Motley’s time to shine
After years of patiently developing his basketball skills, former Baylor big man is poised to reap fruits of labor
Long overshadowed by the talent around him, Johnathan Motley was always willing to wait his turn and pay his dues, as if he knew that in time, the spotlight would find him and his talents. He was right.
Motley played with Aaron and Andrew Harrison with the Houston Defenders AAU team. He arrived at Baylor where the roster was loaded with NBAbound talent. Unlike the vast majority of players that will hear them name called Thursday night in the NBA draft, he redshirted as a freshman and was initially cast a hustling role player, rather than the star face of the program he would become.
For Motley, waiting has worked. So, on draft night, he will be in New York, willing to bide his time while others are selected, confident that when the time is right, things will work for him again.
“Just hearing my name called will obviously be a dream come true,” said Motley, who played in at North Shore. “That’s my dream. I’m blessed to be in the position I am. I’m going to take advantage of any opportunity I get and go from there.” Game needed plenty of work
Motley has gotten this far by taking advantage of the opportunity to grow with the time he had to invest.
He arrived at Baylor with barely 200 pounds (if his pockets were filled with rocks) spread over his 6-9 frame. He did not have much of a face-up game.
He spent his practice time going against the abundant skills of Isaiah Austin and strength of Rico Gathers, soon to share the court — and whatever touches were left by the talent around him — with Taurean Prince.
“I think it helped me get stronger,” Motley said. “I got more mature. I think it definitely helped. It wasn’t difficult at all. I benefitted from that. Playing against pros every day, you’re always going to get better.”
Motley steadily added strength, reaching 240 lean pounds with muscle now considered among his best qualities. His wingspan was measured at 7-4, giving him ample length at power forward. He developed shooting touch, allowing him to reliably move to the mid-range. Shooting has improved
Fully recovered from a torn knee cartilage, he has demonstrated not just impressive athleticism, but improved shooting range that he believes will make him the sort of rangeshooting four he had never been at Baylor — or had been asked to be — but that NBA teams now seek.
“My game is I’m versatile, as a playmaker, a stretch four, athletic,” Motley said. “I can shoot the ball really well. I didn’t have to show that at Baylor because of the way our team was. I did my thing inside. I definitely have touch. I can stretch the floor. The way the game is going fits me perfectly. I’m excited, ready to get out there and play.
“I think it’s going to be huge to show everything I can do, show all my skills on a bigger stage. I’m excited, for sure.”
Always an energetic rebounder, he was markedly more prolific, averaging 12.9 rebounds per 40 minutes, last season. Motley’s scoring steadily improved, from 7.3 points per game as a redshirt freshman to 11.1 points in 2015-16 to 17.3 this past season.
After making three of 17 3-pointers in his first two seasons, he bumped that up to nine of 32 (28.1 percent) last season, and said he has improved since.
“Teams weren’t sure of the range I have shooting the ball outside,” Motley said. “I’m definitely surprising teams and showing some of things I can do. It is fun. I’m enjoying it, man. It’s been going good. I’m enjoying the process for sure. This is a dream come true, so I’m just taking it for what it is, taking it day-by-day.”
He always had, with patience that has paid off so far.