It is becoming more and more difficult to get along! The "3D" standard has been upgraded, and the front line that was worth tens of millions in the past is now difficult to find a job

Now the NBA is becoming increasingly difficult to survive, with averaging 9.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, a shooting percentage of 47.1%, and a three-point shooting percentage of 40.9%. This report card was at least a middle-class person a few years ago, but now, its owner can't even get a formal contract.

Amir Kofi, 2.01 meters tall, was undrafted by the Clippers in 2019 and brought into the league with a two-way contract. Due to the lack of opportunities in the first two years of his career, his performance has been lukewarm. In the 21-22 season, Leonard was reimbursed for the season, and George also had a long-term high-free battle card. The Clippers, who were unavailable, had to promote Kofi to the main rotation, and he did not disappoint everyone, handed over a report card with an average of 9.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists, a shooting percentage of 45.3%, and a three-point shooting percentage of 37.8%.

With his outstanding performance, Kofi received a three-year, $11 million contract renewal. In the eyes of many fans, this is already a bargain. However, three years later, when Kofi entered the free agent market with a more efficient report card, no one was waiting for him. It was not until a few days ago that the Bucks sent a contract. According to the Bucks' reporters, this was just a training camp contract.

The Bucks currently have 15 players holding standard contracts. If Coffey wants to stay, one of them must leave. Andre Jackson Jr. is the most likely to be cut because his contract is non-guaranteed, that is, Coffey will compete directly with Jackson for the last seat in the team's roster in training camp and preseason. If it fails, according to Exhibit 10, he will join the Bucks in the Development League team in the new season.

So the question is, why is Kofi, who is more mature, not favored?

two words: "in-copy".

3D players are the most popular among all NBA role players. They have obvious functions and meet teams of any period, whether they are rebuilding or competing for the championship. This has also led to their market value becoming higher and higher, and even approaching the All-Star treatment standards. However, many of them have not really shown a performance that meets salary. Therefore, in recent years, the evaluation of "3D" players by NBA teams has become increasingly demanding and accurate.

The regular season is no longer the only criterion for inspection, the playoffs are the real test.

Kofie's performance is average in the playoffs. He played 6 games in 24 years and averaged 18.3 minutes of playing time, only scored 2.8 points, shooting percentage of 31.8%, and three-point shooting percentage of 27.3%. This plunge in offensive efficiency under high-intensity defense will put a huge question mark on the team's reliability.

At the same time, Kofi's defense also has problems. His overwhelming speed is relatively slow, especially in the No. 3 position. When encountering those fast and explosive opponents, they are easily overwhelmed and have bad defensive habits. They like to start and take off the ball, often get into trouble for fouls, or give them 2+1 to their opponents. The real positive and negative values ​​of the defense in the past three seasons have never reached a positive number. Players at the same position are ranked low. When he is on the court, the Clippers will lose 4.8 points more per 100 rounds.

In the NBA, especially for teams that are determined to compete for the championship, a player who is easily targeted on the defensive end will be strictly limited unless his offensive ability is strong enough to completely compensate for the defensive losses (such as Trae Young), so to be honest, Kofi is not a "3D" front line in the strict sense.

In addition, the free agent market in the NBA in recent years is not ideal. Powell is so outstanding that he only gets two veterans. Hardaway Jr. is so efficient and can be forced to accept basic salary. Cameron Thomas, a young scorer who is averaging 20+ games, has not been renewed for a long time. There is no way. In the face of the new labor-capital agreement and new regulations, salary space has become a scarce resource. Each team has also taken a different approach in the idea of ​​building a team. Compared with these veterans, they are more reluctant to leave opportunities to young people.

Next, Coffey needs to prove himself in the Bucks' training camp and preseason, especially to improve his defensive habits and show the coaching staff that he can adapt to higher intensity confrontations. He hopes that he can seize this opportunity and prove his worth again.