Tomas Satoransky – Stats: 5.8/2/4.4, 31/36.4/100, .379 eFG
The FIBA World Cup seems like a long time ago, doesn’t it? It was then that Tomas Satoransky received praise, in this very space no less, for his stellar play on a global stage. He averaged 15.5/5.6/8.5 displaying scoring ability that he had not shown during his time with the Washington Wizards.
He was signed for his ability to run the point guard position and his versatility to fit into any number of lineup combinations. So, while it would have been nice, the scoring was never expected to remain at that level. Especially with LaVine and Markkanen as teammates.
But his numbers are down across the board, though. This in spite of only averaging two fewer minutes per contest than last season. He is currently 28th in assists and 78th in points per game out of 87 players to start games this season. Satoransky also has a PER of 11.6 (13.6 in his career) and .1 win shares. This is not what was expected even without the scoring.
It made sense for the Boylen to have Satoransky in the starting lineup to begin the season. His veteran presence was expected to be a stabilizing force for a young team still learning each other.
After five games it is beyond clear that Satoransky’s ideal role is coming off the bench to captain the second unit. At the least, he should be playing behind White in crunch time.