Domantas Sabonis is a team player. He sets the table for his teammates to feast on open looks with stout screens and unselfish passing. When Domas scores, he does so on a smaller portion of shots. He’s one of two players (the other being DeMar DeRozan) this season to average 20 points a contest on only 14 field goal attempts. 

In this game, however, he was Domantas Sabuckets, dropping a then career-high 33 points in three quarters. More important than the great individual performance, Domas faced and overcame the next hurdle in his development: punishing teams from the outside. 

Before we look at how he did it, know this: Domas is a heavyweight who dominates his weight class. Here this slight nudge against the 6’10 250 pound Bobby Portis creates space for the fadeaway.  

Now check out this play. It’s the same move. Only this time, he’s going up against a super heavyweight in Brook Lopez. With a running start, Domas slams into Lopez but can’t dislodge him. He’s forced to barf up an airball after nearly snapping his neck.

This season, coaches are siccing their centers onto Domas to neutralize his bruising postgame. In this three-game sample, that strategy worked. He shot 42% against Lopez (his nickname, Splash Mountain, more aptly describes his size and love of Disney than his stroke this season), Steven Adams, and Rudy Gobert. 

Domas is strong enough to post up against bigger, longer players, but he has to diversify his game to stay efficient.

One method is to exploit his speed advantage. Here Domas faces up and gets a screen before spinning and scoring. Notice how he keeps the ball high on the spin move to avoid getting stripped.

Domas is also adept at these quick shots in the lane. He flips them up before Lopez’s length can get to them. Also, excellent awareness to find the pocket of space and be an escape valve for the ball handler.

In the 3rd quarter, Domas was degantis (Lithuanian word for “on fire”), scoring 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Even his maligned jumper was wet. Here he makes Lopez pay for abandoning him to help on the drive. 

This make may seem meaningless in a midseason blowout loss, but this shot is critical going forward. Centers big enough to battle Domas down low are not nimble enough to guard out high. If Domas can punish slow-footed bigs with enough shooting and off-the-bounce verve from the outside, opposing coaches may be forced to put smaller, more agile players onto him. Players who will have to be peeled off the court once Domas steamrolls them.

Domas also picked apart the defense as a passer from the elbow. This backdoor cut works so well because Domas is a dribble hand-off hub. Defenders expect players to come up to receive quick pitches around Domas’s massive screens. 

Every strategy has a tradeoff. In the previous clip, it’s obvious that the Bucks are content to sacrifice outside shots in exchange for choking off the paint. But look at that pass again. 

Sweet dish, right? It’s on time and on target, but it’s only possible because Lopez is playing off Domas. There are consequences to punting on a pass rush: clear passing lanes and an unpressured quarterback with all day to throw.

He’s long, strong, and fundamentally sound — always in a defensive stance with his arms wide. He has a great motor but plays under control. He stays on his feet against pump fakes and is plenty feisty without fouling. Watch how RJ ducks under the screen and hustles back to challenge Jimmy Butler at the rim.

Away from the ball, he keeps his head on a swivel to track the on-ball action and his man. This attentiveness makes him an effective help defender. Here he rotates early to take away the ball handler’s open path to the basket while his high hands prevent that pass for a layup. Coach Krzyzewski would be proud of this anticipatory textbook defense.

Though he defended Jimmy Butler, he usually doesn’t guard the other team’s best perimeter players (Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock do) but he has the physical tools and IQ to take on that nightly challenge. One thing holding him back from being a better on-ball defender is his size. RJ struggles to get “skinny” when fighting over screens. He often gets clipped, allowing his man to slip by on screens.

Analyze me, surprise me, but can't magmatize me

Playing with All-Star Julius Randle and a point guard resigns him to an off-ball role. Even without a lethal 3 point shot — he’s shooting about league average this season — he provides value away from the ball. He constantly moves into open pockets of space and maintains clear driving lanes for teammates. If defenders ignore him, RJ cuts behind them for layups.

When the ball swings to him, he’s decisive. He either lets it fly or attacks right off the catch against scrambling defenses. Despite his burst off the blocks, his off-the-dribble game is composed. This is a typical RJ drive. He grabs and goes to his left hand. His initial driving angle is wide, but his last two steps take him directly to the hoop. Note how he uses his body to protect the ball from one of the best defenders in the league.

If his initial move gets cut off, he can change direction with his handle. He’s a bruising finisher, scoring through contact, but he’s nimble enough to euro-step around defenders too. What’s most encouraging is that he can play within speeds on his dribble drives. Here he rejects the screen and decelerates to put the defender in a tough spot. Then he displays a veteran’s patience to wait for the help defense to retreat before going in for the score.

RJ has a blossoming midrange game as well. He looks fluid launching pull-up jimbos and he can string together advanced dribble moves to create space for step-backs. If defenders barricade the rim, RJ lofts runners and floaters over the top. Here he snakes the dribble on the pick and roll, throws in a little hesitation, and banks in fadeaway. It may not be pretty, but this play shows patience, change of pace, and the strength and composure to finish through contact.

Now, this part of his game is a work in progress, but these in-between shots are important to master as defenses shut off the most profitable looks at the rim and around the 3 point arc. Especially so for RJ as he doesn’t possess elite explosion to finish over rim protectors.

As a tertiary playmaker, he works off of dribble handoffs and occasional pick and rolls. His size allows him to find teammates and whiz passes over the defense. Here his penetration draws all five defenders to the paint before he fires this laser to the weakside corner for the hockey assist.

He can deliver the ball from a variety of angles and has good timing, touch, and accuracy on his passes. This was the first play out of halftime, drawn up for RJ. Check out the subtle head fake he gives to the corner to get the defender to vacant the paint.

The world is yours, RJ

There’s a not-too-distant world where RJ is leading the tank brigade and soaking up every possession as a lead ball-handler. In that scenario, he could easily average over 20 points, eight rebounds, and six assists a game. What would the narrative be then? 

In the real world, RJ is thriving in his supporting role. His off-ball ancillary skills he’s developing now will benefit him when he’s the starring act. Until then, he needs to improve his shooting, polish his handle and in-between game, and get more reps as a playmaker. Even now he should be more of a threat in transition. In short, RJ’s raw. But he has the outline of a two-way beast, a three-level scorer and lead playmaker capable of dominating with or without the ball. 

That forecast might even be selling him short. On the court, RJ is your high school’s tuba-playing, stage-show acting, three-sport star valedictorian who will succeed at whatever he chooses to do. What’s stopping him from developing into a post-up brute who bullies opposing guards? He could play the 4 and turbo-charge the Knicks attack without sacrificing their defense. On that end, his size and rebounding ability give him the potential to be a switchable stopper — a Ben Simmons Lite. 

RJ’s career is a choose-your-own-adventure book. We don’t know how his story will unfold, but with his physical tools, IQ, motor, and jack-of-all-trades skill set, Knicks fans can rest assured that the book will have a happy ending. 

A sharpened Swiss Army Knife

RJ has been an average 3 point shooter this season — a major improvement from his rookie year. His shot selection shows discipline, as nearly all of his attempts come off of catch-and-shoot opportunities. When teams closeout, he gets into the lane for what he does best: muscling his way to the rim. When his initial drive gets walled off, he has just enough handle to change direction and punish defenses.

He can skate around help defenders with a Euro-step and finish with either hand too.

If defenses run him off the 3 point line and choke off paths to the rim, he’s comfortable pulling up against sagging defenses in the midrange. Here, he creates a mile of space with a between the leg drag dribble and stepback jumper.

Guards a beast then picks up a Dame

He has the speed, size, and motor to switch across four positions. Here he rotates early to Enes Kanter. His high hands and wide base deter the pass for a layup. Kanter sheds RJ pretty easily — Enes the Menace bullies fellow big men — but he doesn’t get bulldozed either. He holds up long enough for help to arrive and contest the shot.

In transition, he picks up Dame Lilliard. RJ has to step up to take away the pull-up 3. Dame dusts bigger wings who step up this high, but RJ has the quickness and length to stay with him. Great defense until he gets hit with friendly fire — screened by his own man. Also, Dame is having an MVP-worthy season, no shame in getting beaten like this.

Point RJ

As a tertiary playmaker, RJ doesn’t have ample opportunities to flash his passing chops. He mostly gets the ball from dribble hand-offs or off-ball screens. From a small three-game sample size he has shown good instincts in the few chances he gets. The Knicks should have him lead bench-units to get more reps as the main ball-handler. 

Here he’s patient in the pick and roll. He puts his man on his back and waits for the play to develop. He has a ways to go to improve his handle, but it’s good enough on this play to keep the dribble alive while the Julius Randle cut wreaks havoc on the weak side.

Here is a glimpse into the future. RJ is the lead dog, initiating the pick and roll from the top of the key. Watch how he floats the lob into a tight window on the move with the right amount of touch. 

Looking for more ways to contribute

Even the most ball-dominant stars have to work away from the main action. With smart spacing and clever cutting, RJ is already effective in this way. Here, RJ cuts into the lane when his defender’s eyes are turned and puts himself in prime position for the putback. This unexpected contribution is why I love basketball. Every action, and nonaction, matters.

The current version of Vic is depressing. His broken jumper, lack of bounce, penchant to fumble the ball on drives, poor decision-making, and even worse shot selection make him a negative offensive player. He’s still contributing, but like his former teammate DeMarcus Cousins, he lives in basketball purgatory, a space where he is trapped by expectations of years past.

Echoes of the past

He’s still able to get into the lane, but he doesn’t employ fancy dribble combinations, hesitations, or change of pace moves. It’s just speed. When defenders guard him high on the floor he still has the juice to outrace help defenders to the rim.

But when the help defense does arrive, he doesn’t have the burst or craft to finish over length. He also clanks a fair number of easy layups. That’s okay — the finishing will come around. More concerning though is that he avoids contact on drives. Without free throw attempts, his efficiency lags and he has few opportunities to establish a shooting rhythm. 

Adding to this, his inability to knock down outside shots is cramping his off-the-bounce game. Defenders drop back to shut off paths to the rim. To combat this, Vic pulls up for midrange jumpers and decelerates into space to launch fadeaways. The pull-ups aren’t falling, but he has good balance and a soft touch on these one-legged fallaways.

He’s always looking to push in transition. At times, he’s too cavalier, attacking without numbers straight into a forest of limbs for turnovers and bricks. But this constant pressure forms cracks in the defense, especially when he drives to pass. Here he draws three defenders before making the hockey assist.

Vic is not a point guard, but he’s forced into the position when John Wall misses games. His passes are a tad late. He finds teammates for semi-open looks when they were wide-open a moment before. Off the dribble, he gets tunnel vision and jacks contested shots. 

This pass to DeMarcus Cousins is indicative of his playmaking. This is a well thrown pass — delivered on-target and in-stride. But it doesn’t create or exploit a strategic advantage. Cousins can’t catch and go up for a shot right away, and the next pass for him is difficult — tossed back across his body. The great pass here would have been to the far side corner, thrown just as Cousin enters the lane to occupy the paint defender.

Defending with gusto and little else

Vic provides extensive value as an on-ball defender. If he scores, he ratchets up the intensity on the following defensive possession. Isolations become personal challenges. Navigating screens is a dance and he’s always a step ahead. His blend of lateral quickness, long arms, and strength make him a tough player to go around or go through. Here he is nimble enough to cut off the initial drive and the change of direction, and strong enough to rip the ball out.

Vic is a chronic ball-watcher. This helps make him one of the best charge drawers in the league. He follows the ball the whole possession so he’s able to bolt into position when the attacker makes their move. Here, he eats LaMelo’s shoulder in transition. He doesn’t even get the call, but the timing and willingness to sacrifice his still-recovering frame is impressive. 

Even when he falls asleep on his mark, he has the reaction speed and balance to spring into action and ward off drives. At the start of this clip, Vic is in no-man’s land. When the ball gets kicked out, he turns the wrong way and takes a looping route to the shooter. But somehow he manages to jump in front of the drive even though all his momentum is taking him in the opposite direction.

But of course, ball-watching is problematic. Even with his speed, he can't contest shooters once he's lost their location — a fast driver without a map is still lost. Other times, he falls so far behind the play that he stops defending. Here, he chills in the paint, not helping on the main action nor bothering to recover to his man.

This narcolepsy affects him on the boards too. He’s in no man’s land again watching the ball. When the shot goes up, he doesn’t box out. Instead, he floats under the basket. Not exactly prime real estate for snaring boards. As punishment for his poor positioning, he gets dunked on. He even has the nerve to blame his teammate at the end of the play.

Eat your leafy greens, Victor

Vic shares many of the same frustrating aspects of physical decline as Russell Westbrook. They both lost some of their explosiveness, have suspect shot selection with jumpers that have gone haywire, and make questionable decisions. So many of their struggles are self-imposed. They would be much less damaging to their teams if they laid off the 3 ball. 

When Vic was a Pacer, he was quoted as saying, “Down two, shoot three. Every time.” Vic needs to reconsider that mantra. He’s shooting 30% on a career-high 7 attempts per contest. He shoots a healthy 38% off catch-and-shoot jumpers, but he’s canning only 28% of his 3.5 off-the-dribble prayers per game. Transition, pull-up, and stepback 3’s needed to be taken off the menu until he relearns how to cook. You can’t build a shooting rhythm if that’s all you’re eating. But open catch-and-shoot 3’s? Bombs away. He can shoot a 100 a game if they’re created organically off crisp ball movement.

To add value on offense, Vic needs to restructure his dribble-drive game. His priority should be finding open passes, not his own shot. Dribble penetration is the superfood of an offense’s diet. The major benefits are high percentage shots at the rim, open 3’s, and drawn fouls. But it also forces defenses to rotate which creates opportunities for offensive rebounds and Kobe assists — missed shots that beget put-back buckets.

When Father Time comes calling, players can’t play the same way they did when they were younger because they don’t have the same physical tools. They have to adjust. Vic is only 28 years old, but he’s going through that adjustment now. He may return to his previous athletic form, or he might not. Regardless, he needs to add skills that will sustain his game through his next contract and until the end of his career. If he doesn’t, the end may be closer than it appears. 

Vic may not be a Pacer anymore but his motor was revving this game. His physicality and activity on defense shut off dribble drives. With John Wall out, he was effective as the lead playmaker, sharing the ball and limiting turnovers.

He was aggressive in the first quarter, playing with verve and shiftiness. He dusted Hornet help defenders to get to the rim. Unfortunately, as the game progressed, his shooting selection regressed. He shot a decent 3-for-7 in the first half before going 4-for-11 in the final two quarters. Once again, a heaping helping of tough 3’s — he finished 3-for-10 from downtown — sank his shooting percentage.

Going into the 4th quarter, the game was setting up for a tight finish. But a seven-minute field goal drought by the Rockets robbed Vic of an opportunity to win the game as “the guy.” Hornets win, 119-94.

Downhill Dipo

• In previous games, Vic showcased one move when attacking downhill out of the pick and roll: the straight-line drive. Here, he sauces it up with an in and out and crossover dribble to get by Cody Zeller.

• Notice how he leaps back in front of Zeller so he can’t contest the layup without fouling.

Looking spry

• Vic jukes Zeller again out of the pick and roll, this time attacking left.

• After getting abused twice on this play, Zeller needs to back up and induce the midrange jumper.

Slip it in, Vic

• The Rockets announcers said that Victor doesn’t throw lobs. A lob might have been easier, but this slip is gorgeous.

A whirlwind under control

• Vic’s crossover continues to kill Zeller out of the pick and roll.

• Great body control to decelerate into the fadeaway when the help defender arrives.

• Cody, Cody, Cody. You need to back the f*ck up, my man.

Clinical defense

• Vic combines overwhelming physicality and textbook technique to clamp LaMelo here in isolation.

• His arms are spread wide to shrink driving lanes and passing windows. When the screen whizzes by, he stays in position between his man and the basket. Vic cuts off the first move and LaMelo’s change of direction. Realizing that he can’t out quick him, LaMelo throws his shoulder, but gets thrown back.

And 1!

• Devonte Graham with the drip.

Vic played poorly in this 111-106 loss to the Spurs. He shot 4-for-14 and finished with nine points, six rebounds, five assists, and four turnovers. Down the stretch of this tight game, he barely touched the ball. He was relegated to the role of floor spacer, which, considering his shooting struggles, does not put him or his team in a position to succeed. 

Vic had more than just a bad shooting night. He lost track of shooters off the ball, struggled to secure rebounds, and was comically inaccurate on select passes. We tend to focus on the positives, and subtle aspects of player development, but in this edition of game recap, let’s dissect Vic’s performance to better understand the anatomy of a bad game.

Botched pick and roll

• This play is tricky — the Spurs run a pick and roll with two wings. Oladipo is set to switch onto a like-sized player, while Cousins is in his customary drop-back coverage.

• DeMarcus Cousins and Vic miscommunicate here. The Rockets switch all pick and rolls with the exception of actions involving the center. Vic must have missed the memo.

Leroy Jenkins!

• There’s nowhere for Vic to go. He charges into the defense at a 2-on-3 disadvantage. His defender is backed off him ready to swallow up his drive.

• Vic doesn’t have the power or length of a Giannis Antetokounmpo or LeBron James to deploy in transition here — he needs to wait for the cavalry to arrive and run the half-court offense.

Vic Wants No Part of It

• This pass is maddening for several reasons:

  1. There’s no value gained by swinging the ball. 

     • Vic passes up a wide-open above the break 3 to set Cousins up for… a wide open above the break 3. Cousins is not a markedly better shooter than Vic. 

  2. This is the type of shot he should be taking – not passing.

     • He shoots eight percentage points higher on catch-and-shoot 3’s than the off-the-dribble variety. 

     • This look is a golden opportunity to establish a shooting rhythm. 

     • He forgoes this organically-created open look, but will force contested early shot clock off-the-dribble 3’s with no hesitation? How can he expect to find his stroke with such an unhealthy shot selection?

  3. If you’re going to stand there, shoot!

     • The purpose of Vic’s positioning is to clear a lane for dives to the basket, but it only works if the defense thinks he will shoot.

     • Why is Vic stationed at the 3 point line if he’s not going to pull the trigger when the ball reaches him? 

     • If he’s not comfortable shooting from there, he needs to position himself where he’ll be a credible threat to score.

Missing the Broad Side of a Barn

• The idea is smart — hit the weakside corner as the low man enters the paint. But Victor is off-balance and too far away to deliver an on-target pass. He needs to take another dribble and get deeper into the lane before whipping the ball cross-court like this.

Getting caught ball-watching

• Vic lingers in the lane to scope out the pick and roll. That’s fine. But he needs to tell Eric Gordon (on the wing) to switch onto the sweet-shooting Patty Mills.

When it rains…

• An active off arm gets him by the over-aggressive defender. The help defense appears but doesn’t impact the play.

• This is encouraging — he blows past his man in isolation.

• The on-ball defender needs to take three giant steps backward. He should be inviting Vic to shoot at all times.

Make It Stop!

• Vic just checked back into the game. First offensive possession, shooting 4-for-13, 19 seconds left on the shot clock, and he takes this abomination? Why? Does he not want to succeed?

  

• The pocket of space is there, but he’s not shooting well enough to warrant this off-the-dribble pull-up 3. He needs to attack the dropped defender to get to the rim or draw a foul.

Please…

• Once again, the idea is solid but the execution is off. The Rockets arrange the pieces to set up a hammer screen for a corner 3. Vic skirts past the Spurs big man but hurls the ball into literally the seventh row.

• Vic was apparently fouled on this play, but after a game like this, he’s not getting the benefit of the doubt from me.

Victor Oladipo went down shooting in this Thunder 104-87 victory, finishing 8-for-24 on the night. Short jumpers and fadeaways dropped in for him, but results were mixed around the rim. 

What really cratered his percentage was his 1-for-8 3 point shooting. Until he finds his stroke, he needs to shelve off the dribble 3’s.

It's hard to determine whether it’s rust from only playing 72 games in the last two and half seasons or unfamiliarity with his new teammates that's affecting his play. On a night when both John Wall and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were out, he failed to step up his playmaking and produce enough points to compete with the offensively challenged Thunder team. He totaled just three assists as the stand-in point guard. That’s not all on Vic — assists are a function of teammates drilling shots. But this penchant to go for his own (often contested) shot instead of making simple passes capped the team’s offensive ceiling.

Deliberative drive

• Vic attacks straight off the pitch and rejects the screen to wrong-foot his defender.

Give him some space

• Vic is struggling from 3 point land this season — canning only 30% of his attempts — so his defender can sag off him to cut off the drive. 

• He decelerates and pushes the defender with his off arm but still can’t create enough space to get off a clean shot.

Selfish in transition

• With this miss, Vic is shooting:

  • 4-for-15 from the field.

  • 0-for-5 from beyond the arc.

  • 29% on pull-up 3’s for the season.

• What is he even taking this monstrosity? The Rockets have a 5-on-4 advantage — the lone Thunder player is sprawled under the opposite basket — with Eric Gordon on the right ready to launch behind a screen and a teammate on the left with a wide-open driving lane. 

• Plays like these aren’t going to endear him to his new teammates. Swing the ball!

Faded

• Only a few seconds later during the next possession, Vic attacks off the catch. Again, the defender sags off so he can’t blow past him. He decelerates and transitions into the fadeaway.

Triple teamed with no one to pass to

• Basketball is a simple game. Offensive players create advantages by initiating a play. Defenders rotate off their marks to try to quell advantages. When help arrives, players must pass the ball ahead of rotating defenses to maintain the advantage.

• Vic creates an advantage — he penetrates off the pick and roll and draws three defenders into the paint. Unfortunately, he misses the simple pass to the left corner.

• Missing (or ignoring) this read is especially disappointing because the corner shooter’s defender was playing way off his man, barely moving the whole possession. Against stationary defenders, Vic needs to better anticipate where the pass openings will be.

And 1!

• Rookie Mason Jones is thirsty. He played his 11 minutes with his arms up the whole time.

With relentless rim attacks. He leads the league with 25 drives per game. Despite his frame, he’s physical. He propels his body into defenders to find the direct lines to the basket and draws fouls. Check out how he picks up the ball low and swings his arms through to earn free throws. 

Defenses can’t keep him out of the paint, and Shai doesn’t have the explosiveness to finish over shot-blocking bigs. The result: Shai relies on his craftiness to score inside. The variety and unpredictability of his forays to the rim make him a fun player to watch. Here he decelerates while the help defender flies by. Notice how he uses his off arm to “swim” past his defender.

His arms are as long as his name – and he uses his length to sneak shots in before defenders can get off the ground to contest. Here, he is able to stretch out for the inside hand layup after deceptively changing pace and direction to open up space.

The Thunder’s most common play type is the side pick and roll with Shai attacking the middle of the floor. But Shai doesn’t need a screen partner to dance into the lane. He’s fourth in the league in isolation frequency. Watch the power and agility he unleashes to dislodge and then glide past Kevin Durant for the up and under step-through banker.

In the clip, he showcases the skills that make him such a prolific penetrator: the slick handle, the baffling change of pace, the rapid change of direction, and the craftiness to get the shot up when the defender reaches in. 

Shai doesn’t have tunnel vision — he passes on 47% of his drives. Typically, he comes to a complete stop, sucking in the defense, before delivering the ball to a teammate. Here (in isolation, by the way) the defensive rotations are on point, but Shai manipulates the weakside defender into closing out to the wing, leaving the corner shooter open for a higher percentage shot.

Don’t be Shai

On defense, Shai’s inactive. His motor runs, but it’s in first gear. He guards non-threatening players, but when he’s forced to defend, it’s clear that he’s in his third year in the league. He jumps on pump fakes against mediocre shooters and slams into picks when navigating screens. Still, opposing teams don’t target him. And when he turns up his activity, his 7’ wingspan shuts passing windows and harasses ball handlers. Here his high active hands pick Durant clean.

Shai avoids physicality. When he switches in the post, he sacrifices safe, positional defense between the defender and the basket to pursue steals. Perhaps this is the best solution — he’s not stoning anyone down low at a playing weight of 180 pounds with a high center of gravity. 

On the ball, he reaches when he should move his feet. Instead of chasing over screens and staying attached to ball handlers, he tries to poke the ball away from the behind. Here, it works, but he gives up plenty of open midrange jumpers with this same gamble.

He rebounds well defensively but doesn’t use these opportunities to launch fastbreak assaults. With his handle and change of pace, he should be more of a weapon in transition. For now, he’s an opportunist, forging ahead when the opposing big man is lagging behind.

What will make SGA All-NBA?

Improvement in the NBA is never linear, but Shai’s career has been the exception. His stats and his efficiency have gone up every year in tandem with his increased offensive burden. His shot selection has helped. This season, he’s exchanging midrange jumpers for shots at the rim and 3’s — firing a career-high five attempts per game — which loosen up defenses packed tight to protect the paint. 

His ability to get to the rim makes him a nightmare to switch against and even harder to defend in single coverage. Guards can barely keep him out of the lane, let alone clumsy bigs. When he beats the initial defender, he needs to get more comfortable manipulating defenses and throwing passes on the move ahead of scrambling rotations.

Shai reminds me of Devin Booker — another score-first guard who has accumulated individual statistical success. Their playing styles are different, but they are both learning that efficient scoring is not enough to take a team to the playoffs — Booker has four seasons of averaging 20 plus points and zero playoff appearances. 

Expectations are low for the Thunder now, but as young, unproven talent fills out the roster, Shai will have to round out his game. He can produce points, but to produce wins, he needs to play with consistent defensive energy, anticipate opportunities as a playmaker, and wreak havoc with his length and off-ball hustle. Given his ascent in his first three seasons from bench player to the best player on a team, these improvements seem within reach. The Thunder's future may be cloudy, but with Shai, they have their star. 

Both teams shot the ball poorly in this 112-102 victory for the Spurs. Shai was the outlier, shooting 7-for-10 from the field and 6-for-9 from the free-throw line. He made smart plays against the Spurs’ disciplined rotations, moving the ball to the open man. He had 12 potential assists, per NBA.com, but his teammates only converted on two of these plays. It may be a make-or-miss league, but this is his team now. When his teammates are struggling, he needs to be more aggressive, get to the free-throw line more, and he needs to shoot 3’s. Tonight he didn’t attempt a 3 pointer, even though he usually attempts five a game.

Layup against textbook defense

• The defender has his body slightly turned, perhaps expecting LaMarcus Aldridge to come over and ice the pick and roll. Shai takes advantage of his open stance to blow by him.

• The help arrives early and above the charge circle, but Shai decelerates and side-steps him, using his length to stretch to the rim.

• When he side-steps, he protects the ball on his outside hip to avoid getting stripped.

A lil love tap for Gay

• As he barrels into the paint, Shai puts his shoulder into the defender to stay on a direct line to the basket.

• What a creative finish! Hanging, fading in the air, tapping Rudy Gay’s right arm with the ball to score with an and 1.

Lefty laser pass

• Despite the timely rotation by the low man, this quick drive, bullet pass, and thunderous cut make this play unstoppable.

• There isn’t a defender in the league that can stay in front of Shai in isolation that high on the floor. There’s no reason to guard him that far from the hoop.

• The help defense are tied at the hips of George Hill and Al Horford, negating any impact they could have had on the play.

• Shai tends to decelerate on drives or come to a complete stop in the paint to throw passes. Being able to make single-handed passes on the move will make him more unpredictable.

Ineffective defense

• Shai must make better use of his 7 foot wingspan to provide better rim protection. He jumps backwards instead of vertically, allowing the shorter, ground-bound Patty Mills to get a bucket during winning time.

Scrappy Shai

• With less than a minute left in the game, Shai fights for the rebound and the put back bucket.

• Shai’s game is sexy: fancy dribble combinations and blurring change of pass. But despite his skinny frame, he has elite positional size and length that can impact the game if he embraces a dirtier, but no less effective, physical style of play.

And 1!

• So this is the Hill George dies on.

In this pre-Harden trade matchup, the Thunder outkicked the Nets in a track meet, 129-116. Shai played poor defense in this game, as if not to be outshone by the usual Nets defensive lowlights. He struggled to navigate screens and jumped out of position when closing out on mediocre shooters. 

On offense, he was aggressive out the gate, scoring 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting in the first quarter, and finished with 31 for the game. He drove the ball 30 times, five more than his league-leading per-game average. He racked up 22 points and dished four assists off this action. Whether in pick and roll or in isolation, the Nets couldn’t keep him out of the paint. Kevin Durant was a repeat victim, befuddled by Shai’s shiftiness and change of pace.

Serves up a dunk off isolation

• Shai sells the hesitation dribble by getting his eyes to the rim while bringing his offhand to the ball.

• Despite their length advantage, both paint defenders jump and take themselves out of the play.

• The defender in the corner needs to crash into the paint to help the helper.

Crafting a bucket

• Passes up the simple corner 3 to showcase his craftiness on a complicated drive. He combines a change of pace dribble, the Euro-step footwork, a fake pass, and a lefty up-and-under reverse layup to find space inside to score.

Hesitates and detonates

• Al Horford’s massive screen forces the Nets to switch this pick and roll. Shai pauses and bursts by his defender with a hesitation dribble.

• Look how Al Horford clears the runway for Shai.

Slip (pass) and slide

• Shai links up with Thunder’s two most veteran players to execute this play to precision. 

• Shai sets a screen for George Hill but peels back to receive the dribble handoff. The Nets are in proper position to defend the action until Hill nails Jarrett Allen with a back screen. 

• Caris LeVert (with the headband) follows the ball instead of picking up Horford.

Flailing in futility

• Shai plays bumpers cars as he chases Joe Harris around two screens. 

• When guarding shooters coming off screens, Shai should employ top-lock and position himself between his man and the screen to induce a backdoor cut.

And 1! League-wide PSA: Stop believing in Jeff Green

• Biting on a Jeff Green pump fake?! Oh no baby what is you doing?

Shai’s game is dependent on his ability to cleanly knife into the lane for buckets and kickout passes. He doesn’t have explosive leaping ability, so he relies on crafty finishes to score around defenders instead of over them. In this game, Mitchell Robinson and his 7’4’’ wingspan repeatedly denied Shai at the rim. Even with his favorite scoring zone walled off, Shai put up stellar numbers with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. Let’s look at how Shai found ways to be effective over the course of a game against one of the league’s best young rim protectors.

Denial

• Shai first tries to beat Robinson in a race to the rim. In his haste, Shai avoids making contact to ward off the shot blocker, and Robinson stretches to alter the shot.

• Robinson is able to commit to Shai because the Knicks rotate effectively, and the low man in the corner is there to help on his man.

Bargaining

• On the next possession, he attacks out of the pick and roll again. But this time there’s no defender in the corner, and Shai uses a hesitation to throw off the defense’s timing before driving and dishing.

Depression

• The Thunder run the same play as the previous clip, but on the other side of the floor. Instead of slipping a pass to Al Horford, Shai employs his tools of craft to try to create an open look inside. His pump fake gets one defender in the air, but Robinson stays on his feet. Shai throws his body into Robinson to draw the foul, but Robinson is disciplined and doesn’t bring his arms down.

Acceptance

• Once again, Shai tries to out-quick Robinson to the rim. Al Horford is plodding over to set a screen, but Shai takes off before it arrives. By the time Robinson comes over to erase the shot, the pass is already going out for the open 3.

More Acceptance (take the shots they give you)

• With points hard to come by in the paint, Shai pulls up for 3 in the pocket of space created off the pick and roll. 

• These shots force the dropped big man to come up higher on the floor, which makes them easier targets for blow bys.

• Shai shot 3-for-3 from 3 this game. 

A return to denial

• Shai’s change of pace gets him by his defender. Once again, he launches into Robinson to avoid the shot block and draw a foul, but he can’t get the finish or the call.

• This is disciplined defense by Robinson to absorb contact and force Shai to finish over his length.

Smarter Bargaining

• With Robinson all the way out guarding a stretch big man at the wing, Shai attacks quickly with an aggressive change of pace and direction. He wants more than a layup and extends his arms — James Harden-style — to collect the and 1.

Lasting Acceptance

• The Thunder run a guard-to-guard pick and roll with Mitchell defending the weak side corner. The defender guarding the screen is out of position, so he jumps out to contain Shai, who crosses over to break down the defense. Mitchell's rotation is on time, but so is Shai’s pass.

For example, it’s accepted convention that over the course of a game it’s more valuable for guards to give up on offensive rebounds and get back in transition defense. But LaMelo goes for every single rebound. Here he whiffs on the board and the steal attempt.

But when he comes up empty, he sprints back to take away the opponent’s numbers advantage. Despite the miss in the previous clip, LaMelo grabs enough boards to outweigh the risk. These plays earn his team extended possessions and force the opponent to send more troops to man the glass, slowing down their fast break offense. Plus, the coaching staff must give him the green light because on the next play he was back battling in the paint.

How LaMelo is used on defense is unorthodox. In the NBA, help defense comes from the weak side, furthest away from the ball. The idea being is it takes a long pass, lofted over multiple defenders, to reach the open man, giving the defense time to recover. But LaMelo violates these rules to help when it's not his responsibility. Here he nearly nabs the steal, but it's an unnecessary gamble when his teammates are in position to guard the play.

But this unorthodox defense is part of the team’s game plan. Instead of weakside defenders meeting the ball handlers in the paint, Hornets’ guards peel off their marks to prevent dribble penetration. This play is dangerous because if LaMelo doesn’t come up with the ball, there’s a simple pass for a Pelicans’ wide open 3. NBA teams rarely help so aggressively off the strong side corner, but LaMelo’s length forces the jump ball.

He got that vision

LaMelo is a ball mover. Per-minute, he makes the 9th most passes in the league. Where

his brother Lonzo’s scoring passivity neuters his ability to create passing openings — LaMelo is aggressive. His vision shines when he’s on the move against scrambling defenses. The variety of passes he serves with either hand make him unpredictable. But his preferred method of delivery is the jump pass. He throws them so often it’s as if he forgot he had a growth spurt. 

LaMelo gets into the air with a plan — he knows where the checkdown receivers are. He employs jump passes to fire bullets over the defense. Here this hard-hitting over-the-head pass reaches the roller before the help defense can arrive.

His defensive rebounding powers the transition attack. Even after makes, he hustles to take the ball out and put pressure on relaxed defenses. In the open court, he’s more Jason Kidd than LeBron James — he drops passes to trailers and sprays the ball to shooters. On this play, he forgoes dribbling entirely and unloads this bomb.

The Hornets use him as a screener — most often for Gordon Hayward — to leverage his playmaking. LaMelo’s screens are all bones and elbows but they’re effective. These plays cause breakdown because opposing point guards don’t want to switch onto Hayward — he will abuse them how he abuses hair gel. In the opening created from this action, LaMelo attacks deliberately to keep the advantage. 

Defenders tend to duck under screens to prevent his drive. LaMelo takes what the defense gives him and shoots with no hesitation. He’s only shooting 32% from 3 this season, yet he’s weaponized his jump shot with a convincing pump fake. Watch how he gets his defender in the air before Euro-stepping to find space for a floater. Again, this is the biggest difference between the brothers Ball. LaMelo gets shots up, while Lonzo doesn't. Their ability to make the shots is irrelevant. Defenses have to guard LaMelo tighter because he’s a threat to shoot.  

When he attacks closeouts, he changes pace, speeding past defenders and then downshifting to pick out passes to shooters. He struggles to finish at the rim, but he’s learning. Through the extensive trial and error that comes with being a lead ball handler, he’ll develop the craftiness needed to score against bigs. Here, he gets into the lane off an isolation. He absorbs the contact and has the body control and presence of mind to Euro-step and drop a dime to his teammate. 

LaFuture

LaMelo is the new-age Manu Ginobli. At first Gregg Popovich thought Manu’s game was too “mustardy” to work in the NBA. He eventually grew to embrace Manu’s creative and risky tendencies. A decisive moment in both their careers was when Coach Pop realized that forcing Manu to play more conventionally would lessen his impact. 

The Hornets coaching staff provides a structure that enables LaMelo's gifts. He’s emboldened to crash the offensive glass. As a screener and an initiator, he gets opportunities to showcase his playmaking abilities. They mix up their defensive coverages to give LaMelo chances to succeed. They play a lot of zone and even break out a full-court press. LaMelo struggles to keep driving guards out of the lane, but his length and activity at the top of the zone are assets. He deflects passes and is learning to contest shots under control and without fouling.

LaMelo has question marks surrounding his shooting, scoring, and on ball defense. The answers to these questions won’t be answered for years. But his visionary passing, rebounding, creativity, positional size, and willingness to get physical make him impactful right now. He’s not an explosive athlete, but his length and awareness will make him valuable as a help defender.

His most glaring flaw right now is his engagement. Every player gets caught ball watching, but LaMelo wipes his shoes and futzes with his uniform during gameplay. This isn’t high school, Lithuania, or the JBA anymore. These ticks are annoying because they’re easily fixable. 

For this season, the coaching staff will have to find the balance between giving him the freedom to make mistakes while the team competes for a playoff spot. But in the future, how will his team’s offensive and defensive identity shift to match his skills? He's already changing how I think about basketball, but how will his unique play influence the league?

The Hornets beat the Pelicans in this matchup of brothers, 118 to 110. LaMelo’s defense is inconsistent. On the weak side, he rotates on time and uses his length to zone up between shooters to take away skip passes. But he struggles when the action comes his way. He abandons his man to chase hopeless steals. This overaggresiveness leads to easy kick out passes and open 3’s.

With four offensive rebounds this game, LaMelo is slowly convincing me that attacking the glass is worth the risk of shaky transition defense.

On offense, LaMelo is developing compelling chemistry with Gordon Hayward. They take turns screening for each other in pick and roll action. LaMelo feeds him the ball against mismatches and targets him in transition. A rapport with the team's best player will give Coach Borrego more of an incentive to play LaMelo during winning time.

Ball beats Ball for ball

• LaMelo’s two best skills shine here: his nose for the ball and his passing. He beats his brother, Lonzo Ball, to the rebound before hitting the cutter in stride with a lefty hook pass.

Off ball wardrobe adjustment

• As the low man, LaMelo does his job. He rotates into the paint to deter the pass to Zion Williamson and then closes out under control to the shooter. But there’s room for improvement. He needs to move with urgency to prevent Josh Hart in the corner from getting the shot off.

• Notice at the beginning of the clip how he adjusts his uniform as Zion makes his rim run. This momentary lapse in attention gets him slightly behind the play — he needs to stay engaged. 

• Miles Bridges overhelps on Zion and leaves his man open for a kick out pass which leads to the assist.

Connectivity on defense

• This rapid perimeter switching is on point. Terry Rozier helps off his man to cut off the driving Lonzo. Lonzo makes the easy pass for the open 3, but Gordon Hayward rotates over to take away the shot. Notice when Hayward closes out he denies the pass to the corner shooter. The ball handler dusts Hayward, but LaMelo chokes off the drive and forces the wayward pass.

• This unorthodox defense is designed to prevent dribble penetration. NBA defenses typically send help from the weak side — not from the closest perimeter defender.

Flashy pass leads to turnover

• Unnecessarily saucy — even if the pass was on target, Rozier isn’t going to pull up from the logo. 

• LaMelo was benched after this play. 

Gone in six seconds

• His quick push in transition creates a numbers advantage.

• This is the benefit of his defense rebounding — it triggers the fast break. He can get the ball and go — no waiting for an outlet pass.

And 1!

• Mambo-with-a-Biyombo > Hack-a-Shaq

LaMelo chases every rebound. On the offensive boards, it’s generally more valuable to get back on defense and let the bigs battle. But he was effective in this game. Three of his 12 rebounds came on the offensive glass.

When the other team’s shots go up, he positions himself under the rim as if waiting for a piñata to pop. These defensive rebounds jump-start the transition attack. But in other ways, he struggles to make a difference on defense. He deflected a couple passes, but he fell for too many pump fakes and got blown by on rushed closeouts.

What shines the brightest now are his natural strengths and abilities. He needs to learn to trust his 6'9" wingspan, and force players to finish over his length.

Creates a late-quarter open look with his strength and balance

• Throughout the game, LaMelo created open shots at the end of quarters and against shrinking shot clocks. In these instances, he relied on his strength, balance, and length to "force" plays. Here, he tucks the ball like a running back and blasts through the double team.

• Quiz time: What did the Hawks help defense do wrong?

Clever closeout

• LaMelo is trapped between two shooters. If he commits and closes out to the wing, Kevin Huerter can make the simple pass for the higher percentage corner 3. But Huerter can’t be left open either. LaMelo’s solution: Run at the shooter while throwing his body, arms splayed, into the passing lane.

• LaMelo usually expresses his creativity through his passing, but here we see how his creativity manifests itself on defense.

Spacing out on transition defense

• While the shot is in the air, Lamelo wipes the bottom of his shoes. If De’Andre Hunter doesn’t sprint in transition, his idleness wouldn’t have mattered. But he needs to stay engaged throughout the play and get back in transition.

• To be fair: His teammates are more guilty of not getting back, and he started the pinball passing sequence that led to this missed open 3.

Screen and dishes

• LaMelo sets a solid screen and attacks the 4-on-3 situation off the short roll. He finishes the play with his go-to move — the jump pass. With his length, the jump pass creates wide passing windows through which he can deliver the ball faster over the top of the defense.

• The Hornets ran this action a few times, but they should have used it more. It forces Trae Young, the Hawks weakest defender, into the play, and it puts LaMelo in a position to make plays with a numbers advantage.

¿Lamelo hable Español?

• The Hornets run the Spain pick and roll. A Spain pick and roll is when a screen is set for the ball handler, and then a third player sets a screen on the player defending the man rolling to the rim. Here, P.J. Washington screens for LaMelo. Then, Terry Rozier sets a back screen on Clint Capela to take him out of the play.

• Cam Reddish (in the paint) can’t come off his man without giving up the pass for the lob dunk.

• When defenses break down like this, they need to stanch the bleeding — force offenses to throw an extra pass or take a less profitable shot. Here, Reddish needs to commit to LaMelo on the drive and Hunter needs to crash down on Washington to take away the lob. If that happens, the open play is the pass to the corner. Surrendering a corner 3 is undesirable, but it's better than giving up a guaranteed layup. The threat of LaMelo’s playmaking left the defenders rooted in place.

And 1

• Coach Borrego needs to get the Hornets’ chemistry to the level of Ashley ShahAhmadi and Gerald Henderson.

LaMelo started this game 0-for-7 and finished 3-for-13. Despite the dry shooting spell, he stuffed the stat sheet with 14 rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and only one turnover. More importantly, he learned from his mistakes and made improvements in-game, like software updating in real-time. In this edition of Game Recap, we can see how fast LaMelo learns from mistakes and makes adjustments, in a new series we’re calling Rookie Plays, Veteran Plays.

Rookie layup

• LaMelo attacks downhill off a double screen, but gets his up and under layup erased by Nerlens Noel.

Learning Moment

• At the next dead ball, P.J. Washington demonstrates to LaMelo how to get into the body of the defender and extend the ball to avoid the shot block.

Veteran layup

• Off the pump fake, LaMelo seeks contact and uses his off arm to create separation for the layup. 

• After the play, he complains to the referee with veteran incredulity.

Rookie pass

• Even with the look-away, this pass is too lackadaisical against NBA-level athletes. This horns set is ubiquitous in the league — defenders know the ball is going to the elbow here.

Veteran pass

• The combination of the forceful rim run and LaMelo's decisive pass makes this play too fast to defend for the low man chasing in from the weak side corner.

• Julius Randle needs to have his hands up to deny the bullet pass. A lofted pass would have given the help defense more time to recover.

Rookie Defense

• LaMelo is guarding the shooter in the strong side corner. His top priority is to prevent a corner 3. Generally, defenders in LaMelo’s position will stunt at the ball handler before recovering to their assignment. But LaMelo doesn’t stunt or stay attached to Kevin Knox in the corner – he spins in place.

• LaMelo is standing upright with his arms by his sides even though the ball is in front of him — he needs to be in a defensive stance.

• Coach Borrego points and claps at LaMelo to get back to his man

Veteran defense

• This is the same possession as the previous GIF, seconds later. LaMelo starts out zoning up between two weakside shooters — textbook technique as his teammates are in help position. As the defense resets, LaMelo gets into the passing lane and unfurls his length to force a turnover.

Veteran peacekeeping

Jrue Holiday has been in the league longer than you think. Now in his 12th year, he’s been to the playoffs four times, advancing to the second round twice. But this is his first season on a contender. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton soak up the offensive possessions. Can Jrue thrive off the ball? And when he does run the show, will he be productive enough to warrant taking the ball out of the hands of his All-Star teammates?

Jrue is celebrated for his perimeter defense. But he’s only 6'3". What kind of improvement can he make on the team’s defensive cohesion? Can he withstand the screens, passing, and movement teams will use to negate his impact?

To say Jrue is “underrated” would be tired at this point. What makes him underrated? Perhaps we can’t figure out what he excels at.

All the small things

It starts with his court awareness and positioning. He’s engaged the entire game. No movement is wasted. On defense he gets into help position early, ready to rotate at a moment’s notice. He can stray off his man because he has the speed to close out to shooters and the length to deflect passes. 

Playing heavy minutes with Giannis and Middleton, Jrue rarely initiates the offense. Opposing defenders sag off him. To combat this, Jrue moves with purpose, maintaining wide spacing and passing angles as plays develop.

In this clip, Jrue doesn’t have the ball, nor is he guarding the ball, but these subtle plays (two are atypical for guards) help his team win. He bumps a cutter to cause a deflection and an eventual turnover. His textbook denial on the back cut earns him a steal. And he sets a hammer screen against a much bigger player to free up a teammate for a shot. 

Jrue does the little things that make big things possible. In the pick and roll, the Bucks drop their big men back to take away shots at the rim, and to protect their bigs who struggle to defend ball handlers in space. Traditionally, this defensive scheme yields open midrange shots. But Jrue's effort and agility to avoid screens and stay attached to ball handlers limits these looks.

Chasing quick, explosive guards over screens will result in occasional blow bys. Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell shook him a few times. But when he gets burned, he makes sure it's first-degree, not third-degree. He gets beat to where the help is. Even juked, he competes to the end of the play. He doesn’t panic or exacerbate the situation by fouling. 

Jrue also provides rim protection. He crashes into the paint on lightning-fast rotations to swipe steals and prevent layups. In emergencies, he can get vertical. Here he forces the miss against the 7-foot Thon Maker. 

As a playmaker, he’s patient and unselfish. He slows down in transition, foregoing his own chance for points to find streaking teammates. Giannis is often the beneficiary. He storms disorganized defenses on the move for dunks and free throws. 

The Bucks move Jrue around the court like a queen on a chessboard. He creates open looks from the dunker’s spot, the corner, and from the top of the arc, orchestrating the pick and roll. When help defenders arrive, he flings passes over his head and behind his back. Here, he slips dimes in transition and lasers the ball with both hands.

His passes can be off-target at times and he picks up his dribble before cracking the defense. But these issues should be smoothed out over the season as he gets accustomed to playing with his new teammates. 

Jrue gets offensive

Though not a dead-eye shooter, Jrue decisively fires open catch and shoot jumpers. He attacks closeouts without hesitation if his defender moves toward his All-Star teammates. When the shot clock winds down, Jrue can get buckets too. His silky step-back jumper is a fail-safe to get him an open shot. And his left hand is so skilled. Here, he comes off a double butt screen and floats a southpaw hook over Gobert.

Jrue has a flashy handle — watch how often he unleashes his behind the back dribble — that he employs to get out of tight spots and burn the defense. If he gets an angle on his defender, he bullies his way to the basket for layups and kick out passes – no need to set a screen for him.

He picks his spots to assert his physicality. He’s not the Incredible Hulk; he’s Superman. For stretches of action, he’s engaged by not being assertive. He doesn’t force shots or passes, or drive recklessly into a thicket of defenders. But when the Bucks need him to score, Jrue tosses his glasses, rips open his oxford shirt, and reminds you of his strength. Here, Jordan Clarkson is right with Jrue until he bounces off him. 

Guards weren’t the only victims of his bullying. He dominated his matchups with Larry Nance Jr. and Aaron Gordon. They could barely dribble against Jrue’s hounding perimeter defense. Down in the post, they couldn’t use their size advantage to carve out space for open shots. They got stuffed every time.

Jrue to the rescue

The Bucks lead the league in shots taken between 22-18 seconds on the shot clock, considered “very early” by NBA.com. They are also third to last in passes per game. Coach Mike Budenholzer encourages his players to shoot if open. Early offense isn’t bad — encouraging players to shoot instills confidence and empowers them to expand their game. 

But the Bucks have been eliminated from the playoffs two years in a row because they failed to adjust when shots stopped going in. In a series where a poor shooting streak can end your season, the Bucks need someone to keep the ball moving instead of letting it fly. The more actions their opponent has to defend, the more likely they are to break down and give up open shots. With his patient playmaking, Jrue will sacrifice decent looks for himself to create these open shots for his teammates.

This patience and versatility makes the Bucks malleable and raises their ceiling to favorites in the East. Jrue provides a steady hand to calm an offense that can get 3 point happy. His balanced shooting, slashing, and playmaking skills allow him to fill any role the team needs. His movement and screening make him a threat off the ball. If Giannis or Middleton are playing well, he will space the floor to give them room to cook. But if Giannis keeps careening into a walled-off paint, or if the Bucks go cold from the 3 point line, Jrue should have the ball in his hands.

At his best, he can blast his way to the hoop for layups and leverage his playmaking to weaponize Giannis and Middleton as finishers. On the other end of the court, he's a linebacker — fast, physical, and unrelenting. He combines steady possession by possession positional defense and the ability to make big plays with his active hands. 

For the Bucks to advance to the finals, they have to embrace adjustments. With Jrue, they have a versatile player that unlocks new possibilities on offense and defense. But when the chips are down, how will they use him?

Big plays

David smothers Goliath

• He dominated Aaron Gordon. Jrue hounded him full court, draining seconds off the shot clock as Gordon inched the ball up. Jrue stonewalled him in the post as well.

• Gordon needs to learn he can’t post up Jrue. This was my face every time he tried.

Welcome to the f***in league

• Despite the fundamental box out, Jrue climbs over Cole Anthony for the beastly rebound. Jrue then escorts the rookie into the post, working him over slowly before getting him up in the air for the and 1. 

• You can hear someone shouting: “Help! Help! Help!” Jordan Bone, a fellow rookie, swipes down on the ball to no avail. 

Teammate dimes him up in transition

• Jrue completely helps off of Cole Anthony to blow up the pick and roll and force the errant pass.

• At the start of their possession, the Magic cleared out the right side of the floor so Cole and Nikola Vučević have more space to run a pick and roll. The downside is the Magic shooters are bunched up on the weak side. Jrue can afford to come off his man because Bryn Forbes is in position to guard two players at once.

• Let’s be honest: The pass is the reason we GIFed this up.

Threads the deep ball for buckets

• This pass made me check to see if Jrue Brees played football in high school. Sad spoiler alert: He didn’t.

Fast hands prevent the layup

• Great discipline to stay on his feet for the pump fake and then strip the ball without fouling.

• This should count for more than a steal in the box score.

Small plays

Screen Assist without the screen

• To dodge Jrue’s screen, Dwayne Bacon takes one circuitous step and gives up a layup.

Ball denial thwarts a back cut

Bad plays

The Rookie gets revenge

• As the game went on, Cole Anthony got more comfortable against Jrue. Here, he crosses him over and leaves him in the dust. Credit to Jrue for competing to the end of the play and Middleton rotating to meet Cole at the top of the charge circle.

Garbáge Time

• 4th quarter summary: Stuff the Magic Dragon rode the team’s noise meter, and the Bucks blew the game open on a 22-2 run with Giannis and Jrue on the bench.

January 9th, 2021

Jrue Holiday stepped up on the second night of a back-to-back. He got to the line a season-high seven times. With Giannis Antetokounmpo missing the game with back spasms, Jrue …

Read more

January 8, 2021

Jrue Holiday’s versatility is tailor-made for a Bucks offense that has multiple all-star caliber players with established roles. He doesn’t initiate the offense, but he spaces the floor, makes extra passes, roams in the dunker’s spot, sets screens, runs the occasional pick and roll and splashes 3’s off the catch. Playing with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, it’s important Jrue can impact the game without dominating the ball.

Jrue’s physicality is felt on every possession. While defending pick and roll action, he teleports over screens to body up on guards. Off the ball, he bumps cutters like prime Andrew Bogut. When he can’t blow by the opponent with his smooth handle, he uses his strength to bully his way to the rim. He even attacked Gobert in the paint for buckets. 

The Jazz would pull this one out, 131-118 over the Bucks, but it’s clear that Jrue adds a dimension of toughness and activity that has been missing from previous Bucks teams.

1. Sweet pass draws first blood

• Jrue sets a screen for Khris Middleton and flares to the top of the arc. He runs a pick and roll and as both defenders converge on him, he rifles the ball away from his body’s momentum to DiVincenzo past the outstretched arms of  Royce O' Neal.

• Middleton’s cut makes this play. He overloads the strong side so when Jrue and DiVincenzo run the pick and roll, the opposite corner—where the help should come from—is empty.

• Looks like Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell miscommunicated. Conley is ready to switch while Donovan chases over the screen.

2. Smart spacing

• Brook Lopez (in the corner) and DiVincenzo (in the dunker’s spot) toggle positions to neutralize Rudy Gobert’s impact as a rim protector. Gobert can’t help off his man without giving up a simple pass for an open 3. Instead, Conley, the shortest player on the court, is responsible for helping on Giannis’ rim run.

• Look how DiVincenzo and Jrue move in tandem to maintain spacing and clear passing angles for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

3. Takes on two defenders with handle and power

• Jrue attacks quickly in semi-transition, but can’t get around Mitchell. O’Neal provides help and Gobert looms at the edge of the paint.

• His behind the back dribble creates space before he muscles his way under the rim. Even while double-teamed, he has the composure and patience to find the opening for the shot.

• Poor Royce O’Neal. He gets juked and then jumps twice on pump fakes before being called for the foul.

4. The screens are lava

• Jrue fought over, blasted through, ducked under, and spun off screens. He wasn’t perfect — Gobert pummelled him to free up open shots — but his effort is refreshing to see in a league where switching screens is the default.

5. Jrue competes like a hungry dog

• The game is over, but Jrue’s still competing. He rips Mitchell and gets the goal-tended bucket. His hands would make the Sticky Bandits proud. 

And 1!

• Bobby Portis puts his hands up to God, asking what he did to deserve this. God didn’t do this, Bobby. You did.

I wanted to write about Trae Young because I’ve only seen his exceptional handles, beautiful floaters, and pick and roll highlights with John Collins. I don’t know how he plays within the flow of the game. He had great stats last year and made the All-Star Game, but what amount of that is substantively helping the Hawks’ chances of making the playoffs? 

And what about the coaching, and the organization around Trae? Are the Hawks hindering Trae’s and the team’s defensive development by protecting him in the regular season? What about his license to shoot half court threes early in the shot clock, or the lack of a role for him off ball?

Last season, the Hawks (sans Vince Carter) were hatchlings. This year he has Rajon Rondo to run the second unit, Clint Capella to protect the rim, and Danilo Gallinari to cash jumpers and bully mismatches. John Collins, Cam Reddish, and De’Andre Hunter are another year older. So strap in, and enjoy the Trae Young experience.

A game powered by threes and floaters

Trae is less reckless than I expected. And much less ball dominant. He makes quick hit-ahead passes in transition. When Collins or Gallinari have a size mismatch in the paint, he finds them in spots where they can score effectively. 

He doesn’t force too many shots, though as the team’s best player he has that leeway. When the shot clock is winding down and you think he has to isolate, he whips last-second passes to cutters for layups.

But Trae is still a showman. He takes deep, no pass, early shot clock 3’s, particularly on possessions after sinking his free throws. This one against the Grizz is open, but he launches this bomb seven seconds into the game — the scoreboard hasn’t appeared on the screen yet.

Trae unleashes his floater instead of getting to the rim. He uses it to throw off the defender’s timing, eliminating the threat of a shot block. For now, that floater is a crutch. Unless he dusts his defender off the dribble, he struggles to finish at the rim through contact. 

He took a lot of floaters, but he’s only made 38.7% of his shots between 3-16 feet this season — below league average. That’s okay. These misses had nothing to do with the defense. Having a reliable shot he can get to repeatedly bodes well for his scoring efficiency. 

Great decision-making in the half court

Trae’s vision, handle, and shot-making rescue late shot clock and clutch time possessions. Up by three with 90 seconds remaining, Trae targets Grayson Allen in the pick and roll and gets switched onto him. Trae drives into Jonas Valančiūnas’s help but fakes the behind the back pass, throwing the ball between his legs, while Allen bodies him up! The bamboozled Valančiūnas rushes to close out to Collins, leaving the lane open for an uncontested layup. Trae's ability to manipulate the defense to get a favorable matchup and then to eliminate the help defense is masterful.

Trae pushes the ball in semi-transition to create organic pick and rolls. Defenders pick him up as soon as he crosses half court to take away his 3 point shot. He leverages that aggressiveness. See how Trae ducks in behind Collins, causing Ja Morant to fall a half step behind the play.

Out of the traditional pick and roll, Trae can do it all. He throws the lob, hits the corner shooter, gets to his floater, or slams on the brakes mid-drive, absorbs contact, and gets to the line. If the big man shows above the 3 point arc, he can split the pick and roll or drop a slick pocket pass.

Here Gorgui Dieng and Ja Morant trap Trae against the sideline. The only play is the pass to Hunter at the top of the key, right? A crossover, between-the-leg dribble combination gets him in the lane for his floater. Take a look at the subtle body fake he gives to Kyle Anderson to make him think he’s going to toss the lob to Collins.

Before the pick and roll, Trae often receives a quick pitch so he can attack with a head of steam. Off this dribble handoff and Capela screen, both perimeter defenders chase Trae, who whips the ball to the open Bogdanović.

Like any lead ball handler, he commits turnovers, but his decision-making is sound. His dangerous passes are calculated risks that will reap rewards as he gets more comfortable making them. This half court heave looks like a Hail Mary, but Trae knows his personnel. Collins has the height and leaping advantage over Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris, and would be able to snag this pass if Trae didn't overthrow it.

He serves as the team’s inbounder on out of bounds plays. Despite his small stature, he rarely gets stuck in the air or under the rim without an outlet. Even off ball, he spots opportunities for his teammates to drop dimes. Watch how he signals for the lob before the diving Hunter realizes he’s open.

Trae shows lackadaisical effort off ball, but he still provides spacing

Unless it's a quick pitch, when Trae gives the ball up, he rarely gets it back. The ball is his battery and without it, he stalls. He’s a statue watching his teammates play 4 on 4.

Providing space and eliminating a defender from the play is useful. Here, Kevin Huerter drives in and hits an open floater. Regardless of the play’s result, this action is valuable. And notice, because Trae is such a potent shooter, defenders dare not sag off him to provide gap help.

The Hawks have a “Roll Safe” plan for Trae

Taller players shoot over him like he’s their little brother. And this isn’t going to change — you can’t teach height. But he is already a reliable positional defender; his teammates can trust he’s in the right spots. Trae gives consistent effort on defense — the most you can expect from a player burdened with the mental and physical loads of orchestrating an offense. He’s disciplined, he doesn't overhelp, gamble for steals, or get in the air to contest jumpshots. This is smart. It keeps him out of foul trouble and whether he jumps or not, he’s not blocking anyone’s shot. 

On offense, Trae initiates contact to draw fouls, but he doesn’t keep that same energy on defense. He avoids rebounding scrums and only boxes out when he needs to. This is likely by design. Instead of jostling under the rim for rebounds he’ll never snare anyway, he’s available to receive the outlet pass and get out in transition. Overall, his effort and IQ were consistent, but not enough to make up for his physical limitations.

The Hawks’ defensive game plan protects Trae. He guards the opponent’s least threatening perimeter player. I predicted Trae would die on screens, but you...

Trae ices the ball handler in the pick and roll. If he falls behind the play, he ducks under screens or calls for switches. Off ball too, he frequently switches to save energy and limit the chances he’ll get hung up on a screen. When he lands on a bigger wing, the Hawks communicate to scram him out of unfavorable matchups. Look how seamlessly Trae and Collins execute this scram switch.

When challenged in isolation, which was rare — he spent the bulk of the games guarding Grayson Allen and Killian Hayes — he held up well, moving his feet to ward off drives to the rim. Here Trae gets switched onto Ja Morant, who the Grizzlies’ announcer refers to as a double espresso shot wearing a jersey. Trae gets into position to ice the pick and roll and send Morant towards the sideline, into Collins and Reddish. Instead, Morant drives left. Trae fends off the initial attack and when Morant goes behind his back to change direction, he competes to the end of the play.

Trae’s help defense is the biggest weakness in his game, but there’s room for improvement. Unlike the Grizzlies and Pistons, the Nets have lethal rim rolling centers in DeAndre Jordan and Jarrett Allen. They force the defender guarding the weak side corner to help off his man to muck up plays at the rim. On this rotation, Trae needs to beat Jarrett Allen to the top of the charge circle for any chance to affect the play. During the Nets game, dubbed the “Taurean Prince revenge game” by announcer Ian Eagle, Trae was slightly late on these rotations or ineffective due to his lack of size and explosiveness. And when the ball got kicked out to the corner, he wasn’t fast or long enough to close out effectively. 

Trae don’t have to change for no one

Despite his last name, we have to remind ourselves how young he is. In his third season, he’s already leading an efficient NBA offense and his path to improvement is clear. 

On the ball, Trae needs to trade the deep, no pass, early shot clock pull up 3’s, for pull up 3’s generated off pick and roll action. This isn’t the same criticism that “Playoff P” has when it comes to these types of shots. It’s the timing, not the distance. 

That shot is available every possession. Why take it as soon as you come down the court? Any pass or action should produce a closer, more open look. And if not, then that shot can go up. Those shots bail out defenses. They don’t draw fouls. Sure when they go in, they demoralize the opponent, but when they miss, your teammates just ran up the court for nothing. 

Off the ball, Trae is an untapped threat. Trae’s off ball movement would cause mismatches and botched switches. His teammates could pounce into open space created by his orbit’s gravity. But he doesn’t need to mimic Steph Curry’s non-stop movement to be effective off the ball. At the very least, the Hawks should put Trae in the weak side corner while his teammates run the offense. This would force Trae’s defender to either come off him early to defend plays in the paint and give up the pass for the 3, or stay attached to Trae and give up a shot at the rim. 

Notably, these areas for improvement do not involve passing more to certain teammates, or changing how the offense fundamentally operates. Defensively, the Hawks are a long, athletic, switchy team with young legs. They don’t have the collective experience, but physically, they have the personnel to build a defense that can protect Trae Young — in the regular season. When the playoffs come (and they will come) for this team, what will happen when opponents target Trae? Will his offensive production dip as he expels more energy on defense? Will the defensive principles they drilled during the regular season hold up? Or will his physical limitations doom the Hawks’ season?