Doc Rivers has confirmed that the Los Angeles Clippers will be keeping Luc Mbah a Moute, who has a perfect defensive skill set to help the team long term.
No, he may not be the biggest name on the Los Angeles Clippers roster, but the news that Luc Mbah a Moute is staying put is great news for both the team and their fans. He’s been a great fit so far this season, thanks to his willingness to do all the little things, play within his role, and most importantly, defend.
We already knew that the Clippers would likely keep Mbah a Moute, as Doc said back in mid December that it should be safe to assume he won’t be going anywhere and that’s only been supported by the large role he’s had. However, for it to be confirmed is still great news for the team.
Now that he’s been averaging 20.5 minutes per game since becoming the starting small forward on November 29, Luc can continue to deliver defensively in a larger role.
Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times has reported Doc Rivers’ confirmation that Luc will definitely be staying in Los Angeles:
Doc Rivers said the Clippers will keep Luc Mbah a Moute, whose $1.3-million contract becomes guaranteed Thursday.
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) January 6, 2016
First and foremost, this is hugely beneficial to the Clippers’ defense. Luc knows where to be, he plays with energy, he’s long as a 6’8″ forward, he can guard multiple positions and does an excellent job switching between players and contending shots. In fact, he’s forcing opponents to shoot 7.5 percent worse than normal on their two-point attempts and 5.3 percent worse overall (per NBA.com’s Player Tracking).
His defensive impact means the offensive rating of the Clippers’ opponents is 5.1 points per 100 possessions lower when he’s in the game. Add on his rebounding and defensive stops to help create more possessions, and the Clippers lead by an average of 10.8 points per 100 possessions whenever he’s on the floor. When he’s on the bench, they lead by just 0.4.
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The problem with Luc, of course, is his limited skill set on offense. Besides cutting to the basket or occasionally pump-faking his opponent from the corner to drive and kick the ball to a teammate, he doesn’t really have much to offer. He’s shooting 39.1 percent from three this season, but that doesn’t describe his ability from there at all, as he makes just 0.3 per game to give him nine threes for the season.
If he can eventually develop that shot so that he can make around a three at night and at least force opponents to guard him a little closer at the arc (similarly to what Al-Farouq Aminu has done in Portland this season — another defensive player who has tripled his made threes per game from a year ago to 1.5), Luc can find even more success.
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Yet, that’s not what the Clippers need, or want, from him at all. He’s a glue guy on defense, and he plays so well within that role that he’s easily exceeded expectations. Without doubt, he’s been one of the most stress-free and successful signings of the summer.