Brooklyn Nets: Quarter Season Review

Wayne Ellington

Statistics: 21 GP, 12.0 MIN, 4.1 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 37% FG%, 29% 3P%, 8.70 PER

One word to describe his season: Ineffective

Wayne Ellington has made a living as an NBA player with one particular skill. He has the reputation of being very good at that skill, thus earning contract after contract with NBA teams. But here’s the problem with players who are only good at one thing – if they are in a slump, or struggle with that one skill, then they are often useless. That’s what’s happening to Wayne Ellington so far.

This season, Wayne Ellington has been a shooter who can’t shoot. As a career 38% three point shooter, it was easy to understand why the Nets took a flyer on him with a minimum contract this offseason. After all, the Nets are the league’s second worst three point shooting team (behind the Minnesota Timberwolves), and need shooting in the worst way. However, Ellington hasn’t provided the sharp shooting he’s known for at all; he’s shooting a career low 29% from three so far this season.

As a result, Ellington has largely been ineffective when he’s on the floor. He continues to get playing time from coach Lionel Hollins due to his ability to shoot, but unless he’s actually making those shots, that playing time is unproductive. The Nets need Ellington to improve his shooting in order help them become at least respectable from the perimeter.