By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Many times the stats are not kept for little things that help a team win, but as USA Today reports that’s not the case on the screen made by big men with Gortat being the best in the league.
The NBA tracks “screen assists,” which is a screen that directly leads to a made field goal, and Gortat led all players during the regular season with 6.2 screen assists per game and leads all players in the playoffs with 9.8 screen assists per game.
“The way the game is being played with so many great shooters all over the floor, you need that big who can get screens, is comfortable setting screens and enjoys setting screens, knowing there’s a chance you’re not going to get the ball but your team is going to get a great shot,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. “(Gortat) does that. He gets John and our guards open looks. He gets our shooters open out of our screens away from the ball.”
As the Polish big man said, he wants to make his teammates look good.
“I became a better screener by watching guys like Kendrick Perkins, Dennis Rodman,” Gortat said. “I spoke with a lot of coaches who taught me how to set screens. It’s just not about me setting a good screen, but the guy who handles the ball has to score to make me look good. A lot of people make me look good, too.”