LA Clippers swingman Rodney McGruder has fallen short of expectations

LA Clippers swingman Rodney McGruder has had his moments this season but has failed to live up to expectations so far with his new squad.

A disappointing loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday led the LA Clippers to their 10th loss of the season and their second loss this week. Posing superstar dynamic duos along with strong supporting casts, they’ve been categorized among the favorites entering the season.

However, while the Clippers have shown signs of brilliance in several instances, there have been cases where they’ve failed to move the ball effectively, leading to stagnant offense and inability to consolidate leads. While possessing four legitimate scoring threats averaging greater than 19 points per game in Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Lou Williams, and Montrezl Harrell, the offensive production of a few of their roleplayers demands amelioration, with Rodney McGruder being one of them.

Having established himself as an effective roleplayer with the Miami Heat last year, there were higher expectations placed on him to make valuable contributions off the bench. He’d exhibited a consistent mid-range game, a satisfactory three point shooting clip while functioning as a secondary playmaker when necessary under the coaching of Eric Spoelstra. However, he has failed to furnish reliable offensive production in his short tenure with the Clippers aggregating below-par numbers of 4 points, 0.7 assists and 2.8 rebounds a game in shooting splits of 37.8%/30.8%/50%.

While Doc Rivers has deployed Mcgruder in a catch and shoot role, his current shooting slump makes him an uneconomical floor spacer. Nonetheless, where he has managed to thrive is on the defensive end, usually taking on tough defensive assignments and forcing turnovers. Being a tough, high IQ defender, he’s excelled as an on ball and a help defender adding to the abundance of wing defenders affiliated to the franchise.

Classified as a 3 and D player, McGruder is an important bench player for the Clippers. Should he manage to recover from his shooting slump, it will add more depth to the team’s offensive options. His tenacity, toughness, and unselfishness make him a vital cog moving forward and an ideal complimentary piece to the team’s dynamic duo. With the Clippers’ strength lies in their roleplayers, it’s his responsibility to overcome his current slump and match up to the expectations placed on him.