The NBA has changed because of rules and skillsets. There’s a chicken and the egg thing going on there — would Steph Curry shoot as well as he does if the 3-point line was never implemented etc. — but, the game is undeniably spaced out. Even the plodding bigs who dominate the game today, dominate differently than the plodding bigs of old. The space afforded to teams has made maintaining advantages more important than ever; playing in a way to beat team-defense as whole, and progressing through correct reads collectively to shift the 5 players opposing you.
So, rather than seeing skill manifest when players are stapled to the block, teasing as much as they can out of pivots and step-throughs; we’re seeing big men like Jaren Jackson Jr., Precious Achiuwa, and Scottie Barnes carve through in space in their own inventive ways. The Raptors vs. Grizzlies matchup was a feast for the eyes for anyone who enjoys seeing big bodies do things that are typically expected of, well, small bodies.
Achiuwa — whose most famous offensive possessions most commonly involve a healthy mix of meandering and a healthier mix of devastating athleticism and coordination — caught a bail-out pass from his chaotic frontcourt partner Chris Boucher, and began his unique process: He proceeded to probe into a double-team, escape it, then sized up Jackson Jr. who had followed him out past the 3-point line. One crossover, two between the leg dribbles — all of which moved ‘JJJ’ backwards in anticipation of Achiuwa’s explosion — and then Achiuwa hit a pound dribble with his left hand, gathered it, and his brutal jump-stop in the lane moved Jackson Jr. from outside the paint to under the basket, before lightly hitting a push shot. Creative, explosive, and brutal. The exact formula that benefits Achiuwa the most. When the shot dropped? You can see Boucher on the opposing baseline unleash a massive fist pump.
You’d have to imagine he was thinking something to the effect of: “my guy just beat the DPOY in space.”
Achiuwa matched some of these outstanding, guard/wing-adjace skills with some classical big man stuff. Rolls to the rim for lobs and the like. He’s been much better at that stuff lately.
For his part, Jackson Jr. dazzled as a driver. A little throw-cross to beat Barnes in space, and long, loping steps to the rim to finish over Achiuwa. A throw-cross with the other hand on Achiuwa to get him off-balance, a spin into the lane, and a long extension for a finger roll. A stampede cut into a drop dribble, a hesi, and a euro step that went impossibly sideways before dropping in a floater. His most impressive move, though? Late in the game when the Grizzlies offense was sputtering, they threw it to their Center for early offense above the break. Big men, famously, drive on very linear tracks. There’s not usually stopping or starting, and their routes are straight lines. Jackson Jr. is fantastical in this way, because the Raptors load up on the strong-side, and Jackson Jr.’s gather starts at the 45-extended on the strong-side, and using no dribbles, he knifes his way to the weak-side of the rim before getting fouled.
Ask most men of this size to change directions that swiftly and there’s just no way. Jaren Jackson Jr. is this overwhelming big who is patrolling the paint on defense and he’s somehow squeezing into tight spaces and slithering out the other side on offense. I have long been fascinated by how he moves, and despite the 0-6 from three and the underwhelming offensive night overall, he flashed all the right stuff that makes people like myself believe he might be a guy you toss the ball to for a late bucket in the playoffs. Not to mention, the reckless abandon with which he pursues blocked shots. Lightning quick off his feet, never-ending in length, and crazy enough to pursue any shot. What a fun game for him. Grizzlies fans, I am envious.
It was that same lightning quick, DPOY-candidate that Barnes kept ground bound in the clutch. I’ve been talking about Barnes’ unique pick-up points and ability to re-orient himself towards the bucket for well over a year now, and it was exactly that skill that fueled his game-winning bucket. If Jackson Jr. gets to leap at it, he just might get it. I don’t mean to say that Barnes is uniquely gifted as a dribbler, because Jackson Jr. got a hand on the ball and this cause Barnes to bounce the ball up to his shoulders. For anyone reading, you do not want a high dribble. However, what Barnes did — that basically no one else does in the NBA — is corral the ball at his head and go up with it immediately. And all of that, in rapid succession. Barnes dipped the shoulder, covered ground, found the ball in-air and went straight up with it for a make. Most players need a moment, at the very least, to get back on balance. Barnes, though? Onward and upward.
Jackson Jr., who has made his money by attempting to break the high-jump world record every time a shot goes up around him, didn’t leave the floor for Barnes’ winning shot despite being right beside him. Barnes, now 24-40 on clutch time shots (4-8 from 3, and 12-13 from the line to boot) continues to thrive while figuring things out on the fly.
Unique skills. Unique movers. Even in a game between the 25-30 Raptors and the Grizzlies who have lost 8 of their last 9, you can find fantastic basketball.
Have a blessed day.
