Lance Stephenson – Charlotte Hornets (offseason signing)
2013-14 statistics with Indiana Pacers: 13.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 4.6 APG, 49% FG
Season statistics with Charlotte: 8.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 4.1 APG, 37% FG
Charlotte 2014-15 record: 32-43
Stephenson arrived to Charlotte coming off the best season of his career with the Indiana Pacers, at the behest of Hornets head coach Steve Clifford. It was a rather understandable move — Stephenson had been a great all-around player for the Pacers, performing highly in the playoffs while taking players like LeBron James head-on, and was anticipated to provide both an edge and defensive boost to a Hornets team that exceeded expectations in the 2013-14 season.
Fast forward to now, and Clifford has admitted that he “can’t find a group where we play well with him out there.”
It’s true. The Hornets are more than nine points better per 100 possessions when Stephenson sits than when he plays. When Stephenson has shared the floor with Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson, Charlotte has been outscored by almost 10 points per 100 possessions.
Such figures don’t bode well for a player that was expected to mesh well with his new teammates.
Charlotte was very active in trying to move Stephenson before February’s trade deadline, but no team was willing to make the same mistake that they did. With the experiment now officially a failure, Clifford has opted to sit Stephenson entirely down the stretch, awarding him only 22 minutes in the Hornets’ past four games, which included two back-to-back ‘DNP-Coach’s Decision’ benchings. It’s time for both parties to call it a loss and move on when the season ends.
Rajon Rondo – Dallas Mavericks (acquired from Boston Celtics)
Season statistics with Boston: 8.3 PPG, 10.8 APG, 7.5 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 40% FG
Season statistics with Dallas: 9.2 PPG, 6.5 APG, 4.6 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 42% FG
Dallas record prior to trade: 19-8
Dallas record since trade: 27-22
The Rondo trade at the time was hailed by many as a great move for the Mavericks, boosting their backcourt while acquiring a pass-first point guard with a championship ring and plenty of playoff experience. The move showed that the Mavs were committed to winning now, trading away future draft picks and a young, talented Jae Crowder (who has flourished in Boston.) Dallas coach Rick Carlisle and company saw the arrival of Rondo as an acquisition that would put them over the top in a crowded Western Conference, but all the team has done is tread water since, playing sub-.500 basketball.
It’s somewhat hard to figure out why the move hasn’t worked well, but the numbers don’t lie. Rondo has struggled on the court with Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis, and is averaging his lowest mark in assists since his second NBA season in 2007-08. His very public clashes with Carlisle during games have been a negative as well, though not a surprise to most, as Rondo has always been known to have a polarizing personality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mO48ds7q0U
He has turned the corner somewhat in March, but the Mavericks’ record remained mediocre at 6-8 for the month. Rondo is a free agent this summer, and has plenty of suitors, including Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. It appears the roster move was all for nothing or Dallas.
Michael Carter-Williams – Milwaukee Bucks (acquired from Philadelphia 76ers)
Season statistics with Philadelphia: 15.0 PPG, 7.4 APG, 6.2 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 38% FG
Season statistics with Milwaukee: 13.0 PPG, 5.3 APG, 3.8 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 39% FG
Bucks record prior to trade:30-23
Bucks record since trade: 8-15
This move is as much about Carter-Williams’ struggle to fit in with the Bucks as it is about the loss of Brandon Knight. At 30-23 prior to the deal, the Bucks were enjoying a resurgent season under first-year coach Jason Kidd, while also dealing with issues to center Larry Sanders. Carter-Williams, fresh off of a Rookie of the Year award, was part of a young and promising 76ers team that was tanking for one more season. He woke up Feb. 20 as a Buck, and things haven’t been the same for any party since.
The transition has not come very naturally for the young point guard.
“It’s been tough; it’s been weighing on me,’’ Carter-Williams said to local reporters after a win over Miami on March 24, a game in which he finished with four points and six turnovers in 26 minutes. “I just have to keep working, keep trying to get better. That’s all I can do.’’
The Bucks offense hasn’t been near as efficient since Knight left, and the transition for Carter-Williams can’t come quick enough for a Milwaukee team that is playing it’s way out of the playoffs.
