Walter Clayton Jr. joined Dallas on October 21, and his job is clear: create for others without giving the points back on defense. Last season he did the first part well and the second part badly.
A Passer Before A Scorer
Clayton played 69 games last season and scored 7.8 points with 4.0 assists. His assist rate was 27.4% on a usage of only 18.1%. He moves the ball and does not hunt shots. That is a backup point guard's profile, and Dallas needs one behind Kyrie Irving, who is 34 and has already been listed day-to-day for rest this week. His 1.7 turnovers are a fair price for that playmaking.
The Shot Has To Fall
He shot 38.4% from the field and 30.7% on 3.5 three-point attempts, which adds up to a true shooting mark of 52.3%. The touch is real: he made 90.1% of his free throws. The results from the field are not there yet. A guard who rarely shoots has to make the few he takes, and Clayton did not. His 7.8 points came without the efficiency to justify even that modest load.
Defense Decides His Minutes
His offensive rating of 111.7 was survivable. His defensive rating of 121.2 was not, and it sat well above the team's 115.5. Add a rebound rate of 4.8% and the net rating lands at -9.6. The competition is also real. Marcus Sasser played 27 minutes against Indiana, and The Smoking Cuban argued after one game that he should be the backup point guard. The same outlet wrote that Clayton's signing sparks a roster battle. Hoopsrumors reported a two-way agreement, and Marc Stein had reported Dallas was considered likely to sign him. The verdict: Clayton needs to be a steady second-unit guard whose net number climbs out of the hole, because passing alone will not hold off Sasser. He is not on the injury report.
What did Walter Clayton Jr. average last season?
He averaged 7.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 20.4 minutes over 69 games. He shot 38.4% from the field and 30.7% from three.
Is Walter Clayton Jr. injured?
No. He is not on the Mavericks' injury report. Dallas added him on October 21.
