With teams about 15 games into their respective seasons, organizations’ identities are being shaped, and goals are being made. They’re getting a feel for their roster, including both strengths and weaknesses. Along with this, players who were acquired this past summer are finding their fit alongside new teammates.
This past summer’s free agency movement was not one filled with star-studded names, but it still included notable role players signing to new teams and finding new homes. With that said, how are these players doing nearly 20% of the way through the season? Here’s an update on some of them:
- Jalen Brunson: Brunson signed the biggest contract of any player to change teams this past offseason, so it’s only right to begin with him. After signing a 4yr, $104M deal, fans had high expectations for Brunson to come in and run the Knicks offense. That he has done: 20 points, 7 assists, 59 TS%. Nearly a career 37% three point shooter, he’s only hitting 30.5% of his threes right now. When this number inevitably increases, Brunson could find himself closer to the 22 point per game mark. For a Knicks team that will be vying for a playoff or play-in spot, Brunson is the engine for this team.
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PJ Tucker: Tucker has provided what the 76ers have wanted from him: hitting corner 3s and taking on difficult defensive matchups. He hasn’t been nearly as effective or versatile as he was for the Heat last year, but that’s no surprise given the difference in coaching between these two organizations. Tucker’s hitting 45.8% of his threes on a smaller volume of 1.7 attempts per game. Despite this, the contract does not look good. Giving a 37-year-old $33M over 3 years was bad in the moment, and Tucker’s play this season hasn’t convinced anyone that this is a good contract. It’s simply too much.
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Malik Monk: Monk was, perhaps surprisingly, the third highest paid player to switch teams. The Kings gave Monk a 2 yr, $19.4M deal after he had a successful one year ‘prove it’ deal with the Lakers. Although he has been coming off of the bench, Monk has been rather good for the Kings. They signed him for offensive purposes, and he has provided that. He’s scoring about 12 points in 21.5 minutes at a 58.5 TS%, taking on more of an on-ball role than he did with the Lakers last year. His improved playmaking and decision making has led to his career high 4.4 assists per game.
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John Wall: Wall has been getting downhill, playmaking, and not much else. The injury-prone veteran had only played in one of the three seasons prior to this, so maybe he’s still getting up to speed. His standard 13 points and 5 assists per game in a shade under 23 minutes seems good, but getting to that 50.7 TS% is not ideal. Combine that with his waning defensive ability, and Wall isn’t a great player anymore, simply. He certainly can still provide a spark off of the bench, but that is all that Wall has been reduced to at this point in his career.
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Bruce Brown: Bruce Brown is such a joy to watch. The sound of him on this Nuggets team sounded great in the offseason, and there’s no reason for any of our minds to be changed. 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists per game won’t jump off the box score, understandably, but all of the little things that Brown does is what makes him so fun on this team. His rolling and playmaking, defense, and improved shooting (39.1 3PT% on just over 3 attempts per game) make him seemingly the perfect fit next to a player like the reigning back-to-back MVP, Nikola Jokic.
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Lonnie Walker: The Lakers have been very bad. There’s been a lot of bad. Lonnie Walker hasn’t been amazing, but he’s definitely been solid and has outplayed his 1 yr, $6.5M deal. Averaging 16.5 points per game on what is essentially league average efficiency, Walker has been able to provide a scoring burst that many on this team are unable to do. This situation feels similar to Malik Monk’s last year: The Lakers pick up a volume scorer on a smaller one-year deal who then gets paid more in the following offseason. With the way that Walker has played for the LakeShow, they should look to bring him back.
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Charlie Spungin , NBA Analyst