Former Indiana Pacer Lance Stephenson officially became a free agent on Monday. His reputation as an irritant could make him an interesting fit with the Utah Jazz.
The Utah Jazz have built a reputation as a team that nobody wants to face. Between their gritty defense and hard-nosed effort on both ends of the floor, they present a tough challenge for any opponent that faces them.
Prior to last season, general manager Dennis Lindsey went as far as to say that he hoped that playing the Jazz would be akin to visiting the world’s worst dentist. Considering what Utah managed to do last year, I’d say they did an extremely good job of achieving that goal.
The Jazz have made it a point of emphasis to add players that are focused on the defensive end of the floor and that bring energy and hustle every single night. For examples of these, look no further than Jae Crowder, Royce O’Neale, Joe Ingles and Rudy Gobert. Each of them are defensive foes that know how to do battle with the best of them and can also get under their opponents’ skin.
If the Jazz feel they need to add another such irritant and formidable defensive weapon to their mix, then they would be wise to take a look at former Indiana Pacer Lance Stephenson, who as of Monday joined the ranks of free agency. The Pacers opted to decline his team option for the 2018-19 season, so Stephenson is available for the taking to whichever organization he can find a fit with.
OFFICIAL: The Indiana #Pacers announced they will not pick up the team option on guard Lance Stephenson’s contract for the 2018-19 season.https://t.co/3UFH2Hgkzd
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) June 25, 2018
Much like the Utah Jazz’s recent draft selection, Grayson Allen (yet another irritant), Lance Stephenson is an extremely polarizing figure. Fans either love his intensity, effort and unrelenting hustle, or they find his antics tiresome and his attitude a bother. Personally, I think he’s a perfect example of someone that you love to play with and hate to play against.
Although Stephenson is most known for blowing in LeBron James‘ ear in the 2014 NBA Playoffs, his impact on the floor is much greater than that. In his best season with the Pacers, he put up 13.8 points per game while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and a respectable 35.2 percent from deep.
No one would argue that he hasn’t been nearly that good since. In fact, a big risk involved with Stephenson is that he seems to lose his powers whenever he suits for a team that isn’t the Indiana Pacers. His stints with the Charlotte Hornets, Memphis Grizzlies, LA Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves were all less than inspiring.
However, this past season with the Pacers, he showed indications of just what “Good Lance” can be when given the opportunity. True, Stephenson was far from efficient this past year – he shot just 42.7 percent from the field and under 30 percent from three. Various slumps throughout the year dragged these numbers down beneath what may have otherwise been the norm as well.
But what Stephenson brings to the game is an unmatched spark of energy, an unrelenting hustle and gutsy defense. The Pacers became known for their electrifying comebacks last season as on several occasions they’d find themselves down by double figures early in games, but would later find a way to fight back. More often than not, Stephenson’s energy and willingness to step up in the moment gave Indiana the required lift to do just that.
Lance Stephenson changed so many games last season coming off the bench and just giving the team an instant spark, always getting the crowd into the game.
— iPacers.com (@iPacersblog) June 25, 2018
He has his flaws, but he’ll be missed.
He has the ability to get his team back in a game just by providing an emotional lift, whether it’s with a stunning finish at the basket or an electrifying pass. While his decision making can be questionable at times, his effort never is, and sometimes the latter can certainly make up for the former.
In relation to those traits, Stephenson is a bulldog of a defender who would be a nice asset for the Jazz to have in their second unit to help lock down opponents of varying positions. Some may see him as redundant with Royce O’Neale in that regard, while being more of a liability on offense, but I still like the energy and hustle that Stephenson could bring.
He’s also an extremely solid rebounder for a guard and while he can cause spectators to shake their heads at times, he does a lot of intangibles that can help a team out.
Very disappointed with the #Pacers decision to decline Lance Stephenson's option. He is the heart and soul of this team. Saved multiple games this year. Hope they bring him back on a new deal. #NBA
— Evan Massey (@massey_evan) June 25, 2018
Kevin Pritchard on not picking up the team option on Lance Stephenson’s contract:
— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) June 25, 2018
"This was a very difficult decision, but as free agency begins on July 1, we want to have flexibility so that we can prepare for all of our available options."
At the end of the day, it’s probably not likely that the Jazz pursue him. Their wing depth is pretty solid, especially defensively which is where Stephenson would be of the most help. If they were to add a wing in free agency, they’d probably be more inclined to add a dead-eye shooter, which Stephenson is not.
However, if Dennis Lindsey and the Utah Jazz instead wanted to make opponents’ trip to the world’s worst dentist just a little more uncomfortable, then Lance Stephenson should very well be near the top of the list of free agent targets. He’s among the league’s best irritants, and not just because of his antics, but because he plays with an unrelenting hustle, energy and defense that can tire a foe out.
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And while he may not be the ideal fit overall, those traits would certainly make him feel right at home playing alongside the rest of the stingy, hard-nosed Utah Jazz.