For the first time in seven NBA seasons, Ben McLemore found a home on a contender during his successful 2019-20 campaign with the Houston Rockets. The 6-foot-3 guard shot 40.0% on 3-pointers, making him the best long-range shooter for the NBA’s most trigger-happy team.
After six seasons bouncing between various roles with the lottery-bound Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies, McLemore fit very well in Houston — where he averaged 10.1 points in 22.8 minutes per game.
Even so, with a disappointing loss in the second round of the playoffs to the Los Angeles Lakers, things didn’t end the way McLemore and the Rockets wanted them to. While the loss was certainly understandable, considering that it came at the hands of the best team by record in the Western Conference and arguably the top player in NBA history in LeBron James, it wasn’t close to the championship goal that Houston had set.
In a Sunday post on Instagram, McLemore tipped his hat to James while vowing to work hard in the offseason on the practice court.
James and McLemore have been close since the latter’s college days, and McLemore recently chose to hire Klutch Sports as his agency representation. Klutch is run by Rich Paul, LeBron’s longtime friend.
McLemore didn’t receive many minutes early in the Los Angeles series, though he earned more toward the end. Mike D’Antoni, who won’t return as Rockets coach, seemed to have concerns about McLemore’s defensive limitations — but his hot shooting became hard to ignore.
McLemore is already under contract with the Rockets for the 2020-21 season, but the 27-year-old could be due for a big raise from his near-minimum deal once he becomes a free agent in the 2021 offseason.
[lawrence-related id=36547,36086]
They sleeping on Ben McLemore. Just watch
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 28, 2013