By Josh CohenMarch 3, 2016
Mario Hezonja is super athletic and he moves extremely well going north to south. But, for him to fully maximize his speed, he needs to develop more adaptations to his drives. In the play featured below, Hezonja does just that as he uses an outstanding spin move to contort his body to the left and finish with the left hand. WATCH:
With guys like Steph Curry changing the way the game is played, there will be added value to players who can make shots well beyond the 3-point line. Hezonja has made and taken more shots from 25-29 feet out than he has 20-24 feet out. He practices long distance shots regularly during his workouts (like Curry does). In the play featured below, Hezonja notices stagnation in the Magic’s offense and recognizes Mike Dunleavy leaving him just enough space to fire up a three well beyond the line. WATCH:
It will take time for Hezonja to improve his off-the-ball movements. Sharpshooters J.J. Redick and Kyle Korver became masters of off-screen shots after years of practice and experience. Hezonja is currently more of a standstill shooter (only 14.8 percent of his shots have come off screens). However, as shown in the play featured below, Hezonja has the vision to read the floor and use screens to create good looks. WATCH:
Hezonja always has his eyes on the lane. While he’s obviously a terrific perimeter shooter with picture-perfect form, Hezonja knows there is no higher percentage shot than an uncontested dunk at the rim. In the play featured below, Hezonja recognizes that Pau Gasol, Chicago’s only rim protector on the floor, has been spread out because of Nikola Vucevic’s off-screen on the wing. When he catches the pass off the curl, Hezonja sees there aren’t any defenders standing in his way. WATCH:
Hezonja has the tools to evolve into a legitimate point forward. He has superb vision and instincts. While he needs to substantially improve his ball handling, Hezonja is often able to ditch traffic by making a quick pass to an open teammate. In the play featured below, Hezonja uses his blazing speed to keep Chicago’s defense on its toes and right before he is about to stumble into a wall dumps a nifty pass to Jason Smith for an easy layup. WATCH: