8 points, 9 seconds
Fansided

How Jeremy Lamb became one of the NBA’s best kept secrets, and why he’s a steal for the Pacers

By Brian Emory

Jeremy Lamb Indiana Pacers (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
Jeremy Lamb Indiana Pacers (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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MIAMI, FL – JANUARY 27: Jeremy Lamb #3 of the Charlotte Hornets shoots the ball against the Miami Heat on January 27, 2018 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL – JANUARY 27: Jeremy Lamb #3 of the Charlotte Hornets shoots the ball against the Miami Heat on January 27, 2018 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /

How has Lamb fared over the last couple seasons?

Jeremy Lamb improved significantly as a three-point shooter while playing in Charlotte. In his first season with the Hornets, he only shot 31% on three-point attempts. That number dropped the following year to just 28%.

Things started to click for Lamb in his last two seasons, though. He made 37% of his three-point attempts during the 2017-18 season, and 35% during the 2018-19 season (on a career-most 330 attempts). Lamb’s growth as a three-point shooter can partly be attributed to his pretty stroke and high release.

In the ever-changing NBA, three-point shooting grows in importance every year. The Pacers have done their due diligence to ensure that they don’t fall behind the curb, placing supreme importance on the three-point shot recently. Just last season they were the fifth-best three-point shooting team in the entire NBA. However, two of Indiana’s best shooters from last season in Bojan Bogdanovic and Wes Matthews will be playing for new teams next season. These absences made it imperative for the Pacers to acquire new reliable shooters to help fill the void that will be left behind.

Whether Jeremy Lamb works his way into the starting rotation or not is difficult to project. Regardless of how the rotation falls, the Pacers have a plethora of exciting guards that should complement each other very nicely. While Victor Oladipo and Malcolm Brogdon are expected to be the stars of Indiana’s backcourt, Jeremy Lamb is an ideal piece to add to the equation.

With a roster including Victor Oladipo, Malcolm Brogdon, Jeremy Lamb, T.J. Warren, Doug McDermott, Aaron Holiday and T.J. McConnell, Indiana has a deep group of guards and wings that can shoot the ball. Center Myles Turner will play a significant role on the team, and he also can stretch the floor a bit for a big man.

Jeremy Lamb also absolutely possesses the clutch gene. He hit two three-point shots to beat the eventual NBA champion Toronto Raptors down the stretch this season.

The Pacers will have seamless floor spacing this year, which allows Oladipo to thrive as the focal playmaker of the group. Despite losing both Matthews and Bogdanovic, the Pacers wasted no time in bringing in new players that can shoot in Lamb, Warren, and Brogdon. These additions will help Indiana remain one of the most dangerous three-point shooting teams in the NBA.

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