Sir Charles in Charge
Fansided

NBA: New starts in not-so-new places for 4 relocated players

By Mason McFee

MIAMI, FL - FEBRUARY 09: A fan holds a sign welcoming back Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at American Airlines Arena on February 9, 2018 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - FEBRUARY 09: A fan holds a sign welcoming back Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at American Airlines Arena on February 9, 2018 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 11: Dennis Schroder
ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 11: Dennis Schroder /

Introducing, Your 2009 Orlando Magic

Okay, Jameer Nelson is the only player on the 2017-18 Pistons that was on that Finals team, or has ever played for the Magic franchise, but Jameer Nelson was reunited with the coach that got him there.

Before I go any further, it should be noted that I have always been interested in Nelson’s game. I’ve only been following the NBA since around 2008, and was just starting to get into basketball, so I didn’t pay attention to Nelson back then, but now I really wish I had.

On paper, Nelson hasn’t put up monster numbers. His career high in scoring is 32 points, and that came in 2013 back when he was still with Orlando. He was an All-Star once in 2009. According to Basketball-Reference, his HOF probability is 0.1%. So why am I taking time to dedicate an entire slide to him?

Well, look for yourself:

Player A: 14.6 PPG, 5.5 APG, 2.8 RPG, 33.9 3P%

Player B: 13.4 PPG, 5.1 APG, 3.5 RPG, 26.3 3p%

Player A were Reggie Jackson’s stats before he went down with a Grade 3 ankle sprain the day after Christmas, and Player B are Ish Smith’s stats as a starter this season for Detroit; courtesy of ESPN.com. Nelson’s 5.1 PPG, 3.6 APG, and 2.2 RPG certainly won’t jump off the page, but he brings one thing that Jackson and Smith cannot – spacing.

Nelson is knocking down 36.4% of his shots from beyond the arc, and, before you ask – it’s not a small sample size number. Despite averaging a mere 20.9 MPG for the Pelicans, he was hoisting up 4.8 3-point attempts a game. Knowing Van Gundy’s system is just a bonus.

A quick side note on Nelson’s 3-point shooting – when the Pistons made the trade for Blake Griffin, people talked about how they had to give up one of their best players in Tobias Harris, who was their 5th-best three point shooter on the team, coming in at 40.9%; and really 4th best since Basketball Reference is listing Reggie Hearn as their best marksman for hitting one three point attempt, his only attempt on the season. (Check your stats, kids – they can be very deceiving).

In that same deal, the Pistons also traded their 7th (6th) best 3 point shooter in Avery Bradley (38.1%). Fortunately for the Pistons, they kept the other players rounding out that top 7. Unfortunately for the Pistons, only one of those players has made double-digit starts for the team. While Nelson may never start for Detroit, he should get a shot; at least until Jackson comes back.

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