Given the sudden wave of injuries to wing players, Ben McLemore is poised to get his first start for the Houston Rockets in Wednesday’s nationally televised home game versus the Los Angeles Clippers.
The 26-year-old is likely to start at small forward, according to head coach Mike D’Antoni. That’s because Danuel House Jr. is doubtful for Wednesday with a bruised back, while Eric Gordon could miss up to six weeks after undergoing a knee procedure.
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The proposed change would definitely make the Rockets smaller, with the 6-foot-3 McLemore three inches shorter than the 6-foot-6 House. Though McLemore is athletic, that lack of length wouldn’t seem to be ideal against the Clippers, who have a 6-foot-7 superstar at small forward in Kawhi Leonard.
Ben McLemore will likely start tomorrow against the Clippers, per Mike D'Antoni.
— Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) November 12, 2019
Moreover, McLemore enters the game on something of a cold stretch, having made just 22.7% of his three-pointers over the last four games. For the year, he’s at 31.7% from behind the three-point arc, which is below the NBA average for wing players.
And yet, even with the inconsistent shooting results, the Rockets have clearly been a better team with him on the floor. That helps explain why McLemore, rather than a taller and more proven option in 35-year-old Thabo Sefolosha, is getting the start.
Both McLemore’s defensive rating of 103.1 and overall net rating of 13.5 are the best on the entire Houston roster among players who have averaged at least 15 minutes per game this season. His average plus/minus of +4.4 trails only House.
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In the first six games of the season, when Houston had the league’s second-worst net rating in defense, McLemore averaged 11.9 minutes per game. In the last four games, the Rockets have had the league’s second-best defensive rating — with McLemore averaging 20.9 minutes per game. Houston (7-3) won all four of those contests.
Hmm. Houston’s top 3 three-man lineups in net rating all include Ben McLemore.
— RedNinetyFour (@RedNinetyFour) November 10, 2019
Last week, D’Antoni said this regarding the University of Kansas alum and former No. 7 pick of the 2013 NBA Draft:
Ben, I’m starting to really like him. … His defense and his smartness, and knowing how to [play] vertical and stay in plays … I’m starting to trust him. And he knows when he screws up, and that’s all you can ask. But he’s been good.
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Given his draft slot, McLemore was considered a relative bust with the Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies, with whom he averaged 8.8 points in 23.7 minutes per game over his first six NBA seasons. But unlike those two stops, there’s presumably the roster of a title contender around McLemore in Houston, and he’s largely taken advantage through the first 10 games of the 2019-20 season.
It remains to be seen if his early metrics will hold up, once exposed to more minutes. At some point, he likely needs to hit outside shots at a higher clip for those lofty ratings to be sustainable. But as of now, the Rockets have clearly been better with McLemore on the court — and that’s earned him a huge opportunity in the games ahead.
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