Now that the NBA Draft is within the rearview and free company is tapering down, it’s time to begin waiting for Summer season League. In contrast to latest seasons, Boston has a bunch of expertise that would realistically make a push for a spot on the finish of the crew’s roster.
Nevertheless, it’s Aleksander Balcerowski who has piqued my curiosity. At 22 years previous and seven’1’’, the European massive man has some critical sport that may solely enhance by being round NBA-level expertise and training techniques. This previous season, Balcerowski performed for Gran Canaria within the Liga ACB, the place he averaged 9.2 factors and three.4 rebounds per sport.
The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmeslbach has famous how Boston has been monitoring Balcerowski’s growth and tried so as to add him to their Summer season League roster final season. A fast take a look at the movie and you’ll perceive why.
On the season, Balcerowski wasn’t a prolific perimeter scorer, hitting 25% of his three-point makes an attempt. Peel off a layer, although, and you’ve got a giant man with outlined spots on the ground.
In response to Instat’s monitoring information, Balcerowski is an above-average shooter from each wing/slot areas of the court docket, together with his weak spot instantly above the break.
Balcerowski can run pick-and-pop actions. He can flare off inverted screens. And he can place himself above the perimeter in five-out sequences that can permit Boston to take care of the spacing that Joe Mazzulla’s offensive system requires. That isn’t to say that hitting threes is all Balcerowski can do, although.
Final season, Balcerowski spent 30.9% of his offensive possession working as a roll man. At 7’1’’, you’ll anticipate Balcerowski to both be a hulking heart with restricted motion or a tall, wiry massive man who has questions surrounding his sturdiness. In reality, Balcerowski is a contented medium.
At 22, he has already begun to fill out his body and appears each bit the mandatory athlete to compete on the subsequent degree. But, Balcerowski’s footwork and hip dexterity be sure that he’s cellular sufficient to be a real massive man within the trendy NBA.
There are moments when Balcerowski exhibits a delicate contact across the rim, ending off actions that require a slight acrobatic end – equivalent to up-and-unders or reverses off motion.
And there are different occasions when Balcerowski will merely hammer it house to make sure a straightforward two factors across the rim.
A key level to notice with the above clip is how fluid Balcerowski’s actions look. Adjustments of route, backpedaling, and navigating via visitors, the 22-year-old has the motion expertise to repeatedly power defenses into powerful selections – particularly when he’s surrounded by elite shooters and penetrators.
It’s that motion that has me believing Balcerowski may very well be a high-level screener for the Boston Celtics. Along with his dimension and construct, defenders would wrestle to combat via the contact, whereas the motion expertise would make operating ‘veer’ and ‘weave’ actions extremely easy.
One ultimate observe on Balcerowski’s perimeter match with the Celtics – or another NBA crew – is that he has a official motor and may very well be utilized as a rim runner or off-ball cutter.
In actual fact, 19.2% of Balcerowski’s offense got here by way of off-ball cuts final season, be it because the path man, a rim-runner, or a secondary cutter after the preliminary motion/penetration has occurred. The massive man has an excellent really feel for when to make his cuts to offer a secondary scoring alternative.
Casting our eyes towards the inside, Balcerowski’s post-up sport remains to be a piece in progress however has proven flashes of turning into one other a part of his offensive ability set. We’re in 2023, although. So, post-offense generally is a difficult ability to refine, given the dearth of reps in that space of the ground. Nonetheless, there are methods to make issues work, and there are definitely methods to generate playmaking alternatives out of the put up.
This brings us to Balcerowski’s defensive sport, the place he blends his motion and dimension to positively impression Gran Canaria however initiatives to have a really completely different position in Summer season League and probably within the NBA.
When enjoying for Gran Canaria, Balcerowski was primarily used as an up-to-touch defender in PnR actions. As you possibly can see within the above clip, the large man is ready to bodily contact the screener earlier than making his choice on whether or not to drop, present, or hedge the possession.
A major a part of Balcerowski being utilized in one of these defensive system is because of his capability to cowl floor shortly and never get caught up when altering route. For these of you that keep in mind, it was an identical system that Mifondu Kabengele mentioned throughout coaching camp.
“Based mostly off the final two days, we’ve been in contact,” Mfiondu Kabengele advised CLNS Media/CelticsBlog in a one-on-one interview with Bobby Manning. “So the bigs have been in drop, perhaps some defensive drills we’ve switched simply to follow it. Because it pertains to going stay and switching, solely when Joe or when the teaching workers arrange a lineup the place it’s the switching lineup. That’s the place they form of do it. Thus far, we haven’t carried out lots of switching for myself personally, however it’s undoubtedly been practiced.”
On the NBA and Summer season League degree, guards shall be faster, wings shall be extra explosive, and the tempo of the sport shall be sooner with extra spacing on the ground. Balcerowski will possible spend nearly all of his time working as a drop massive, utilizing his dimension, body, and directional capability to guard the rim whereas additionally being tasked with closing out to shooters who decide to drag up from the mid-range.
As a result of restricted pattern dimension on supply in Summer season League, we might even see Balcerowski play some perimeter-based PnR protection in what could also be a hybrid position, which might permit us to see the most effective he has to supply on that aspect of the ball.
Lastly, regardless of his dimension, Balcerowski might want to enhance his defensive positioning and boxing out, as his rebounding numbers go away little to be desired. This previous season, the large man averaged 3.6 boards per sport, which is solely not sufficient given his 7’1’’ body. Hopefully, by switching to a drop position on protection, Balcerowski shall be in a greater place to assist management the defensive glass and make higher use of his dimension and body.
Total, Balcerowski might present sufficient to persuade Boston to increase a suggestion for the season, bolstering their big-man rotation and probably changing Blake Griffin. Nevertheless, as is often the case, Balcerowski will possible be again in Europe subsequent season, ready for his subsequent likelihood to indicate NBA coaches what he’s able to.
For Celtics followers, although, we’ll get a first-hand look as we speak in Vegas.
