In generating predictions for a post-All-Star break leap-team on 'Slam 'n' Jam’, Alex Speers selects Bennedict Mathurin of the LA Clippers as his first pick. Speers sees a realistic world in which Mathurin could finish the rest of the season averaging 23-24 points. This would be considered a breakout for the 23-year-old, and it is because Tyronn Lue does not have many scorers in the rotation.
Speers is certainly on to something here. Mathurin has been a star since being traded to the Clippers, and without Darius Garland, Kawhi Leonard is the only one in front of him in terms of offensive usage.
Thus, with the Clippers’ aspirations of making the playoffs, Mathurin will inevitably be getting a lot more buckets. It does not take rocket science to reach this conclusion, as opportunities to put points on the board will fall from the sky like rain during a storm.
Bennedict Mathurin will not just meet Speers’ prediction, he will exceed it
As the second option on the LA Clippers, with all of the tangibles he has, Alex Speers made a valid prediction on Bennedict Mathurin. There is no argument there, but why not take it a step further to 25 points per game, which is possible, especially if Darius Garland does not play much?
Just look at how Mathurin has been with the Clippers so far. In five games, his averages are 22.0 points on 15.4 shots per game, including 4.0 attempts from beyond the arc.
Though these stats are based on a small sample size, they are also skewed by his debut, when he recorded only nine points and was essentially adapting to the new system around him.
Moreover, the belief that Mathurin will rise to the 25-point-per-game mark post-All-Star break stems from the breakdown of where he gets a chunk of his points: the charity stripe.
As a Clipper, Mathurin is at a rate of nine shots at the line, which leads LA ahead of Kawhi Leonard. This backs up how smart he is at maximizing contact and anticipating the whistle, both of which are tools only the best scorers possess.
That said, Mathurin is bound to thrive. The Clippers do not have much competition regarding having too many mouths to feed, and with it being clear that putting the rock through the rim is his specialty, he could surpass Speers’ expectations with flying colors.