Yabusele puts bounce in step
Big man learns to make plays
LAS VEGAS — Guerschon Yabusele, originally christened the Dancing Bear by Celtics assistant Micah Shrewsberry in his first NBA Summer League three years ago, has taken full advantage ever since in the month of July.
Yabusele’s footwork and unusual quickness for a 260-pound-plus big man led to the nickname. He hit his first 3-pointers here, looked great knocking rookies and free agents out of the way in the paint, and has generally encouraged the Celtics staff with what looks like the makings of a modern NBA big man.
Now is the time when refinement starts to show itself, too. So more than before, Yabusele is hitting cutters with well-timed bounce passes.
“When you have good players like Jabari Bird, who cuts all the time, you can really make that pass,” Yabusele said this week. “I’ve been working on my passing, something I’ve always had, and I can use it more to help win games. I feel like I’ve always had that as part of my game, too. When I got the ball the first week I was always looking at the defender. After that I tried to see what the defense gave me. I try to make the right play, try to see the guys.”
Leave it to Celtics coach Brad Stevens to have seen this talent early. The key now is not only helping Yabusele to see the floor better but to also cover it with more versatility.
“Guerschon’s greatest strength is his ability to see the game and make plays for others, seeking opportunities off a roll, driving a big off a closeout. Working on his footwork so he can get by a big on a closeout,” said Stevens. “That’s what we’re focused on with him. He’s playing the 5 a lot because that’s where he’ll have to play some. But he’s playing the 4 and 5 a lot. He has to guard both of those to continue to progress the right way.”
In an NBA that is downsizing on the floor, Yabusele will have to cover that additional ground to find a permanent place in the league.
“Guerschon is very skilled, he needs to play multiple positions and he needs to guard multiple positions,” said summer league coach Jay Larranaga. “Semi (Ojeleye) needs to be able to play multiple positions and guard multiple positions. That’s today’s basketball — position-less basketball.”
When Ojeleye first came state-side after a year playing for the French team Rouen, the guard had a much vaguer notion of what this position-less concept would mean to his development.
But since the Celts’ tournament opener against Philadelphia, Ojeleye has spent much more time away from the basket.
“For me to play 4, the transition is pretty good,” said Yabusele. “You definitely have more responsibility at 4 than 5, because the ball is going to come to you a lot more. You have to read the game and make a play. I’m really comfortable with that role.”
That’s even if playmaking wasn’t the first thing that came to mind for Yabusele when he thought about his future NBA responsibilities.
“Not really, because you don’t know what the team will need you to be,” he said. “During the year I was able to figure out and see what the coach needed me to have. Since I’ve been
here and saw what they needed, I’ve gone from there. Just read the game.
“This system has been pretty good for me. The way we play, we’re really spaced out, so if you see who is going to cut, who is going to be open, you always come with a solution because of the way we play. It helps us a lot.”