BJ Mathews is the host of the THE PULL UP! Basketball Podcast. He is a Clippers credentialed creator representing thePeachBasket. In this article, Should the Clippers Start Bennedict Mathurin? Inside LA’s Third Scorer Dilemma, he reports on the Bennedict Mathurin’s struggles and the Clippers options.
The Clippers are in danger of losing their third-best scorer…
The NBA season is coming to an end, and the playoffs are around the corner, so this is where teams need to be playing their best ball. Unfortunately for the LA Clippers, they are in danger of losing one of their main core pieces.
Bennedict Mathurin.
The Bennedict Mathurin Trade
Back in February, Mathurin, along with Isaiah Jackson, was acquired for former fan favorite Ivica Zubac. The trade was a bit surprising, but it was an opportunity for the Clippers to get younger and replace some of the offensive scoring they lost with Norman Powell, Bradley Beal, and James Harden.
Mathurin’s Early Impact and Current Struggles
In 25 games, as the third-leading scorer for the Clippers, Mathurin is averaging 18.0 ppg. A strong 6’5” two-way guard who is only 23 years old has a lot of upside, but because of recent struggles, there is some concern about his play going into the playoffs.
For the month of February, he averaged 21.3 ppg; for March, he averaged 19.0 ppg. However, through five games in April, he’s averaging 10.5 points per game. After the 110–128 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night at the Intuit Dome, Mathurin was asked about what it could be.
Is Confidence an Issue?
When asked whether defenses were starting to figure him out because of his high-scoring games, Mathurin responded with a simple, “I wouldn’t say that, nah.” There is speculation that it could be a confidence thing. Watching Mathurin’s demeanor and how he carries himself, he doesn’t seem to be the type to lack confidence. So what could it be?
What is the solution?
Should Bennedict Mathurin Start?
Could it be that Mathurin feels slighted in some sort of way for only receiving one start despite being the team’s third-leading scorer? His production is that of an all-around shooting guard — someone who’s fresh off a trip to the NBA Finals. Those are all serviceable reasons to place a player in the starting lineup.
Name a player in the league averaging 18.0 ppg and still coming off the bench? It’s similar to the earlier part of the season when John Collins was coming off the bench for a period of time, but it became more and more noticeable that his starting was more beneficial to the team.
The Solution for the Clippers
This rationale could apply even more with Mathurin.
It is time to do what the team should’ve done a while ago — start him. The Clippers do not have a legitimate two-guard to pair with Darius Garland and Kawhi Leonard. Until then, against competitive teams, the Clippers are going to continue to have holes offensively and defensively that will get exploited.