The 2018 NBA Manifesto
Shaun Livingston
PG - 6’7, 192lbs - 32 years old - 13 years of experience
How does a reserve guard, be it a point guard or a shooting guard or whatever the hell it is that Shaun Livingston is these days, remain able to be a valuable offensive weapon off the bench when he was completely unable to hit the outside shot? Livingston has gone through this entire season without hitting a three-pointer, yet nor did he need to.
How also do you justify a man taking more shots from between 10 and 16 feet then he did between 10 feet and the rim, and considerably more shots from that range then he did between 16 feet and the entire rest of the court? You wouldn't, normally. But that's Shaun Livingston for you.
Livingston's metrics was slightly down this season. The true shooting percentage was down 35 points, the net rating was -2 after many years in the positive column, and defensively, he had less impact than before. After fourteen NBA seasons and many surgeries, it appears that Livingston has finally started to slow down on the court.
No one, however, should confuse this for him no longer having an impact. With his mid-range high release fall-away jump shot thing, which I am increasingly convinced is the best shot in basketball, Livingston is still effective in the half court, still runs in transition, and still defends all three guard and wing positions. He would be a good role player for any team, especially this one that does not need him to do so much half court creation, and a small decline is certainly not the same as a precipitous one.
Financially, Livingston is a foreseeable victim of the impending luxury tax crisis the Golden State Warriors will soon face. But if they do not want him at this price, someone will.
Player Plan: Two years and $16 million left, of which one year and $10,307,692 is guaranteed. I would move Iguodala before I moved this, yet if Livingston can be afforded next season, the unguaranteed portion of that last year might be too tempting to save on considering Klay’s free agency. I would expect him to play out next season and then get stretched next summer.
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PG - 6’7, 192lbs - 32 years old - 13 years of experience
How does a reserve guard, be it a point guard or a shooting guard or whatever the hell it is that Shaun Livingston is these days, remain able to be a valuable offensive weapon off the bench when he was completely unable to hit the outside shot? Livingston has gone through this entire season without hitting a three-pointer, yet nor did he need to.
How also do you justify a man taking more shots from between 10 and 16 feet then he did between 10 feet and the rim, and considerably more shots from that range then he did between 16 feet and the entire rest of the court? You wouldn't, normally. But that's Shaun Livingston for you.
Livingston's metrics was slightly down this season. The true shooting percentage was down 35 points, the net rating was -2 after many years in the positive column, and defensively, he had less impact than before. After fourteen NBA seasons and many surgeries, it appears that Livingston has finally started to slow down on the court.
No one, however, should confuse this for him no longer having an impact. With his mid-range high release fall-away jump shot thing, which I am increasingly convinced is the best shot in basketball, Livingston is still effective in the half court, still runs in transition, and still defends all three guard and wing positions. He would be a good role player for any team, especially this one that does not need him to do so much half court creation, and a small decline is certainly not the same as a precipitous one.
Financially, Livingston is a foreseeable victim of the impending luxury tax crisis the Golden State Warriors will soon face. But if they do not want him at this price, someone will.
Player Plan: Two years and $16 million left, of which one year and $10,307,692 is guaranteed. I would move Iguodala before I moved this, yet if Livingston can be afforded next season, the unguaranteed portion of that last year might be too tempting to save on considering Klay’s free agency. I would expect him to play out next season and then get stretched next summer.
