The Celtics selected Semi Ojeleye with the 37th pick in last night’s draft. Ojeleye is a physically imposing 6’7 combo forward who started his college career at Duke, but flourished after transferring to SMU. As the NBA becomes more position-less, one thing has become very critical- the roster can never have too many multi-positional athletic wings. The ability to go with smaller, quicker, and more versatile lineups has never been more important. Ojeleye fits the mold of a modern 3 and D NBA player.
Offense
After playing limited minutes in two seasons with the Blue Devils, Ojeleye (pronounced Oh-jah-lay) made huge offensive strides during his one full season at SMU. He averaged 18.9 points per game while shooting 48.8% from the field, 42.4% from 3, 78.5% on free throws, on a 61.9% effective field goal percentage.
Ojeleye is a talented spot up shooter, whose projected offensive role mimics the way Brad Stevens uses Jae Crowder. Ojeleye primarily played as a pro style stretch four for the Mustangs, a role that Crowder has in Boston’s small ball lineups. Per Hoop-Math, 86.3% of Ojeleye’s 3 pointers came off of assists. He spaces the floor exceptionally well, allowing his teammates to penetrate into the paint and kick out after the defense collapses. His ability to draw defenders away from the basket will be essential in Boston’s 5 out pace and space offense.
Ojeleye is also a instinctual driver. He attacks closeouts, finds open driving lanes, and has enough explosion to play above the rim. The 22-year-old shot 62.9 percent near or at the rim. 27.6% of his shots were two point jumpers, which evidences a willingness to pull up if the defense warrants it.
He can improve his overall ball handling and passing skills, but the Celtics are unlikely to rely on him for those things anyway. He’s already capable of making the extra swing pass and finding open teammates. That alone should make him a serviceable playmaker.
Defense
Ojeleye’s most pro ready attribute is his defensive versatility. It may be a cliche, but Ojeleye already has the ideal NBA combo forward body. His physical intangibles are off the charts. At 241 pounds of lean muscle and 6% body fat, he posted an impressive 40.5-inch max vertical and a 10.58 lane agility drill score at the draft combine.
He’ll have to use his athleticism to overcome a subpar wingspan, but the raw numbers translate to the court. He’s a switchable defender whose capable of locking down 3s and 4s, with the potential to defend small 5s. Ojeleye has the lower body strength to handle post up bigs, paired with the lateral agility to guard the perimeter.
It’s a coveted combination in today’s NBA. As defenses have become more prone to switching on ball screens, the smartest offensive players know how to isolate favorable matchups. Just ask Kevin Love how he performed in isolation defense against Steph Curry and Kevin Durant in the finals. Ojeleye’s multi-positional defensive skills will be his best weapon in the NBA.
I also love Ojeleye’s defensive instincts. He pressures the ball with incredible tenacity. He’s quick to identify screens and shows good burst fighting over them. Despite his short arms, he contests well on jumpers. Ojeleye is an active help defender who can close up driving lanes and swiftly recover back to his man. He shows a good understanding of team defensive concepts, and almost always makes the correct reads in rotation.
Conclusion
A lot of overconfident rookies believe that they can immediately dominate the league. They try to do too much too quickly. Consequently, the thing I love most about Ojeleye is that he understands his role in the NBA. “Guys like Draymond (Green), Crowder, (DeMarre) Carroll, they definitely opened the door for a guy like me.” Ojeleye said at the Draft Combine. “Being able to guard the 4 and being able to come off a ball screen”, “If you can do it all, it just makes you that much more valuable.”
Next: Tough Decisions at Forward for the Celtics
Ojeleye will almost certainly spend his entire rookie season with the Red Claws. However, he projects to be the prototypical 3 and D role player after some refining. The Garden crowd will feed off of Ojeleye’s effort and energy, making him the perfect Boston draftee. If Celtics fans can be patient, Danny Ainge might have found the steal of the 2nd round.