<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Ben-McLemore-Trail-Blazes-Lakers-Damian-Lillard.jpg"></figure><h1>Ben McLemore agrees to deal with Trail Blazers after short run with Lakers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-08-02T21:19:19-07:00">August 2nd, 9:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-08-02T21:19:19-07:00">August 2nd, 9:19pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the Los Angeles Lakers already seemingly panic-buying in the free agency market, Ben McLemore decided to take his talents elsewhere.</p><p>After spending a brief time with the Lakers last season, the sweet-shooting McLemore will change zip codes anew after agreeing to a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. The <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto/status/1422396976692350977">terms of the agreement</a> haven’t been disclosed as of posting.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Free agent guard Ben McLemore has agreed to a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, <a href="https://twitter.com/KlutchSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@KlutchSports</a> CEO Rich Paul told <a href="https://twitter.com/hoopshype?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@hoopshype</a>.</p><p>— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto/status/1422396976692350977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">August 3, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>McLemore continues to search for a permanent home in the NBA since entering the league in 2013 as a highly touted prospect out of Kansas. But his career hasn’t exactly panned out, even finding himself spending some time in the G League.</p><p>He enjoyed the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/ben-mclemore/ac250958/stats">best stretch of his career</a> with the Houston Rockets for two and a half seasons, as his skill set was maximized under the team’s micro-ball system. This caught the eye of the Lakers, who signed him in the middle of the campaign last season.</p><p>In 21 games for the Purple &amp; Gold, the former no. 7 overall pick averaged 8.0 points on 36.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc. McLemore, however, suffered a late injury, limiting his contributions in their run in the NBA Playoffs.</p><p>McLemore will provide additional shooting for the Portland Trail Blazers, who are still in some sort of limbo with main man Damian Lillard reportedly on the move. There’s also the case of Carmelo Anthony, who’s rumoredly being pursued by the Lakers.</p><p>But for now, Rip City has a new guy in Ben McLemore and for sure, he won’t be the team’s last acquisition in the frantic free agency season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ben McLemore agrees to deal with Trail Blazers after short run with Lakers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/What-went-wrong-with-Ben-McLemore-with-the-Kings-THUmbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>What went wrong with Ben McLemore with the Kings?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-15T14:59:50-07:00">April 15th, 2:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-15T14:59:50-07:00">April 15th, 2:59pm</time><address><a>Will Wyman</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Hearing the name Ben McLemore is enough to make a Sacramento Kings fan cringe. His time in Sacramento did not amount to the lofty expectations that were initially associated with the swingman when the Kings drafted him with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/ben-mclemore/ac250958/stats">seventh pick in the 2013 NBA draft.</a></p><p>McLemore was a highly touted prospect coming out of high school, playing his senior year ball at the prestigious Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, a school that produced the likes of Kevin Duranr, Carmelo Anthony and Rajon Rondo. McLemore was dismissed from the team midseason, and finished out his high school days at Christian Life Center in Texas. Ranked as a four star recruit, he moved from one prestigious pro factory to the next, committing to play for Kansas. </p><p>He was a redshirt for his first year on campus, only being permitted to practice with the team. But when he finally suited up for the 2012-13 season, he was <a href="https://twitter.com/JayhawkVideo/status/1145410805917278208">undeniably impressive</a>. McLemore earned first-team all Big 12 honors, as well as being recognized as a consensus second-team All American.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Never forget how much fun Ben McLemore was to watch at Kansas <a href="https://t.co/zPtyAyDZ9A" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/zPtyAyDZ9A</a></p><p>— Jayhawk Video (@JayhawkVideo) <a href="https://twitter.com/JayhawkVideo/status/1145410805917278208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 30, 2019</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p> His accolades complemented his stats nicely, as the Jayhawk put up 15.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2 assists in his lone season in the sunflower state. McLemore’s strong college campaign made him a highly sought after draft prospect, drawing enough interest to be selected by Sacramento in the lottery.</p><p>McLemore’s lackluster rookie year in Sactown was punctuated by an appearance in the 2014 dunk contest, where he notably leapt over Kings minority owner Shaquille O’Neal. Most fans remember his dunking theatrics more than his <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mclembe01.html">mild averages</a> of 8.8 points and 2.9 rebounds a night.</p><p>The Kings’ young shooting guard never gained much traction in Sacramento, despite starting in all 82 games for the team in his sophomore season. After his rookie contract expired, the Kings decided against offering McLemore a second contract, prompting him to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies. He spent the 2017-18 season as a rotational piece for Memphis, playing just under 20 minutes a night.</p><p>After one year away from the west coast, McLemore was sent back to Sacramento via trade before the 2018 season. His new role was significantly abbreviated from his first stint, as he only appeared in 19 games across the entire year. After his brief return to the team that drafted him, McLemore signed with the Houston Rockets. He hasn’t suited up for the Kings since.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">8/9/20<br>Ben McLemore vs Kings (27 min)</p><p>20 points (7-16 FG) (6 3’s)<br>3 rebounds 1 assist <a href="https://t.co/1FFMHQQxRH" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/1FFMHQQxRH</a></p><p>— Jayhawks In The NBA (@NBA_Jayhawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA_Jayhawks/status/1293758657134505990?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">August 13, 2020</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>While his play on the court left many fans disappointed, he will always be remembered fondly for his acting chops in a series of Pizza Guy commercials.</p><p>McLemore has shown tremendous resilience since his initial departure from Sacramento. He has proven to be a scrappy competitor, battling for a chance to prove himself on the floor. His efforts earned him praise in Houston, where he carved out a role for himself as a solid two way option off the bench. He has since played in Toronto, enjoyed a second term in H Town and has most recently signed with the defending champion LA Lakers.</p><p>The injury stricken champs have kept a watchful eye on the buyout market this season, eager to give their squad a much needed boost. McLemore was signed by the Lakers on April 6 after being waived by the Rockets. The veteran joined Andre Drummond as LA’s latest signings, offering more diverse options for the struggling team. McLemore’s contract will run till the end of the season, when he will likely be a part of the Lakeshow’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/los-angeles-lakers/roster">playoff rotation.</a> If all things go according to plan, McLemore could find a long term fit with the Lakers. An extended stay would be a welcome sight for the wing, who hasn’t spent consecutive seasons with a single team since his rookie contract with the Kings.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

What went wrong with Ben McLemore with the Kings?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Lakers-news-LeBron-James-hypes-up-Ben-McLemore-after-17-point-game-for-LA.jpg"></figure><h1>LeBron James hypes up Ben McLemore after 17-point game for Lakers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-11T17:57:48-07:00">April 11th, 5:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-11T18:27:26-07:00">April 11th, 6:27pm</time><address><a>Nicole Ganglani</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It seems like Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is high on the team’s latest buyout acquisition Ben McLemore. James, who’s still sidelined due to high ankle sprain,<a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1381324978918993922"> tweeted</a> that McLemore will be heard loud and clear in the next coming weeks—maybe from the three point line, where McLemore seems to be an expert at. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">He will be heard LOUD &amp; CLEAR!! B Mac Daddy Young Strappy, No he ain’t the OG gangsta, yes he is! <a href="https://t.co/OTc0OWUQGH" target="_blank">https://t.co/OTc0OWUQGH</a></p><p>— LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1381324978918993922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 11, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>After an uneventful debut against the Miami Heat, McLemore found his rhythm on Saturday versus the Brooklyn Nets. The former Houston Rockets sniper missed a couple of shots to start the game but eventually exploded for 17 points with five three point shots. This is clearly what the Lakers need, given that shooting is perhaps one of if not <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/los-angeles-lakers/roster">their only weakness.</a></p><p>McLemore is a 36.3 percent three point shooter in his career and is hoping to help the defending championships in their offense. He’s also the perfect insurance for small forward Wesley Matthews or guard Kentavious Caldwell Pope, who both have been playing a ton of minutes since James and his co-star Anthony Davis have been sidelined. Matthews was a late scratch in Saturday’s game due to Achilles soreness hence why McLemore got his minutes. </p><p>The Lakers have had success with their buyout acquisitions in the past two years. Last year, they were able to acquire Markieff Morris who came up big for them in the playoffs. This year, they hope Andre Drummond and McLemore bring in something as well. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/los-angeles-lakers/records">past two games</a> have indicated that Drummond and McLemore have indeed been good signings for the Lakers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

LeBron James hypes up Ben McLemore after 17-point game for Lakers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/image_2021-04-11_221611.png"></figure><h1>Ben McLemore 1-word take on Lakers’ team culture after first game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-11T07:18:54-07:00">April 11th, 7:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-11T07:18:54-07:00">April 11th, 7:18am</time><address><a>Jeremy Chua</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Los Angeles Lakers newcomer Ben McLemore is already getting acclimated to his new teammates as he made his debut game for the team on Saturday night. After grabbing an impressive win against the Brooklyn Nets, the former Kansas standout claimed that the cohesion of the reigning champions was evident right from the get-go, per <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanWardLA/status/1381091659476213764?s=20">Ryan Ward</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ben McLemore emphasized "togetherness" as something he's noticed so far in his short time with the Lakers.</p><p>— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanWardLA/status/1381091659476213764?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 11, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Being in a team that has high expectations surrounding them may be new to McLemore, as he previously spent his first few years in the league with a handful of rebuilding teams. He began his career with the Sacramento Kings from 2013 to 2017 before he relocated to the Memphis Grizzlies where he stayed until 2018.</p><p>McLemore then found himself back on the Kings for a year and later signed with the Houston Rockets where he spent the past one and half seasons. Now finding himself in a championship-caliber squad like the Lakers, the 28-year-old swingman knows that he needs to exert more effort in order to provide quality minutes for the stacked team.</p><p>On Saturday night against the Nets, McLemore showed out when the team needed him the most as he notched 17 points on five of ten shooting from beyond the arc to go with a lone rebound through 22 minutes of action. His production was definitely valuable as the depleted Lakers were able to deal a huge upset to the Nets by way of a 126-101 victory.</p><p>Ben McLemore may have already had a good impression on his new team but his experience is expected to be even better when he gets to join forces with both LeBron James and Anthony Davis who are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/los-angeles-lakers/injuries">expected</a> to finally return to action in their coming games.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ben McLemore 1-word take on Lakers’ team culture after first game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/The-inadvertent-side-effect-of-the-Lakers-Ben-McLemore-signing-Thumbnail.jpg"></figure><h1>The inadvertent side effect of the Lakers’ Ben McLemore signing</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-10T15:31:49-07:00">April 10th, 3:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-10T15:31:49-07:00">April 10th, 3:31pm</time><address><a>Michael Corvo</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>At shootaround on Thursday, hours ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers’ <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-andre-drummond-speaks-on-first-full-game-with-lakers/">gritty six-point loss</a> to the Miami Heat at the AmericanAirlines Arena, head coach Frank Vogel challenged Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to have his biggest scoring night of the season.</p><p>“I actually literally asked him to score 25 tonight,” Vogel said afterward.</p><p>KCP responded to his coach’s challenge and then some. In 39 minutes, he scored 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting, including 6-of-11 from three-point range. He was the only Lakers starter to post a positive plus/minus (+5).</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">KCP going off with a season-high 28 points last night is our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULTRAMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#ULTRAMoment</a> 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/MichelobULTRA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@MichelobULTRA</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ynx3eR6fCj" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/Ynx3eR6fCj</a></p><p>— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1380626629878284291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 9, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Refreshingly, Caldwell-Pope—who has suffered through stretches of hesitancy this season—confidently let it fly. In the absence of Talen Horton-Tucker (suspension) and Kyle Kuzma (calf strain), on top of the injuries to LeBron James (high ankle sprain) and Anthony Davis (calf strain), the Lakers simply needed their shooting guard to … shoot more.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">KCP was 🔥🔥 versus the Miami Heat:</p><p>28 POINTS<br>4 REBOUNDS<br>1 ASSIST<br>1 BLOCK<br>11-20 FG<br>6-11 3P<br>1 TOV<br>+5<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LakeShow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#LakeShow</a> <a href="https://t.co/HRvubqNHWJ" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/HRvubqNHWJ</a></p><p>— Lakers UK (@lalakersuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/lalakersuk/status/1380490679894204418?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 9, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>“He’s answering the bell. I’m asking him to be super aggressive, looking to score,” Vogel added. “We want him to be that aggressive and again, this could be one of those silver lining things where we get more out of him offensively when those guys come back when he gets in this kind of rhythm.”</p><p>KCP credited his coach for encouraging him to seek buckets.</p><p>“I think it’s helped my game a lot. Like, coach just put me in opportunities to score the ball and to get shots up and I’m just taking full advantage of it,” Caldwell-Pope said. “Being aggressive like he said, trying to stay aggressive in every moment that I have the ball and just play, not worry about anything.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Everything dropping for KCP, no matter how goofy <a href="https://t.co/MHIzh48Ezj" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/MHIzh48Ezj</a></p><p>— michael corvo (@_michaelcorvo_) <a href="https://twitter.com/_michaelcorvo_/status/1380320864139243521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 9, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>In February and March, LA’s primary floor-spacer shot 32.3 percent from three. Last month, he averaged <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/caldwke01/gamelog/2021/#571-583-sum:pgl_basic" rel="noopener">7.1 points</a> on 34.9 percent shooting in 13 games. In the first four games of April, though, KCP put up 11.3 points while draining 53.3 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.</p><p>“The way he’s played the last couple of games is a great sign,” Vogel furthered. “When a guy goes through struggles, you never know exactly what the cause of it is…He came out of the gates with a bang to start the season for us. Went through a long stretch when he wasn’t shooting the ball well, but still maintained a 40 percent from three field goal percentage.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">KCP has been looking like his early season self in April</p><p>Dec/Jan: 47.8% from 3 (3.9 attempts per)<br>Feb/Mar: 33% from 3 (3.5 attempts per)<br>Apr: 53.8% from 3 (6.5 attempts per)</p><p>— pickuphoop (@pickuphoop) <a href="https://twitter.com/pickuphoop/status/1380399575182286849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 9, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>KCP was lights out in the bubble, and it’s possible he flips the switch again. But the Lakers would prefer to see him get his groove back before then, and this short-handed stretch presents an ideal opportunity for him to do so.</p><p>“He’s a guy that I trust,” Vogel added. “There’s going to be some ups and downs with him, and the way he’s played the last couple games hopefully builds some momentum going forward.”</p><p>In the 10 full games since James went down, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/standings/" rel="noopener">Lakers are 4-6</a>, with four wins against lottery teams. They’ve defended at an elite level, but they are 29th in offensive rating.</p><p>“Just staying aggressive, hunting shots,” Caldwell-Pope described his recent play. “And playing defense like I always do, just to get my motor going, get out in transition where I’m best at, get some easy layups. Maybe transition threes here and there. But just playing my game and being aggressive with it.”</p><p>KCP isn’t the only Lakers wing to turn up the volume in recent days. Wesley Matthews has shot 18 threes over the past two games (making six), while Alex Caruso—who, like KCP, dramatically cooled off after a hot opening month—has drained eight of 11 triples in April.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Felt the Lakers did a far better job creating advantages/reading+reacting last night. Notice how many attempts different players look to generate for others after the initial pnr here.</p><p>Just really sound ball movement and pressures the defense to communicate/be on a string. <a href="https://t.co/i6rVjB8BEb" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/i6rVjB8BEb</a></p><p>— Alex Regla (@AlexmRegla) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexmRegla/status/1379852693087211521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 7, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The Lakers began the week ranked 24th in 3-point percentage (35.1), 27th in threes made and 25th in attempts. Over the past two games, they’re 40-75 from downtown.</p><p>“How we played before with [James and Davis] on the court, it’s totally opposite now,” Dennis Schroder <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-2-ways-la-win-without-lebron-james-anthony-davis-per-dennis-schroder/">said last month</a>. “…We’ve got to shoot more threes while they’re out. Me driving and kicking out for open threes. I think it’s just good offense and THT, Alex Caruso and all them guards who can get to the rim or in the paint then find the extra pass for open threes. That’s how we’ve got to play right now.”</p><p>Notably, the uptick in threes has come the same week as the team signed Ben McLemore, who was brought in specifically <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/the-one-big-reason-why-the-lakers-signed-ben-mclemore/">to add high-volume sharpshooting and wing athleticism</a> off the bench. McLemore got 17 minutes on Wednesday and ran around semi-aimlessly. He was 0-of-3 from deep and finished with six points, including four free throws.</p><p>“Ben instantly elevates our ability to knock down 3s on the backside when double teams come and we can play the drive-and-kick game that the modern NBA is made on,” Vogel said.</p><p>In one sense, the timing is ironic: if LA’s regulars shoot like this, they don’t need McLemore.</p><p>Or, perhaps the last two games have revealed a side effect to the McLemore signing, beyond incorporating his skill set.  It’s a small sample size, but maybe the McLemore signing has successfully lit a fire under the Lakers guards who don’t want to see their spot in the rotation diminished by a buyout addition, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-marc-gasols-revealing-comments-about-future-with-la/">a la Marc Gasol</a>.</p><p>On Saturday at the Barclays Center against the scorching Brooklyn Nets—for which Kuzma and Caruso (knee soreness) are questionable—the Lakers will need KCP, McLemore, and all the shooting they can get.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The inadvertent side effect of the Lakers’ Ben McLemore signing

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/mclemore.jpg"></figure><h1>The one big reason why the Lakers signed Ben McLemore</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-07T18:20:41-07:00">April 7th, 6:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-07T18:20:41-07:00">April 7th, 6:20pm</time><address><a>Michael Corvo</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Midway through the Los Angeles Lakers’ <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-reveal-3-keys-repeat-win-vs-raptors/">inspired performance</a> over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, the team <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1379583553873174528">announced</a> the signing of Ben McLemore to a rest-of-season contract.</p><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/seqeq9mxynr61.jpg"></figure><p>McLemore, who was bought out by the Houston Rockets on Saturday, will fill the team’s final roster spot. He’s the second buyout addition for the defending champions, who <b>stood pat</b> at the trade deadline before tapping Andre Drummond to be the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/is-andre-drummond-the-best-buyout-pickup-ever-that-and-4-other-reactions-to-the-lakers-big-move/">new starting center</a>.</p><p>McLemore’s $455,000 deal keeps L.A. just <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1379514468858802176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1379514468858802176%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1075655action%3Dedit">below the hard cap</a>, but it likely solidifies the roster for the homestretch — unless they waive someone in favor of a third buyout (not likely).</p><p>A toenail (or lack thereof) has limited Drummond to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-things-we-learned-from-andre-drummonds-bizarre-lakers-debut/">14 minutes</a> so far in purple-and-gold. On Thursday, both recent pickups should be available when the Lakers face the Miami Heat — the second of a five-game East Coast swing — assuming McLemore passes COVID-19 protocols.</p><p>Vogel couldn’t discuss McLemore in his pre-game remarks Tuesday, as the signing wasn’t formalized. Instead, he said this:</p><p>“If we’re going to add a player, we’re going to add somebody that has a skill set that we need,” Vogel said. “We want to add as many weapons as we can, and then use the next however many games are left throughout the season to get all of our players sharp for the playoffs. So that would be the mindset: to have all our weapons in rhythm, comfortable in our system, ready to go, so that in any given playoff series if that player’s skill set is needed, they’re ready to go. And that will be planned.”</p><p>McLemore is not precisely a 3-and-D wing, as they were <a href="https://theathletic.com/2481600/2021/03/28/the-lakers-are-adding-andre-drummond-heres-how-he-fits/?amp">reportedly seeking</a> (who isn’t?), but he’s close enough.</p><p>Some Lakers fans may have wanted the bigger Otto Porter Jr., the familiar Avery Bradley, or even the semi-retired Kyle Korver. Who knows the true plausibility of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-5-best-buyout-candidates-for-the-lakers/">those options</a>. Regardless, McLemore is a logical addition from a basketball standpoint, and perhaps inevitable from a <a href="https://twitter.com/_michaelcorvo_/status/1379540777777328130">representation standpoint</a>.</p><p>More than anything else, the Lakers are bringing aboard McLemore to improve their three-point shooting, which has been their most glaring weakness since late January (and for most of last season).</p><p>Ironically, McLemore’s signing was announced on a night when the Lakers didn’t resemble a cold-shooting squad. L.A.’s ensemble caught fire at Amalie Arena; eight players combined to sink 18 threes, and seven made more than one. The Lakers opened 7-of-8 from deep and drained 13-of-21 as they built an insurmountable first-half lead. It’s almost as if the Lakers’ wings don’t want to see their roles diminished by a newcomer.</p><p>After the Lakers thumped the Raptors, Vogel was allowed to acknowledge the signing of the former no. 7 overall pick.</p><p>“Ben instantly elevates our ability to knock down 3s on the backside when double-teams come and we can play the drive-and-kick game that the modern NBA is made on,” he said. “So we’re thrilled about his addition and looking forward to getting him into some minutes and into our program.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ben McLemore's most recent Instagram Story shows him looking automatic from three 👀 </p><p>(via b_mclemore23/IG) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LakeShow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#LakeShow</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ia94QHaVAb" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/Ia94QHaVAb</a></p><p>— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNLosAngeles/status/1379520074281676804?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 6, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The performance vs. the Raptors, while encouraging, is an aberration. By any metric, the Lakers have been well below-average from deep for two months. L.A. ranks 24th in 3-point percentage, with only two rotation pieces, Alex Caruso and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, shooting over 39 percent.</p><p>The Lakers have shot 33.4% from three over their past 10 games — a bottom-five figure. With McLemore, they have another sharpshooter in their bag of arrows.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Remains (by far) the premier 3-point celebration <a href="https://t.co/86BzQULQ0e" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/86BzQULQ0e</a></p><p>— michael corvo (@_michaelcorvo_) <a href="https://twitter.com/_michaelcorvo_/status/1379591822125625344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 7, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The 28-year old made 40% of threes in the two seasons prior to 2020-21. For his eight-year career, McLemore is a 36.3% three-point shooting threat, slightly above-average during his tenure.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ben McLemore provides the Lakers w/ an element they don't have on their roster: a high-volume 3PT shooter without a conscience.</p><p>A statistical &amp; film breakdown of McLemore's fit in LA, as well as realistic expectations for his role and what he provides: <a href="https://t.co/7d0sbrzz7V" target="_blank">https://t.co/7d0sbrzz7V</a> <a href="https://t.co/AEWLeF6bJv" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/AEWLeF6bJv</a></p><p>— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) <a href="https://twitter.com/jovanbuha/status/1379851992676241411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 7, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>But the Lakers don’t just need to make more threes, they need to take more, too, and without hesitation. McLemore has, on average, attempted 10.3 triples per 36 minutes over the past two seasons. Granted, he played for the Moreyball Rockets, but he lets it fly with less inhibition than anybody on the Lakers. In fact, McLemore has a tendency to force too many step-backs and off-the-dribble threes.</p><p>McLemore is also a shrewd cutter, which should fit right in with how the Lakers move around the court. The 2013 draftee offers sneaky above-the-rim athleticism (he’s a former <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YxhrFqXDRM">Dunk Contest participant</a>), which the Lakers mostly lack from the wing (no offense to the <a href="https://twitter.com/_michaelcorvo_/status/1365515657631076352">Bald Eagle</a>).</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ben McLemore in open space is fun. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lakers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Lakers</a> <a href="https://t.co/KsTKE8sm6E" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/KsTKE8sm6E</a></p><p>— Lakers Legacy (@LakersLegacyPod) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersLegacyPod/status/1379831321959133184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 7, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>On the other hand, he’s not a creator inside the arc, and he doesn’t set up teammates with passing. For his career, he’s averaged a single dime per game.</p><p>In truth, McLemore may not be a better player than any of the Lakers rotation wings, especially on defense. If he can catch fire from deep often enough, though, he’ll earn a role. Fortunately, he should receive more open looks than ever within the Lakers’ drive-and-kick offense.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Here's how Ben McLemore stacks up with the NBA's other guards on the 3&amp;D scale this season.</p><p>Also highlighted are LA's other Guards.</p><p>He's brought 3PT Shot Making this season comparable to Schröder, and a defensive impact lower than anyone in LA's rotation.</p><p>Via <a href="https://twitter.com/The_BBall_Index?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@The_BBall_Index</a> <a href="https://t.co/0OakFRbqIa" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/0OakFRbqIa</a></p><p>— Cranjis McBasketball (@Tim_NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_NBA/status/1379521695673892865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 6, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p> </p><p>More importantly — and the reason I <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/best-trades-for-the-lakers-ahead-of-the-deadline/">argued</a> for his acquisition on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-5-best-buyout-candidates-for-the-lakers/">multiple occasions</a> — McLemore seems to play up (or down) to his surroundings. Like Drummond, he’s spent most of his career mired on uninspired lottery teams, including this season, when he fell out of the rotation for the tanking Rockets.</p><p>In 2019-20, though, he shined in his one chance to be a vital contributor to a playoff team.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>“Hopefully, he gets an opportunity with another team where he gets to play,” Rockets head coach Stephen Silas said on Sunday. “And maybe it’s a playoff team and he gets to make five or six 3s in a playoff game. That would be awesome for him.”</p><p>McLemore is only 6’3 but with a 6’7 wingspan. He’s not an especially good defender (his metrics are unfavorable, particularly this season), but he can hold his own against three positions when deeply engaged. In fact, it was his two-way effort in the Lakers’ second-round matchup with the Rockets that put him on Rob Pelinka’s radar. (Well — that and a <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1379561901898625025">certain agent,</a> who now reps six Lakers.)</p><p>In 11 playoff games in the bubble, McLemore shot 38.9% from deep on 3.3 attempts per game. Against L.A., he was 6-for-12 in Games 4 and 5.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Welcome to the Lakers, Ben McLemore!  <a href="https://t.co/a66JaQx0qz" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/a66JaQx0qz</a></p><p>— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1379512633825562626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 6, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>“He’s a guy that we had to know where he was at all times in that Houston series because he’s such an elite shooter,” <a href="https://theathletic.com/2502403/2021/04/07/ben-mclemore-helps-address-the-lakers-biggest-need-additional-3-point-shooting/?source=emp_shared_article">Vogel said</a>. “And Ben instantly elevates our ability to knock down 3s on the backside when double teams come and we can play the drive-and-kick game that the modern NBA is made on. So we’re thrilled about his addition and looking forward to getting him into some minutes and into our program.”</p><p>Like Drummond, McLemore should be emboldened by joining a winning culture and the opportunity to affect a championship race ahead of free agency.</p><p>It’s hard to envision him encroaching on Horton-Tucker or Caruso’s minutes, and Caldwell-Pope and Matthews are more reliable defenders. For now, though, the Lakers are happy to add more talent and shooting, especially while the stars <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-rumors-when-lebron-james-anthony-davis-might-return/">remain out</a>.</p><p>“We’re trying to win a championship up here and so as much firepower as we can get, as many weapons as we can get, we’re going to try to get,” Vogel said.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The one big reason why the Lakers signed Ben McLemore

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Ben-McLemore-agrees-to-deal-with-L.A..jpg"></figure><h1>Ben McLemore agrees to deal with Lakers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-06T12:33:12-07:00">April 6th, 12:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-06T12:33:58-07:00">April 6th, 12:33pm</time><address><a>Michael Corvo</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers have signed former lottery pick Ben McLemore from the buyout market, filling L.A.’s final open roster spot ahead of the stretch run, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Free agent Ben McLemore has agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@Stadium</a>.</p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1379508351789334528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 6, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>McLemore, 28, was bought out by the Houston Rockets after falling out of the rotation as Houston plummets into shameless tank territory.</p><p>The Lakers carried two open roster spots after waiving Quinn Cook in February and had two specific needs to fill: frontcourt insurance and wing depth. After standing pat at the trade deadline, general manager Rob Pelinka has filled both voids via the buyout market — much to the <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2021/03/29/nba-buyouts-andre-drummond-blake-griffin">chagrin</a> of small-market execs.</p><p>First, the Lakers signed two-time All-Star center Andre Drummond. Drummond hasn’t played since losing his toenail in his odd debut last Wednesday vs. the Milwaukee Bucks, though he’s expected to return to action on Tuesday vs. the Toronto Raptors, and will be the team’s starting center going forward.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">After being waived by the Rockets, Ben McLemore is headed to the Lakers 👏 <a href="https://t.co/csIzUp5aN2" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/csIzUp5aN2</a></p><p>— LakeShow (@LakeShowCP) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakeShowCP/status/1379513826438082560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 6, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>After that, the Lakers were in search of another wing: ideally a 3-and-D with some ball-handling and play-making skills. The Lakers are one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/5-takeaways-from-the-lakers-loss-to-the-clippers/">worst three-point shooting teams</a> in the league, lack athletic slashers on the perimeter besides Talen Horton-Tucker, and generally need all the scoring they can get until LeBron James and Anthony Davis return.</p><p>I <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-5-best-buyout-candidates-for-the-lakers/">advocated</a> for McLemore as a Lakers target on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/best-trades-for-the-lakers-ahead-of-the-deadline/">multiple occasions</a>, primarily based on his 2019-20 campaign. After an uninspiring first six seasons with the Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies, McLemore finally got a chance to be a role player on a good team last season in Houston. He played the best basketball of his eight-year career: shooting 40% from three and becoming a trusted two-way contributor.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">McLemore has experienced 1 season ('19-20 Rockets) in which he's been trusted to be a key piece on a good team. He shot a career-best .610 eFG, made 40% of his threes, and played solid wing defense.</p><p>Great add for the Lakers, if he plays up to his surroudings, once again <a href="https://t.co/YJEhgCme27" target="_blank">https://t.co/YJEhgCme27</a></p><p>— michael corvo (@_michaelcorvo_) <a href="https://twitter.com/_michaelcorvo_/status/1379511680326008832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 6, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>McLemore should be energized by the change of scenery. If he can play up to the standards set by James and the most demanding locker room in the league, he could prove to be a shrewd pickup by Pelinka and earn a handsome contract this summer.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ben McLemore agrees to deal with Lakers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Rockets-Ben-McLemore.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets waive Ben McLemore, contenders already circling him</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-03T07:30:34-07:00">April 3rd, 7:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-03T07:31:59-07:00">April 3rd, 7:31am</time><address><a>Jeremy Chua</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets are continuing on their rebuilding efforts as they are planning to part ways with swingman Ben McLemore soon. After his release, many contenders are expected to make a bid to acquire his services for the remainder of the 2020-21 season, via <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1378341466708316163?s=20">The Athletic</a>‘s Shams Charania.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Houston Rockets are planning to waive swingman Ben McLemore, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@Stadium</a>. Several contenders are expected to express interest in the sharpshooting wing.</p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1378341466708316163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 3, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>McLemore has been with the Rockets for a total of one and a half years dating back to the start of the 2019-20 season. He is currently averaging 7.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists through 32 games played this season. Despite his meager numbers, Ben McLemore has emerged as a sparkplug for the team as he regularly comes off the bench during their tilts.</p><p>His athleticism will definitely be of value to several contenders who are looking to bolster their lineups heading to the latter stages of the season. Powerhouse teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Philadelphia 76ers could certainly include themselves in the mix for the McLemore sweepstakes sooner than later. Meanwhile, the Rockets are continuing to tear their roster apart as they struggle with a 13-35 record for the 14th spot in the Western Conference.</p><p>With McLemore’s expected departure <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/houston-rockets/roster">from the team</a>, players like Kevin Porter Jr., Danuel House, Avery Bradley, and Sterling Brown are expected to get more opportunities and see more minutes on the floor in their coming games. The main reason behind Ben McLemore’s release is still yet to be determined but the move was certainly indicative of the Rockets’ plan to undergo a full-blown rebuild for the remainder of the 2020-21 season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets waive Ben McLemore, contenders already circling him

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Chris-Paul-Ben-McLemore.jpg"><figcaption>OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 25:  LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on as he walks off the court against the Golden State Warriors during their NBA basketball game at ORACLE Arena on December 25, 2015 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.  (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure><h1>Chris Paul defends below-the-belt shot on Ben McLemore</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2020-08-22T20:31:43-07:00">August 22nd, 8:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2020-08-22T20:31:43-07:00">August 22nd, 8:31pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star point guard Chris Paul was involved in a controversial moment during his team’s impressive 119-107 overtime victory against the Houston Rockets in Game 3 of their first-round playoffs matchup. Paul hit Rockets swingman Ben McLemore with a below-the-belt shot, which was seen by some as a dirty play.</p><p>After the game, Paul was asked to comment about the incident in question, to which he expressed the accidental nature of the low blow.</p><blockquote>“I tried to get by him. It was incidental,” Paul explained, via ESPN’s <a href="https://twitter.com/royceyoung/status/1297347590112116736">Royce Young</a>. “I know when I did it on purpose, that was in college. That was a long time ago. I checked on Ben, he said he was fine. I know Mike. He’s gonna get mad, he’s gonna yell and scream.”</blockquote><p>To be fair to Paul, he did admit to doing the same act on purpose (way) early in his career. This time around, he is adamant that it was unintentional.</p><p>Chris Paul was tremendous for Thunder on Saturday, as he led his side with 26 points (on 11-of-20 shooting), six rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block in 41 minutes of action. He got a lot of help from Dennis Schroeder off the bench, with the backup guard netting a team-high 29 points on 10-of-23 from the floor, along with five rebounds, five assists, and two steals.</p><p>This was a huge win for OKC, as they were able to get one back in the series to make it 2-1. Another loss would have made it an insurmountable series lead for the Rockets. Instead, the Thunder have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/4-adjustments-thunder-must-make-to-get-back-in-series-vs-rockets/">given themselves a chance to pull off an upset</a> in this high-octane first-round matchup.</p><figure class="op-tracker"><iframe><script>  (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){  (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),  m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)  })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga');  ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', 'auto');  ga('set', 'campaignSource', 'Facebook');  ga('set', 'campaignMedium', 'Instant Article');  ga('set', 'title', ia_document.title);  ga('send', 'pageview');</script><script type="text/javascript">      window._taboola = window._taboola || [];      _taboola.push({          article: 'auto',          ref_url: 'http://instantarticles.fb.com'      });      !function (e, f, u, i) {          if (!document.getElementById(i)) {              e.async = 1;              e.src = u;              e.id = i;              f.parentNode.insertBefore(e, f);          }      }(document.createElement('script'),          document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0],          'https://cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/clutchpoints-clutchpoints/trk.js',          'tb_loader_script');      if (window.performance) {          if (typeof window.performance.mark == 'function') {            window.performance.mark('tbl_ic');          }        }</script></iframe></figure></article>    </body></html>

Chris Paul defends below-the-belt shot on Ben McLemore

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Chris-Paul-James-Harden-Mike-DAntoni.jpg"><figcaption>OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 25:  LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on as he walks off the court against the Golden State Warriors during their NBA basketball game at ORACLE Arena on December 25, 2015 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.  (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure><h1>James Harden reacts to Chris Paul below-the-belt shot on Ben McLemore</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2020-08-22T20:17:36-07:00">August 22nd, 8:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2020-08-22T20:34:43-07:00">August 22nd, 8:34pm</time><address><a>Brandon Biskobing</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Should Chris Paul’s groin shot to Ben McLemore been reviewed? James Harden certainly thinks so.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/BenGolliver/status/1297348699451019266">Speaking to the media</a> following the Rockets 119-107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Harden was not happy that the play wasn’t reviewed.</p><blockquote>“I don’t know what it was [intentional or not] but it should have been reviewed, especially if somebody gets hit in their private area. We ain’t got nowhere to go. It wasn’t [reviewed] &amp; I don’t know why not.” Harden said.</blockquote><p>The play occurred with 1:20 left in the game. Paul was called for an offensive foul, but Harden, as well as Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni felt the play should have been reviewed for the potential of a flagrant foul call. D’Antoni was so <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/rockets/article/Rockets-Mike-DAntoni-review-Chris-Paul-McLemore-15507896.php">indignant</a> that the referees weren’t reviewing the play that he incurred a technical foul in the process of arguing for the play to be reviewed.</p><blockquote>“I don’t know. Who knows,” D’Antoni said when asked if he thought the league would review the incident. “I asked the referee to just go over and review it. I didn’t have a clear (look.) But I know my guy got hit in a bad place with an elbow, so go look at it. But it’s not like in the bubble … there must be entertainment going on somewhere because what else do we have to do? Let’s go over, look at it, come back and play basketball.”</blockquote><p>The league could possibly review the play and come down with a retroactive punishment for Paul. Commissioner Adam Silver has not made any indication of whether he will do so or not.</p><p>Paul claimed the contact was incidental.</p><blockquote>“I tried to get by him,” Paul said. “It was incidental. I know when I did it on purpose, that was in college. That was a long time ago. I checked on Ben, he said he was fine. I know Mike. He’s gonna get mad, he’s gonna yell and scream.”</blockquote><p>This win was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/4-adjustments-thunder-must-make-to-get-back-in-series-vs-rockets/">the first of the series</a> for Chris Paul and the Thunder. The Rockets now lead the series 2-1. Game four is Monday at 4 PM ET on TNT.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"><iframe><script>  (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){  (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),  m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)  })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga');  ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', 'auto');  ga('set', 'campaignSource', 'Facebook');  ga('set', 'campaignMedium', 'Instant Article');  ga('set', 'title', ia_document.title);  ga('send', 'pageview');</script><script type="text/javascript">      window._taboola = window._taboola || [];      _taboola.push({          article: 'auto',          ref_url: 'http://instantarticles.fb.com'      });      !function (e, f, u, i) {          if (!document.getElementById(i)) {              e.async = 1;              e.src = u;              e.id = i;              f.parentNode.insertBefore(e, f);          }      }(document.createElement('script'),          document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0],          'https://cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/clutchpoints-clutchpoints/trk.js',          'tb_loader_script');      if (window.performance) {          if (typeof window.performance.mark == 'function') {            window.performance.mark('tbl_ic');          }        }</script></iframe></figure></article>    </body></html>

James Harden reacts to Chris Paul below-the-belt shot on Ben McLemore

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Ben-McLemore-makes-young-fan-cry-with-surprise-IG-Live.jpg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><h1>VIDEO: Rockets’ Ben McLemore makes young fan cry with surprise IG Live</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2020-04-06T20:25:31-07:00">April 6th, 8:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2020-04-06T20:25:31-07:00">April 6th, 8:25pm</time><address><a>Kriel Ibarrola</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/adnw_request?placement=1709097162682630_1935907953334882&amp;adtype=banner300x250" width="300" height="250"></iframe></figure></header><p>Houston Rockets guard Ben McLemore brightened a young fan’s day during these trying times.</p><p>Even with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-nba-season-suspended-after-rudy-gobert-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/" rel="noopener noreferrer">NBA on a hiatus</a> due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 27-year-old Kansas product made sure to give back to his fans through a simple gesture of a surprise video call.</p><p>A teary-eyed kid couldn’t hide his excitement when McLemore entertained his request for a call on Instagram live on Monday. Check out the amazing interaction between the Rockets player and fan:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe class="no-margin"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ben McLemore surprised this fan on IG Live and his reaction is everything 🙌</p><p>(via <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/BenMcLemore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BenMcLemore</a>) <a target="_blank" href="https://t.co/BvYmhLRGcV">pic.twitter.com/BvYmhLRGcV</a></p><p>— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1247354278349426688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2020</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></iframe></figure><p>After struggling to find his footing in his early years with the league, Ben McLemore has found his niche off the bench under Mike D’Antoni in Houston. The 6-foot-3 scorer, however, has failed to live up to his billing as the seventh overall pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 2013 Draft.</p><p>He seems to have found the role the suits him best, giving the Rockets a nice scoring boost off the bench with averages of 9.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in 22 minutes per contest.</p><p>McLemore is shooting with efficiency for the Rockets, knocking down 44.5 percent of his field goals and 39.5 percent of his 3-pointers in 63 appearances.</p><p>Kudos to Ben for making this young man’s day.</p><p>—</p><p><i>Follow ClutchPoints on </i><a href="https://twitter.com/clutchpointsapp"><i>Twitter</i></a><i> &amp; </i><a href="https://www.instagram.com/clutchpoints/?hl=en"><i>Instagram</i></a><i>, and like us on </i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClutchPoints/"><i>Facebook</i></a><i>. We can also be found on Flipboard where you can subscribe and follow us.</i></p><p><i>All of our NBA content can be found on the NBA section of the ClutchPoints home page </i><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba-news"><i>here</i></a><i>. For all of our college basketball content, click </i><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-basketball/"><i>here</i></a><i>.</i></p><p><i>Follow NBA games live by downloading the </i><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/clutchpoints-live-sports/id1044413150"><i>ClutchPoints App</i></a><i> and heading to the scores tab under the NBA section.</i></p><p><i>You can listen and subscribe to the Battle for LA podcast on </i><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/battle-for-la-podcast-clutchpoints/id1454992632"><i>Apple Podcasts</i></a><i>, </i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/5okIevNHpv8dWj4E9iciry"><i>Spotify</i></a><i>, and </i><a href="https://soundcloud.com/battleforlaclutchpoints"><i>Soundcloud</i></a><i>. You can also find new episodes of Battle for LA, the ClutchPoints NBA Podcast, and Establish the Pass under the </i><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/podcast/"><i>Podcast tab</i></a><i> on the ClutchPoints home page.</i></p><figure class="op-tracker"><iframe><script>  (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){  (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),  m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)  })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga');  ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', 'auto');  ga('set', 'campaignSource', 'Facebook');  ga('set', 'campaignMedium', 'Instant Article');  ga('set', 'title', ia_document.title);  ga('send', 'pageview');</script><iframe>    <script type="text/javascript">        window._taboola = window._taboola || [];        _taboola.push({            article: 'auto',            ref_url: 'http://instantarticles.fb.com'        });        !function (e, f, u, i) {            if (!document.getElementById(i)) {                e.async = 1;                e.src = u;                e.id = i;                f.parentNode.insertBefore(e, f);            }        }(document.createElement('script'),            document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0],            'https://cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/clutchpoints-clutchpoints/trk.js',            'tb_loader_script');        if (window.performance) {          if (typeof window.performance.mark == 'function') {            window.performance.mark('tbl_ic');          }        }    </script>    </iframe></iframe></figure></article>    </body></html>

VIDEO: Rockets’ Ben McLemore makes young fan cry with surprise IG Live

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Ben-McLemore-posterizes-Jaxson-Hayes.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Ben McLemore posterizes Jaxson Hayes</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2020-02-02T12:15:23-08:00">February 2nd, 12:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2020-02-02T12:15:51-08:00">February 2nd, 12:15pm</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/adnw_request?placement=1709097162682630_1935907953334882&amp;adtype=banner300x250" width="300" height="250"></iframe></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/houston-rockets/">Houston Rockets</a> guard Ben McLemore took flight on Sunday afternoon against the New Orleans.</p><p>McLemore took the ball strong to the rim late in the first quarter. Needless to say, he served up a massive facial on Pelicans rookie big man Jaxson Hayes:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe class="no-margin"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ben McLemore posters Jaxson Hayes <a target="_blank" href="https://t.co/Q9PsIO0ntn">pic.twitter.com/Q9PsIO0ntn</a></p><p>— The Render (@TheRenderNBA2) <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/TheRenderNBA2/status/1224053010927702025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2020</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></iframe></figure><p>Hayes was clearly late in his rotation as the help defender. But McLemore was not to be denied as he took it to the tin with conviction.</p><p>McLemore has experienced somewhat of a career revival with the Rockets. The former No. 7 overall pick played just 19 games with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/">Sacramento Kings</a> last season, and his stock had fallen considerably due to injuries and character questions.</p><p>However, the 26-year-old has capitalized on his opportunity to play heavy minutes for Houston. McLemore entered Sunday’s game averaging 10.1 points while shooting better than 38 percent from beyond the arc on 6.6 attempts per game.</p><p>McLemore has also started in 17 of his 48 appearances while establishing himself as a vital backcourt player in the wake of Gerald Green’s absence.</p><p>–</p><p><i>Follow ClutchPoints on <a href="https://twitter.com/clutchpointsapp" rel="noopener noreferrer">Twitter</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/clutchpoints/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer">Instagram</a>, and like us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClutchPoints/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a>. We can also be found on Flipboard where you can subscribe and follow us.</i></p><p><i>All of our NBA content can be found on the NBA section of the ClutchPoints home page <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba-news" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>. For all of our college basketball content, click <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-basketball/" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.</i></p><p><i>Follow NBA games live by downloading the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/clutchpoints-live-sports/id1044413150" rel="noopener noreferrer">ClutchPoints App</a> and heading to the scores tab under the NBA section.</i></p><p><i>You can listen and subscribe to the Battle for LA podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/battle-for-la-podcast-clutchpoints/id1454992632" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/5okIevNHpv8dWj4E9iciry" rel="noopener noreferrer">Spotify</a>, and <a href="https://soundcloud.com/battleforlaclutchpoints" rel="noopener noreferrer">Soundcloud</a>. You can also find new episodes of Battle for LA, the ClutchPoints NBA Podcast, and Establish the Pass under the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/podcast/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Podcast tab</a> on the ClutchPoints home page.</i></p><figure class="op-tracker"><iframe><script>  (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){  (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),  m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)  })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga');  ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', 'auto');  ga('set', 'campaignSource', 'Facebook');  ga('set', 'campaignMedium', 'Instant Article');  ga('set', 'title', ia_document.title);  ga('send', 'pageview');</script><iframe>    <script type="text/javascript">        window._taboola = window._taboola || [];        _taboola.push({            article: 'auto',            ref_url: 'http://instantarticles.fb.com'        });        !function (e, f, u, i) {            if (!document.getElementById(i)) {                e.async = 1;                e.src = u;                e.id = i;                f.parentNode.insertBefore(e, f);            }        }(document.createElement('script'),            document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0],            'https://cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/clutchpoints-clutchpoints/trk.js',            'tb_loader_script');        if (window.performance) {          if (typeof window.performance.mark == 'function') {            window.performance.mark('tbl_ic');          }        }    </script>    </iframe></iframe></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Ben McLemore posterizes Jaxson Hayes

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Danuel_House_Jr._likely_back_in_starting_lineup_as_Ben_McLemore_returns_to_bench.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Danuel House Jr. likely back in starting lineup as Ben McLemore returns to bench</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2019-12-06T11:42:39-08:00">December 6th, 11:42am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2019-12-06T11:42:39-08:00">December 6th, 11:42am</time><address><a>Bruno Manrique</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/adnw_request?placement=1709097162682630_1935907953334882&amp;adtype=banner300x250" width="300" height="250"></iframe></figure></header><p>Houston Rockets forward Ben McLemore is likely to return to the bench after enjoying a nice three-game stint as a starter. Danuel House Jr., who has started at small forward for most of the season, is due his spot back after returning from an illness, scoring 16 points in a win over the Toronto Raptors.</p><p>McLemore scored a season-high 28 points on Thursday, now averaging 16.3 points in 30.8 minutes per game as a starter, but head coach Mike D’Antoni pointed to his trusty sharpshooter deserving to suit up next to Russell Westbrook and James Harden in the starting lineup.</p><blockquote>“Danuel needs to start,” said D’Antoni, according to <a href="https://www.chron.com/sports/rockets/article/Ben-McLemore-likely-return-bench-Rockets-14887284.php" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle</a>. “It shouldn’t matter. Danuel hadn’t practiced or anything. He still had chills and stuff.”</blockquote><p>D’Antoni praised McLemore, noting he will still get minutes even if he’s struggled as a part of the bench.</p><blockquote>“He plays hard and he’s coachable,” D’Antoni said. “He does have a nice shot. He needs confidence. He needs to play. He needs to feel wanted. Hopefully, he will continue to get better. Somebody that is that good a person, plays that hard, has that talent, something good has got to happen unless he’s the unluckiest guy in the world.”</blockquote><p>House scored 16 first-half points but did not score in the second half of Thursday’s game.</p><blockquote>“It was difficult,” House said of playing through his illness. “I’m pretty sure people in the world knows how the flu handles your body. I started off; I had enough. I was searching deep to find some more. I’m glad my teammates were there to support me, carry me. I’m cool with it.”</blockquote><p>House earned the starting small forward spot after outplaying a misfiring Eric Gordon at the start of the season, who now nurses a short-term injury.</p><figure class="op-tracker"><iframe><script>  (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){  (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),  m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)  })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga');  ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', 'auto');  ga('set', 'campaignSource', 'Facebook');  ga('set', 'campaignMedium', 'Instant Article');  ga('set', 'title', ia_document.title);  ga('send', 'pageview');</script><iframe>    <script type="text/javascript">        window._taboola = window._taboola || [];        _taboola.push({            article: 'auto',            ref_url: 'http://instantarticles.fb.com'        });        !function (e, f, u, i) {            if (!document.getElementById(i)) {                e.async = 1;                e.src = u;                e.id = i;                f.parentNode.insertBefore(e, f);            }        }(document.createElement('script'),            document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0],            'https://cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/clutchpoints-clutchpoints/trk.js',            'tb_loader_script');        if (window.performance) {          if (typeof window.performance.mark == 'function') {            window.performance.mark('tbl_ic');          }        }    </script>    </iframe></iframe></figure></article>    </body></html>

2020-21 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
7.7	1.9	0.7	0.2	0.4

2020-21 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
7.7	1.9	0.7	0.2	0.4

Ben McLemore news

Ben
McLemore news