Clippers' Reunion With Pending Free Agent Can Solve Shooting Woes

An under-the-radar weakness for the Los Angeles Clippers last season was shooting. The Clippers ranked in the bottom ten in the league in three-point attempts and makes. Their accuracy was solid, largely thanks to elite shooting from Darius Garland and Kawhi Leonard, but the rest of the team wasn't able to hit shots at a high volume and accuracy.

That is why it needs to be an offseason priority to add some role players who can be off-ball threats around Garland and Leonard. As the team's two stars, Garland and Leonard need as much spacing around them as possible. This would make things easier for the star duo if teams have to respect the shooters around them and stick to them.

Landry Shamet Could Be a Low-Cost Option to Fill Clippers' Shooting Need

Since the Clippers have other more pressing needs like a starting center, they may not be in a position to invest significant resources into shooting. Fortunately for them, there are plenty of low-cost free agents on the market.

Whether it's Kevin Huerter, Gary Trent Jr., Luke Kennard, or Tim Hardaway Jr., the Clippers will be able to land a sharpshooter without breaking the bank. Another possibility that makes a ton of sense is a familiar face: former Clippers shooting guard Landry Shamet.

Shamet will likely cost less than the aforementioned players in free agency, but has a chance to be as impactful. The 29-year-old spent two seasons with the Clippers and made 40% of his threes. He was eventually traded to the Nets in the 2020 offseason, but was an important part of the Clippers' playoff run in 2019 and 2020.

There isn't much else Shamet can do on the basketball court other than shooting, but the Clippers may not need anything more from him anyway.

Over his last two seasons with the Knicks, Shamet has continued to make shots, hitting over 39% from downtown on over four attempts per game. This has earned him a significant uptick in minutes this season, going from 15.2 minutes to 23 minutes per game.

Shamet isn't very good defensively, but he isn't helpless either. He has good positional size at six-foot-five and can hold his own against bench units. This should be another reason why the Clippers should be interested in a reunion with their former player.

Shooting continues to be a premium skill in the NBA. These playoffs have served as another reminder that teams without elite shooting tend to punch below their weight. The Pistons and the Rockets' disappointing first rounds can be explained by their lack of outside threats.

If the Clippers want to have a chance at getting back to contention, adding more shooting is a must. Regardless of whether that will come through Shamet or another player, the Clippers should make this a priority.

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