Earlier installments of this series can be found here.
The defending champs, the fourth seed in the Western Conference, the
Let’s build The All-Quietly Doing Well Team: Pacific Division Edition.
Golden State Warriors: Alfonzo McKinnie
Alfonzo McKinnie played his college ball at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay but was able to secure a contract with the Toronto Raptors. Last season (his rookie season), McKinnie primarily spent his time bouncing between the Raptors’ G League affiliate (Raptors 905) and the parent club. He averaged 1.5 PPG in 3.8 MPG. Despite the limited action, the defending champs saw something in him this past offseason and signed him to a contract.
It’s paid off.
There are only three players on the Warriors that are averaging double-digits in scoring… and McKinnie is not one of those players. What he is doing is averaging 6.0 PPG and 4.0 RPG (1.3 ORPG) on .538/.408/.474 shooting splits. The latter number leaves much to be desired, but his field goal and three-point percentages suggest
Oh, and he’s got some bounce:
McKinnie may never blossom into a 20+ PPG scorer, but with a lot of major free agent decisions to make next summer (namely Damion Lee), the Warriors seem to have found a bench mainstay for years to come.
Los Angeles Clippers: Mike Scott
Mike Scott doesn’t get a lot of playing time – he averages 15.2 MPG, which makes him a fringe rotation player. He won’t average any more barring an injury to one of Montrezl Harrell, Boban Marjanovic, or Marcin Gortat, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been making the most of his time on the court.
His 39.9 FG% doesn’t offer much intrigue, nor does his 5.0 PPG.
His 3.2 RPG, 40.0 3P%, and 80.0 FT% should.
Per-36 numbers are a divisive topic among the NBA community, but other advanced statistics aren’t as controversial so here are some of Scott’s:
On Court: +1.6 ORTG, +58.6 AST%, +6.9 STL%, +8.4 BLK%
On/Off: +2.4ORTG
TL:DR: The ball moves around a lot better and Clippers play defense a lot better when Scott is on the floor. Not too bad for a player that only plays about a third of a game.
Los Angeles Lakers: Lance Stephenson
A jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none has been Lance Stephenson’s calling card since coming into the league. He’ll dazzle viewers with his flashy passing and end up on Shaqtin’ a Fool in the same game. He’s fascinating and frustrating to watch, but he’s always fun.
And that was before LeGM signed him despite their on-court history. James may have been on to something.
To be fair, Lance is still Lance…
… but he’s also averaging 7.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 1.8 APG on .484/.386/.750 shooting splits. He does all that in just 14.7 MPG and has appeared in all 31 Lakers games.
It remains to be seen whether he’s going to blow in someone’s ear by season’s end, but he’s been a surprising catalyst on the King’s court.
Sacramento Kings: Nemanja Bjelica
Nemanja Bjelica hasn’t been in the NBA very long. He began his career in Europe (including winning the Euroleague MVP) before coming stateside to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He only averaged 18.9 MPG during his time in the Gopher state, but he played well in limited action.
Career averages in Minnesota: 6.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.3 APG on .542/.389/.758 splits
Last offseason, Bjelica (reportedly) had grown so frustrated with his playing time that he was mulling a return to Europe. However, the 76ers came calling, and he had a verbal agreement in place. Then it was reported he was definitely going to play in Europe, and then Vlade Divac (also a Serbian) convinced him to come play for the Kangz; signing him to a three-year, $21 million deal (third-year non-guaranteed).
It was a great move.
Through 28 games, Bjelica is averaging 11.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 1.9 APG on .574/.476/.756 shooting splits.
His 3PT% leads all power forwards and ranks second in the league among all players. His RPG average is currently 26th among power forwards, and his APG ranks t-16th in that same category.
Divac has gotten a lot of flak for not putting out much of anything in recent years, but the Kangz are just 0.5 back of being the eighth seed in a crowded Western Conference, and Bjelica is a big reason why.
Phoenix Suns: Troy Daniels
We are roughly 30 games into the NBA season, and the Phoenix Suns have only won five games. Watching the Suns play basketball is like riding a rollercoaster – fun at times, but you’re glad when it’s over. It’s almost ironic that they’re called the Suns because there have been very few bright spots.
One of the bright spots for Phoenix has been Troy Daniels.
Despite being only 27, the Suns are Daniels’ fifth team (Houston, Minnesota, Charlotte, Memphis, Phoenix). He’s a career 40.3% shooter from distance and a 82.4% career shooter from the charity stripe. He only has averaged 7.1 PPG, but he’s only made 19 starts in his career. For first-year HC Igor Kososkov and the floundering Suns, it may be worth inserting him in the starting lineup.
Daniels has only appeared in 14 games this season, but he’s knocked down 39.0% of his treys and converted 87.5% of his attempts from the free throw line. His 40.8 FG% is not great, but after logging a lot of DNPs early on in the season, he’s been playing well of late; including an 18-point (6-10 three-pointers) performance off the bench against the Heat on December 7.
Troy Daniels isn’t a poor man’s version of anyone. He’s a solid three-point shooter with some playmaking ability. The Suns need both and he deserves some run.