shooting reserve guard and need not worry about losing his pivot point if he makes a mistake. He has been solid as a replacement starter with Lonzo Ball out, and New Orleans coach Stan Van Gundy recently explained that Alexander-Walker usually plays better when he knows he will have great minutes, a feeling that Alexander-Walker agreed to .
“You are not really looking over your shoulder,” said Alexander-Walker, via Pelicans.com. “You are able to play, in a sense, without conscience, because you are just thinking about the game. You are not thinking about what can happen if you make a decision that does not go the way you intended. I am trying to trust myself so that , even when I don’t start, I can still get out of the bank and provide effective things. ”
Since March 4, when Redick suffered an injury, Alexander-Walker has averaged 13.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists with 38 percent of 3-point shots. He has also been excellent defending pick-and-roll throughout the season, allowing only 0.618 points for possession according to Synergy, which is in the 96th percentile. Its duration and activity can help the defense of the Pelicans who are at the bottom of the league throughout the season.
Steve Clifford is basically Old Mother Hubbard following the departure of Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier, so Okeke will have as much race as he can while Magic looks to the future. A redshirt rookie, Okeke has been a solid contributor outside the bank for most of the season. On his first start after the negotiation deadline, Okeke reached his career record of 22 points in 9 to 15 shots, including 4 to 6 out of 3 points, in 37 minutes.
Okeke profiles a prototypical stretch of four, currently in the 98th percentile with 1,527 points for possession in catch and shoot situations, according to Synergy. His next step will be to leverage his kicking ability to take advantage of difficult hits, placing the ball on the ground and reaching the rim – an area in which he has struggled so far, but shows potential.
If Okeke can continue to develop in the last two months of the season, a core of him, Jonathan Isaac, Markelle Fultz and Wendell Carter Jr. is a decent starting point for Orlando’s reconstruction.
As is the case with most choices in the second round, Lee struggled for minutes throughout his debut season, occasionally interfering when injuries hit the Pistons. He certainly took advantage of his opportunities, placing 12.6 points and 3.9 assists per game with 59 percent pitches over a seven-game period from late February to early March, with Delon Wright out of the lineup.
With Wright now trading with the Sacramento Kings, Lee should be able to compete for more consistent minutes. Killian Hayes, the seventh general chosen last November and the likely owner of the future in Detroit, is still recovering from a torn labrum on his hip and, at this point, it may not make much sense to bring him back to the top -of -season-linked to the lottery. Lee will be in the mix with Dennis Smith Jr., Frank Jackson and newly acquired Cory Joseph for a few minutes, although it is hard to imagine that Joseph will see a lot of playing time, considering he is probably not in the Pistons’ future plans.
Lee’s lack of shots will limit his effectiveness, but he showed an ability to penetrate and attract fouls – he set his career record to 10 free throws in Friday’s defeat to the Nets.
In a relatively small sample, Lee is in the 96th percentile in overall offensive efficiency, including assists, with 1,454 points for possession, according to Synergy. It is definitely worth the Pistons to give you a hard look at a few extended minutes to end the season.