Did some digging on Cam, and my god man the numbers are staggering.
He's establishing himself as not just an elite shooter, but an elite shooter
off the dribble, which is a super valuable skill. Other guys in the top 5 in 3-point percentage this year (Tari Eason, Bobby Portis, Vit Krejci, Max Christie) have all had 95% or more of their 3-point attempts assisted; Cam is at 77.5% assisted.
Even more impressive: he's 24 for 53 on 3-pointers launched after taking 2+ dribbles. He's doing much more than just coming off screens.
- Those other four guys, combined, are 9 for 35 on 3-pointers requiring 2+ dribbles. They are one-dimensional, purely catch-and-shoot guys.
- The guy he replaced in Memphis, Luke Kennard, is 8-for-32 on 3-pointers requiring 2+ dribbles over last year and this year, combined. In his best season he was 10-for-23 for the entire season.
- Kon Knueppel, who's gotten some "best post-Steph shooter!" buzz, is 7-for-21 on those shots.
- AJ Green and Sam Merrill, combined, are 12-for-34.
The guys in Cam's peer group in terms of those specific self-made 3-pointers are actually Reed Sheppard (20-for-50) and Bub Carrington (25-for-60), but neither of those guys is as proficient from other spots on the court, or against hard close-outs:
- Cam shoots 47.1% on catch-and-shoot 3s, Carrington is 44.6% and Sheppard is 43.5%.
- Cam shoots 92.1% from the line, Carrington just 68.2% and Sheppard 78%.
- Cam is 10-for-24 on 3s when the defender is within 4 feet, Carrington is 2-for-8 and Sheppard is 10-for-29.
Here's the simple truth: the guys Cam's actually chasing for "best non-Steph shooter in the league" are Jamal Murray and Shai.
- Murray's putting up 48/45.5/89 shooting splits, with just 30% of his 2-pointers and 52% of his 3-pointers assisted.
- Shai's putting up 56/42.5/89 shooting splits with 18.5% of his 2-pointers and 27% of his 3-pointers assisted.
- Murray is 62-for-141 on 3-pointers requiring 2+ dribbles; Shai is 57-for-123 on those shots.
- Hilariously, Shai is just 14-for-44 on 0 or 1-dribble 3-pointers (he was much better on these last year), while Murray is 54-for-114.
- Cam, fwiw, is 40-for-85 on catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts, and 16-for-27 on one-dribble, Steph-style relocation 3-pointers. Our dude is a flamethrower.
- Shai is 7-for-17 when the defender's within 4 feet, while Murray is... this is incredible: 14-for-24. Cam, remember, is 10-for-24.
Also worth mentioning is that Cam's very effectively using his gravity as a playmaker. He's averaging 9.8 assists (against just 3 turnovers) per 100 possessions. Murray's at 9.5/3.1 and SGA's at 9.3/2.8
If you're looking for the difference between Cam and a true star like Murray or an all-time great like SGA, it's what we can all see with our eyes: the ability to use the ball to put pressure on the rim and to generate – and make – a high volume of tough, 2-point shots as well as FTs.
- Murray is 18-for-42 on 2-pointers with the closest defender inside 2 feet, and 93-for-185 when the defender's anywhere from 2-to-4 feet away.
- Shai is 14-for-23 (absurd!) when the closest defender's inside 2 feet, and 139-for-236 when the defender's anywhere from 2-to-4 feet.
- Cam is 1-for-9 with a defender inside 2 feet and a very respectable 25-for-47 when the nearest defender is 2-to-4 feet away.
- Cam gets to the line 3.9 times per 100 possessions, while Murray is at 6.0. SGA is at... 13.0.
I've got to admit, I never thought he'd be
this good. I didn't think he'd be able to create enough separation with the ball in his hands to be anything more than just a Kennard-type in the league, but he's so, so much better than that, and is showing it basically any time he gets on the court these days.
And here's a graphic, with some food for thought:
View attachment 115518
www.basketball-reference.com
