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Ojeleye’s Offensive Surge Coming at Critical Time

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BOSTON – Semi Ojeleye has been praised all season long for his exceptional defensive versatility, but lately the rookie Celtics wing is proving himself to be a valuable offensive weapon as well.

The 23-year-old had the best offensive output of his career Sunday afternoon, as he dropped 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, including a perfect 3-of-3 from 3-point range, during a 112-106 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

And it was only a taste of what he has been accomplishing on the offensive end of late.

Over the last eight games, Ojeleye has averaged 5.3 points per contest while putting up incredible shooting splits from both the field (59.3 percent) and from 3-point range (58.3 percent).

It has been quite a different display from his previous 63 games, during which he averaged 2.2 PPG on 29.5 percent shooting from the field, including 29.0 percent shooting from 3-point range.

“Semi’s out there looking good!” Ojeleye's teammate Terry Rozier proudly exclaimed after Sunday’s game. “He’s looking good taking his shots and driving to the hole, and that’s what it’s about, man. When you get that repetition of playing all season, you get comfortable. And you can see he’s very comfortable right now.”

Becoming comfortable in his offensive role has been the biggest challenge for Ojeleye this season, but there’s no question that he’s always had this ability inside of him.

Just last year, Ojeleye was the American Athletic Conference scoring champion, tallying 665 total points (19.0 PPG) for the first-place Southern Methodist Mustangs. He also led the conference in offensive rating, while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from long range.

As impressive as those numbers were, it’s been difficult for Ojeleye to translate them over to the professional level. It’s not unusual at all, however, for a first-year player to face that type of obstacle, according to C’s coach Brad Stevens.

“This is a different league and it’s really hard as a young guy,” said Stevens. “You’ve gotta just do what you do best, because it’s hard to generate points in isolation in the ways that the great ones do it.”

It was easy for Ojeleye to generate points at the college level, but his offensive role-change from a go-to option to a rarely-used option forced him to make major mental adjustments this season.

“My mindset changed knowing that I’d take less shots this year,” said Ojeleye. “So I think I need to have that same mindset I had [in college] even though I’m taking less shots [in the pros]. I’m trying to find my spots and take shots when they come to me, not hesitate and just be confident.”

Stevens has had no doubt all along that Ojeleye’s confidence would eventually rise on the offensive end. The past couple of weeks – and Sunday’s performance in particular – have proven that to be true.

“I think, and I hope, that he can find his spots like he did today,” said Stevens. “Teams are going to play off of him and he’s got to be able to shoot that thing with confidence, and he should because he puts in a lot of time and a lot of effort.”

“And,” the coach added, “I was encouraged by his driving and close-outs on a couple of different occasions. If people are going to be late in trying to run him off the line, he’s got to put it on the floor.”

Take a look at what Stevens is talking about in the two plays below:

Ojeleye looked like a natural Sunday, whether he was putting the ball on the floor and driving to the hoop or rising up to shoot from beyond the arc. His increased comfortability couldn’t be coming at a better time, considering the banged-up Celtics are just about to enter the postseason and will need every offensive weapon they can get.

“The depth of this team has been one of its strengths and that will only be seen more in the Playoffs with the caliber of players that are out,” veteran Greg Monroe stated after praising Ojeleye’s recent offensive efforts. “We are going to have to rely on our (role) players, so guys have to be ready when their number is called.”

Ojeleye has proven himself ready on the defensive end all season long, which is why he’s gotten a solid amount of playing time as a rookie. Now, he’s starting to prove himself on the offensive end as well, and that should bode well for him and the Celtics come playoff-time.