Shai goes to finishing school
6Gifs Spurs v. Thunder
January 12, 2021
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.