First Thoughts: Pacers agree with C.J. Watson
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
Looks like the Pacers are done searching for a backup point guard.
Reports confirmed by NBA.com and ESPN.com say C.J. Watson has agreed in principle to a two-year deal to join Indiana and fill one of the team’s biggest needs.
Watson, 29, averaged 6.8 points and 2.0 assists per game for the Nets last season while making the minimum salary.
The Pacers can now look at bringing in a scoring option for the bench or a backup power forward to play behind David West if they so choose.
WHY IT HAPPENED: The Pacers were ready to move on from D.J. Augustin and go in another direction. Watson was both a solid veteran with experience on playoff teams and a guy who’d never signed a lavish contract. Ideally, he’ll be inked using the bi-annual exception, which is good for up to $2.02 million next season. That would leave the entirety of the Pacers’ $5.15 million midlevel exception intact.
HOW HE FITS: Any discussion of Watson begins with the fact that he’s an outstanding 3-point shooter: 41 percent last season, 39 percent in each of the two years prior. That alone should be a big boost to Indiana’s offense, which relies heavily on post-ups and reversals to open shooters on the weak side. Most of Watson’s points come from jumpers. That leaves him with a mediocre true shooting percentage (54.4 percent last season). He won’t make many plays going to the basket.
In part for that reason, don’t expect Watson to be much of a distributor. His assist rate last year was well below average for a point guard. He doesn’t help teammates find great looks. But he will get an offense into its plays and help the ball rotate. His turnover ratio was better than average for a point guard and he generally won’t make the mistakes Augustin did. He also stayed within the offense in Brooklyn and didn’t try to do too much.
Like Augustin, Watson is a poor defender. In sum, however, this is a solid move for the Pacers. Watson was the floor general on some devastatingly effective bench units in Chicago. He’ll be a great shooter and an offensive caretaker, and those qualities are enough to get the job done.
