It is said that the tree moves the dead and the living, and this sentence is very applicable in the NBA. Because each star has different characteristics, each team has a different system, and each manager has a different style. So a lot of times, the star just changes teams and gets back on life right away. Wei Shao is the former MVP of the league, and his strength is very strong. However, the performance has struggled in recent years, especially during the Lakers period, which was quite controversial. After leaving the Lakers, did Wei Shao really regain his life?
In 2021, the Lakers got Wei Shao through a big trade. At that time, Wei Shao held the top salary, the data was beautiful, and the 360 combination was also highly anticipated. After that, he spent 2 seasons with the Lakers, and the Big Three run-in was a disaster. In the past two years, Wei Shao has played a total of 130 games and handed over an average of 17.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game, which is still very comprehensive. However, he only shoots 43% from the field and averages 3.7 turnovers per game, which is obviously not good enough as the core of the point guard.
also because of his poor performance, Wei Shao served as a starter in the first year, and gradually became a substitute in the second year. It's just that such sacrifices still failed to turn into wins. In the 21-22 season, the Lakers finally missed the playoffs. In the 22-23 season, the Lakers traded away Wei Shao at the end of the season, and the team also won all the way, and finally unexpectedly entered the playoff stage. Not only that, but in last year's playoffs, the Lakers also defeated the Grizzlies and Warriors successively, reached the Western Conference finals, and finally lost to the championship Nuggets.
Therefore, trading away Wei Shao is undoubtedly a successful operation for the Lakers. Many fans also said that Wei Shao can also get a new life after leaving the Lakers, so what are the facts?
Willis' first stop was with the Jazz, but he refused to serve as a bench, and the Jazz eventually sent him to the Clippers. Last season, he averaged 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game, shooting 48 percent from the field and averaging 3.4 turnovers per game. The Clippers also entered the playoffs, and Wei Shao averaged 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game, playing remarkably.
However, the performance was so good, and in the end, the Clippers only used a 2-year 8 million veteran contract to keep Wei Shao. This year, Wei Shao also played the role of a substitute, averaging 11.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game, and the shooting rate was 45%, which is undoubtedly qualified, and even a very good bench role.
But if you want to talk about a new life, it obviously doesn't, and the salary says it all. Wei Shao's gas tank still has gas, and the reason why the Lakers are struggling is because he has an annual salary of up to $46.3 million, which accounts for salary space, but he has not played the corresponding performance, and his natural results are poor. With the Clippers, Willis earns $3.83 million a year and is qualified as a substitute. It turns out that Wei Shao is still the same Wei Shao, he is willing to serve as a substitute, plus his salary has been reduced by $42.47 million, in order to play his due role. If his annual salary is still 40 million, then he is still a bad performer.