Semi Ojeleye Impressing in SL With his Versatility
Semi Ojeleye has been a mismatch against almost every team the Celtics have faced in the Summer League so far.
Third overall pick Jayson Tatum has been the focus of the Celtics summer league action, as he should be. Tatum has been one of the most impressive rookies in both Utah and Las Vegas, and there is extra attention since Boston traded down for him from #1.
However, the Celtics’ second choice on draft night is getting more comfortable on the floor, and showing his potential value to the club. Semi Ojeleye slipped into the second round, and Boston gladly scooped him up.
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At 6’7″ and weighing around 240 pounds, Ojeleye is a beast. Not only does he have the size, but he has elite athleticism that makes him a potential game changer for the Celtics’ style of play. Ojeleye is an excellent three point shooter, and a much better defender than he gets credit for. Check out these clips where he switches on to multiple different players and keeps with them to make the Celtics very hard to score on.
This kind of ability is what makes Brad Stevens say that Ojeleye has a chance to be one of the team’s better defenders. And if you think about the previous bigs that Stevens has coached, he must be pretty excited about this young man.
Looking back at the teams Stevens has coached for Boston, his main bigs haven’t been that versatile. Jared Sullinger, Kris Humphries Brandon Bass, Tyler Zeller, David Lee, and Amir Johnson have been starters or primary role players at some point during Stevens’ time in Boston.
Now that the Celtics are positioning themselves to win a championship, the pattern in their front court personnel is clear. With Al Horford, Marcus Morris, Jae Crowder, and now Ojelye, the Celtics are looking for bigs that can create mismatches on both ends of the floor.
The Celtics summer league team lacks playmaking from the guard positions, so Ojeleye hasn’t seen as many open looks now as he will during the regular season. His stroke has been silky smooth during summer league play, so it’s reasonable to think that he’ll be able to knock down shots consistently once he gets comfortable in the NBA game.
Next: Say Hello to Aron Baynes
The Vegas summer league is about to start it’s tournament, so the amount of times we see these young players before the preseason are numbered. When watching the next game, keep an eye on Ojeleye on the defensive end dealing with players that are both bigger and smaller than he is, while punishing them on the offensive end with his physical gifts.