Shaun Livingston

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.

Shaun Livingston
PG, 6’7, 192lbs, 31 years old, 13 years of experience

Numbers dropped last year slightly on account of the Durant factor giving him even less time on the ball than before. Nevertheless, he still did the things he does - cuts, mid-rangers, random driving fall-aways, good team defence - as well as he has ever done them before. With seven healthy seasons in a row, Livingston may have a few more to go in him, but his contract is expiring at the wrong time. If he takes a discount, perfect. If not, then he is roughly sixth on the priority list.

Player Plan: Expiring $5,782,450 contract. If he could re-sign for much the same, that would be a gift, but if he can get closer to the eight figure mark on the open market - the last chance to earn big he may ever have - then perhaps he ought to walk.

One distinct and consistent change, however, is the presence and play of Shaun Livingston The assumed back up point guard is now playing as the starting two guard, receiving a consistent thirty plus minutes per night, and providing a stabilising influence on the team. The Deron Williams/Joe Johnson/Paul Pierce trio that was expected to man the backcourt and wing positions has simply not been as good as expected - with poor spacing, little athleticism and off-the-ball play, the three have mitigated each other's strengths rather than compliment them. Combined with Kevin Garnett's significant decline on offense, the Nets have found efficiency in the halfcourt tough to come by, and a full-court game non-existent. But Livingston's presence provides stability. A low volume offensive player, Livingston is playing a strong complimentary role, scoring efficiently, defending both guard positions well with his great size, and acting as a secondary ball handler and playmaker to assist the ailing Williams. In a role he has not played much in his career to date, Livingston is thriving - it is rarely apparent in his own stat lines, but when he plays, the Nets win (9-3 when he plays more than 28 minutes, 5-18 when he plays less).

Shaun Livingston - Livingston returned to the NBA for his third comeback attempt last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but was waived even with a guaranteed contract when the Thunder needed a roster spot for the already-retired Matt Harpring. In a previous comeback attempt with the Heat, Livingston made the team and was playing, but had to be salary dumped when training camp signee Jason Richards tore his knee in training camp, thereby guaranteeing his contract and sending the team into luxury tax territory; the unguaranteed Livingston therefore became the fall guy. Shaun just can't catch a break. However, he saw out the season with the Wizards, and played well, averaging 9.2 points and 4.4 assists with a 14.6 PER. Livingston will be looking for a full time backup spot rather than signing somewhere as a third stringer, and he might get it. However, if he doesn't, he's one to consider.

[Jason] Davidson guard Richards's first professional season was a washout. He joined the Miami Heat for training camp, but blew his knee out in practice and missed the entire year. In doing so, his contract became guaranteed. While there are no rules against a team releasing an injured players, players with unguaranteed contracts are paid by the team until they are healthy; because Richards missed the whole year, the Heat had to pay his whole year's salary. This is the risk teams take when they sign players for training camp, and Richards's unwanted presence of $442,114 on their cap figure actually put the Heat into tax territory, which is why they had to salary dump Shaun Livingston. Tough break.