The sometimes tortuous career of one JaVale McGee is always offset by his incredible athleticism and length. While many question his maturity, not mention his ability to defend the pick-and-roll, there’s no denying that he’s got ups for days. His recent throw-down at the Drew League is just more evidence of his potential.
Whether McGee can put it all together for the Denver Nuggets this year and new coach, Brian Shaw, remains to be seen. But Nuggets fans are hoping to see some of these upper-stratosphere rim-rattlers next season. They also wouldn’t mind if the career 58 percent free throw shooter improved at the charity stripe so he could stay in the game a bit longer.
The free throw shooting neglects to mention McGee’s affect on the defensive end, whether you’d think a seven-footer who can jump out of the gym would be better at protecting the rim. The Nuggets gave up 102.4 points per 100 possessions with McGee on the court and just 101.7 points per possession when he was on the bench (via NBA.com/stats) Obviously plus/minus numbers are no be-all referendum on a player’s abilities, but if the Nuggets can’t get stops with McGee at center, they don’t have much of a chance at duplicating their regular season success from the 2012-13 season.
Regardless, lets just marvel at the sheer ferocity of this slam at Drew League and imagine a day when JaVale McGee figures it all out and becomes the dominant beast Nuggets brass envisioned when they traded Nene for the raw seven-footer.
What’s your favorite JaVale McGee moment from last season?
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