Lance Stephenson | Possible FA | Can He Revive His Career?

[laploutocratie]

The Clippers have a team option for the 2016-2017 contract for Lance, which we can reasonable guess that Doc will not exercise, given his low confidence in him. I loved watching Stephenson in his last year with Indiana, as he seemed like a burgeoning star. It also helped that his copiously flashy style of play is something that a lot of us enjoyed watching.

Is this a situational decline that Stephenson can overcome in the right situation, or was the Indiana season a one-year fluke? He recorded his highest TS%, TRB%, and VORP during his final season with the Pacers. Is it simply that he needs a disciplined environment with a strong head figure like Bird?

Perhaps a return to the Pacers with a renewed sense of humility could help him? I think the player that we saw with the Pacers is still there. It's more an environment/maturity/mental puzzle he needs to figure out to return to that Pacers player, which I believe is possible on the right team.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkSnxwWLrA0[/youtube]
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[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs76CDsRHVM[/youtube]

[BlzMwt]

I thought he may be able to revive his career somewhat on the Clippers. Doc's decision to try him with the starters where Griffin and Paul handled the ball the majority of the time wasn't really a good idea, and then throwing him onto the bench with Rivers/Crawford/Pierce/Smith was an even worse idea. Crawford and Rivers have severe tunnel vision and don't mesh with Stephenson's talent of being a distributor at all and the only decent shooter would have been Pierce who was missing everything to start off the season.

If he could find a situation where there were shooters all around, and the teammates around him were completely incompetent at D then he think he could find himself playing close to where he was before, certainly better than he is now.

Maybe coming off the bench for the Raptors with Ross, PP, Joseph, Johnson and Scola around him?

Obviously his talent is very limited if he needs such specific lineups around him though.

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

Lance needs to be in a very structured environment to succeed. It all depends on the situation he goes to. In the right place, he can be a great player.

[pacers33granger]

I could see a situation where LA picks up his option solely because they won't have cap space and could use him to salary match as an expiring.

As far as him succeeding, he really needs a lot of people watching him. We had numerous people in his ear constantly.

[WolvesGuy14]

He should go back to Indiana.

[pacers33granger]

He should go back to Indiana.

It's difficult enough playing with 2 SGs who are poor 3 point shooters (Ellis, Stuckey) so adding Lance would be really really tough. And I'm not sure Bird and the rest of the organization want to go through putting in the effort again.

[GreatWhiteStiff]

"If he could find a situation where there were shooters all around, and the teammates around him were completely incompetent at D then he think he could find himself playing close to where he was before, certainly better than he is now."

Please don't say he should play for the raptors, please don't say he should play for raptors, please don't say he should play for the raptors...

"Maybe coming off the bench for the Raptors with Ross, PP, Joseph, Johnson and Scola around him?"

Damn son.

[laploutocratie]

He should go back to Indiana.

It's difficult enough playing with 2 SGs who are poor 3 point shooters (Ellis, Stuckey) so adding Lance would be really really tough. And I'm not sure Bird and the rest of the organization want to go through putting in the effort again.

Yes, but Lance has proven to work in Indiana, not to mention that Stuckey is bad and Indiana Lance far trumps what Ellis brings.

[WolvesGuy14]

He should go back to Indiana.

It's difficult enough playing with 2 SGs who are poor 3 point shooters (Ellis, Stuckey) so adding Lance would be really really tough. And I'm not sure Bird and the rest of the organization want to go through putting in the effort again.

Yes, but Lance has proven to work in Indiana, not to mention that Stuckey is bad and Indiana Lance far trumps what Ellis brings.

And I think that's it. Monta is a poor 3 point shooter and doesn't impact anything else but scoring really.

Lance can impact a lot of different areas.

I do think that Bird and the organization likely has moved on, but you never know. Those Pacers teams were really fun.

[pacers33granger]

It's difficult enough playing with 2 SGs who are poor 3 point shooters (Ellis, Stuckey) so adding Lance would be really really tough. And I'm not sure Bird and the rest of the organization want to go through putting in the effort again.

Yes, but Lance has proven to work in Indiana, not to mention that Stuckey is bad and Indiana Lance far trumps what Ellis brings.

And I think that's it. Monta is a poor 3 point shooter and doesn't impact anything else but scoring really.

Lance can impact a lot of different areas.

I do think that Bird and the organization likely has moved on, but you never know. Those Pacers teams were really fun.

Stuckey isn't bad, he's far and away our best bench scorer and him being injured has hurt the bench production a ton. And Monta has impacted the team in more areas than scoring, actually in a similar way that Lance did and he has been better than Lance was for us (at least more reliable). Lance was much more fun to watch, but you never knew what you'd get with him on any given night.

Really I don't think people understand the lengths the organization went to to get Lance to stay focused. Bird was always in his ear and Clark Kellogg kept a very close watch on him. David West was also there to keep him in line. It was a ton of work and we had a veteran team at the time, where we now have a bunch of developing young guys.

I'm not saying Lance coming back is totally out of the question as if it works out it could be a steal and Bird has a soft spot for him. But I'd say it's unlikely at this point and what Lance brought to the team was always overstated.

[winter_mute_13]

He should go back to Indiana.

It's difficult enough playing with 2 SGs who are poor 3 point shooters (Ellis, Stuckey) so adding Lance would be really really tough. And I'm not sure Bird and the rest of the organization want to go through putting in the effort again.

Not only that, but I think Larry bears a bit of a grudge.

If Lance does come back, it will be on the Pacers' terms, I think. Meaning he'll have to earn his way back to the team's good graces with extended good behavior and most probably none of the extensive support he used to enjoy. I figure that he'll kick around a few other teams first and if he still doesn't find success, then we'll offer him a last chance type of deal.

[JohnnyNightrain]

Lance also admitted he was stat-padding in Indiana... Indiana is now a different team with a different system, so he wouldn't be able to do that, which is what made him "good" there.

I remember he once stayed in a blowout game for about ten extra minutes just to get a triple double and since Indiana is small market, people only see the box score the next day and say, "Wow, he had another triple double. He's leading the league." I don't think there is any place in the league where he can get into a similar situation.

[sunevisions]

OKC system is perfect fit for him when coming off the bench

[CoachD]

I preface this with full disclosure ... I am NOT a fan of Lance Stephenson.

That being said, I still don't understand how Doc doesn't use Lance as the primary ball handler on the second unit.

He must be a total moron in practice, or have done something to make his coach / team think he can't handle it.

He's become the king of garbage minutes though.

[youOK]

I think Lance requires a lot of effort/structure that you have to wonder whether it is worth it. He certainly has talent he just has a lot of baggage as well. I thought this Q & A with Larry Bird was pretty telling.

MM-Do you feel like he’s learning to cope with stardom and fame and all the attention that comes with it?

Bird-I had a long talk with Paul right before he signed his contract last time, and told him what to expect. I don’t think kids believe me until it really happens. I can’t say whether he’s handled it good or bad. But I think he’s had some eye-openers along the way, and I think he’ll have some more. The same with Lance (Stephenson), when he was here. I had a lot of conversations with Lance and told him different things. It’s difficult.

MM-Speaking of Lance, are you surprised by how his career has gone since leaving here?

Bird-No. We had that conversation, too. Lance is a little different. I can’t talk about another team’s players, but he’s a little different.

MM-You guys kind of structured everything for him.

Bird-We had a lot of people in place. Lance is a good kid, but he’s a little different.

[Slimreaper703]

i think he finds his way back to Indiana, Larry Bird seems to have a soft spot for him.

[yitur]

i think he finds his way back to Indiana, Larry Bird seems to have a soft spot for him.

I think he fits perfectly next to PG13 at the wing spot. He was the x-factor. Ellis is looking at it just statistically, just as bad of a shooter as he is. He has the potential to be the Draymond Green of the SGs(I used Green because everyone is more familiar with the new toy). He was actually that player in Indiana. Hope he returns.

[OrlChamps2030]

surprised im the first one to bring it up here but i'd like to see him in philly. he just needs the ball in his hands a la tyreke evans

[BJGOAT3]

I wish he never left Indiana, and hope he goes back there. They were the one team liked in Eastern Conference since 2011, and with 2014 Lance they were very enjoyable to watch against Miami.

Yes he is a poor 3 point shooter, but I think Hill-Lance backcourt is a better fit than the Hill-Ellis backcourt, especially for George. For all the reception Lance got regarding his actions, he was always very unselfish, and he was the one handling major playmaking duties on Pacers. I've watched Pacers a lot this year and the major contributor to George's shooting struggles is that he has no legit playmaker. I see Hill and Ellis missing out so many good off the ball moves by George where he could have a great opportunity to score if he received the ball at the right moment but he never does. Ellis and Hill both are horrible playmakers but very good guards/players. I would move Ellis to the bench where he was always destined to play, get Lance and give him playmaking duties next to Hill. Stretch the floor with Hill-George and Turner to an extent with his midrange touch, go after a second big next to Turner and rekindle that grinding 2012-2014 Pacers squad. I am pretty positive that that Pacers would come out of the East last year, and would be a serious danger to a healthy Cavs.

[McKenna]

It's a roll of the dice. The same thing was said when he went to the Hornets, then the Clippers.. and no doubt it will follow him wherever he lands.

If it's a straight up respect issue then good luck finding someone who will have what it takes. That is, given the type of respect he should have shown Legend Larry, MJ.. even Doc Rivers.