DeMar DeRozan Is The King of the Fourth
From the best players in the 4th quarter, headlined by DeMar DeRozan, to another edition of Rookie Watch, here is everything I noticed from last night in the NBA.
{Choking Noises} Utah Jazz Edition
The Utah Jazz should have won last night against the Warriors. Despite a slow start to the first half, you saw their offensive might in the 3rd quarter. Even the Warriors couldn’t contain all the spacing and shooting Utah has to offer. With a lead entering the 4th quarter, all the Jazz had to do was hold on.
That’s easier said than done when you’re dealing with the Warriors. The Jazz bench struggled to hold the lead, with the starters unable to stop the Warriors down the stretch. A statement win was on the line last night, and Utah blew it.
Where The Hell Did The Offense Go In The 4th?
The Jazz led 94-86 with 11:34 left in the 4th quarter. The train derailed after that. Utah was outscored 37-22 the rest of the way. They shot eleven 3’s, making just three of them. All in all, the Jazz were horrendous down the stretch. I’m not going to flame them for not being to guard the Warriors. Nobody can do that.
But what happened to the offense? The Jazz figured things out in the third quarter, netting 41 points. Why did they shut down?
The Jazz became stagnant in the 4th. When they scored, it was because they did what they did in the 3rd – create mismatches. The Jazz would swing the ball around, driving and kicking until they found an open shot. They strayed away from that in the 4th.
Most possessions lacked movement, just ball-watching. There were hardly any driving actions. The Warriors’ defense didn’t have to work to get stops, which was a problem. Here were the two most detrimental possessions I saw from the Jazz last night;
This is too easy for the Warriors’ defense. I don’t think Jonathan Kuminga moved on this play. That’s how easy it was.
If this were charades, the Jazz would be trying to reenact the Rocky Mountains. No movement, again, leading to a poor shot from Mike Conley. Epic.
This sums things up perfectly. Sayonara, Utah.
Rookie Watch
I haven’t done a rookie watch in a while, but there were a lot of good rookie performances last night. Here are the three rookies I want to talk about.
Joshua Primo (SAS)
The youngest player drafted hasn’t had much success in the NBA. Primo has hardly played this season, logging just 12 games. Of those 12 games, he’s gotten over 10 minutes just five times. The Spurs don’t think he’s ready to be a contributor yet.
“Thanks” to Covid, Primo has been getting more minutes. The 19-year old logged 15 minutes against the Pistons last night. The results weren’t great.
1/7 FG – 0/5 3-PT – 2 points
There is a caveat to Primo’s night. Of his seven shots, I only saw one bad one. It was a turnaround jump shot on the baseline. Other than that, he was missing wide-open 3-pointers. He was a great shooter at Alabama, so I don’t think it’s something to worry about.
Primo shot 38% from 3 in college, knocking down 44% of his catch-and-shoot attempts. He’s a good shooter. I don’t think he’ll miss these that often;
Playing just 102 minutes in a season will do this to you.
Primo’s length and versatility were his other big attention grabber coming into the draft. This play in the first quarter was beautiful defense.
Primo has got to cover the guy in the corner and in the paint. He plays in the middle well, then perfectly contests the shot.
Would the Spurs give this guy more minutes?
Jalen Green (HOU)
My New Years’ resolution for the Rockets was more consistent play from Jalen Green. After returning from a hamstring injury, I’ve seen that over the past week. While there was more to talk about off the court, Green still had another solid outing.
29 points – 5/8 3-PT – 12/14 FT
Green was spectacular last night. Instead of his usual brand of stupid shots, he was in control. He took more shots with his feet set, resulting in a more efficient box score.
The free-throw numbers are very encouraging. In the 2nd quarter alone, Green shot 12 free throws. He used his lightning-quick first step to knife into the lane. He would then aggressively charge the Denver defender, not afraid of contact. This type of aggressiveness has been missing from Green’s game.
He’s been a jump shooter this season, rarely using his athleticism to draw fouls. Green is starting to figure out what he can do after a slow start to the season. Let’s just hope that this trend continues throughout the season.
Herb Jones (NOP)
Herb Jones is shaping up to be the best second-round pick from this year’s draft. The Bama product has become a starter for a resurgent Pelicans team. Jones has been a great, lengthy defender on the wing for New Orleans. While scoring isn’t his forte, he played well against the Bucks.
He stuffed the stat sheet, a fitting way to ring in the New Year.
14 points – 46% FG – 6 rebounds – 3 assists – 3 steals – 3 blocks
Jones is still an unfinished project on offense. He has great versatility and length, but he needs to refine his craft. He was 2/6 from downtown, looking comfortable from deep. He’s shooting 36% from three this season, which isn’t bad, but you’d like for more than 1.6 attempts per game.
My biggest takeaway from this game was Jones’ ability to attack off the dribble. It didn’t happen too often, but I liked what I saw when it happened;
If Jones could develop as a driver, akin to Mikal Bridges, then he would be a much greater threat on offense.
The offense is cool, but there’s a reason he’s on the floor. There’s a reason Jones won SEC Defensive Player of the Year during his final year with the Crimson Tide.
Jones has a 1.0 DPBM this season. When he’s on the floor, the Pelicans have a 109.8 defensive rating. When he’s off the floor, that drops to 117.0. When Jones is on the floor, good defense swiftly follows.
He racked up six combined steals & blocks last night. Here was my favorite;
Flawless defense. Jones starts by playing perfect pick-and-roll defense. He stays in front of Holiday whilst he attacks, perfectly timing a strip of the ball without fouling. Ironic that this play happened while he was guarding Jrue Holiday.
Me gusta Herb Jones.
4th Quarter Scoring Update Because DeMar DeRozan Is Too Good
DeMar DeRozan became the first player in NBA history to hit game-winners on back-to-back days. After some heroics in Indiana, a corner three-pointer while being doubled in DC was the icing on the cake. DeRozan has been marvelous this season, especially in the 4th.
After seeing this tweet, it got me thinking. How are others fairing in the 4th quarter season? I already investigated how the league was fairing with my new super-clutch stat, but now it’s time to examine the entire 4th quarter.
Who Are The Best Players In The 4th Quarter This Season?
DeMar DeRozan has been the king of the 4th quarter. It’s hard to see someone catching up to him this year. If that were to happen, who are some candidates in the running? Let’s see;
Giannis Antetokounmpo
224 points – 57% FG – 35% 3-PT – 68% FT – 3.3 rebounds – +60 plus/minus
Giannis trails DeRozan by just 17 points. He’s third amongst qualified players in terms of rebounds. His plus/minus of +60 is in the top 20 of the NBA. Teams still don’t know how to stop this guy down the stretch.
Stephen Curry
207 points – 44% FG – 39% 3-PT – 83% FT – +132 plus/minus
Curry’s efficiencies in the clutch aren’t great, but he’s been the best 4th quarter player in terms of plus/minus. No other player has been as good as Curry in the 4th quarter of games this season.
Rudy Gobert
171 points – 72% FG – 3.9 rebounds – +129 plus/minus
Gobert is second to Curry in plus/minus in the 4th. His 139 rebounds in the 4th quarter lead the league by a WIDE margin. The next closest guy is Giannis with just 93 total rebounds. His 22 blocks are second to just Jaren Jackson Jr.
The Stifle Tower has been nails in the 4th this season.
Zach Lavine
195 points – 51% FG – 39% 3-PT – 87% FT – +54 plus/minus
Lavine, par to his brand, is ultra-efficient in the 4th. If not for DeRozan, Lavine would have much better numbers than this. In a reduced role, he’s been a great “secondary” option to DeRozan.
It is impossible to guard these two mid-range assassins in the 4th. Both are elite scorers. Both are clutch. Both are efficient. Chicago has their late games covered.
Who Are The Worst Players In The 4th Quarter This Season?
On the other end of the spectrum, which players are sucking in the 4th? Which players can’t shoot well? Which players are ineffective? Let’s find out.
Facundo Campazzo
77 points – 40% FG – 17 turnovers – (-117 plus/minus)
Campazzo is the only player with a plus/minus greater than -100. I can’t tell you why he’s been so poor in the 4th, but I don’t care.
I don’t think that Campazzo cares either because he literally made Kevin Porter Jr. quit a basketball game (semi-joking)
Russell Westbrook
157 points – 20% 3-PT – 64% FT – 42 turnovers – (-33 plus/minus)
This is the Russell Westbrook experience. You’ll get good games from him, but there’s still this side of his game. The inefficient, turnover-prone side that makes him so polarizing.
If the Lakers want to become contenders, better play from Westbrook in the 4th is needed.
James Harden
157 points – 37% FG – 25% 3-PT – 31 turnovers – (-27 plus/minus)
Harden is still struggling to put the ball in the basket. Free throws aside, the beard has lost his touch. While KD has been one of the best clutch players in the NBA, Harden has been the opposite.
Kyrie Irving coming back would be added help for the Nets. Harden having to do too much has been a catastrophe this year.
The Best & Worst Teams In The 4th Quarter This Season
The Best – Golden State Warriors
27.3 points (8th)
49.6% FG (3rd)
3.8 3-PTM (2nd)
36.9% 3-PT (9th)
7.0 Ast (1st)
+4.2 plus/minus (1st)
The Warriors are not only kings of the 3rd quarter, but also the 4th. They do everything well to win games and are easily the best 4th quarter team in the NBA.
The Worst – Denver Nuggets
(Maybe this is why Campazzo was so bad in the 4th quarter)
23.2 points (last)
42.7% FG (23rd)
33.3% 3-PT (19th)
4.4 FTA (29th)
9.2 REB (last)
-3.3 plus/minus (last)
Denver is not good in the 4th quarter. Nikola Jokic is a +0 in the 4th quarter this season. Even he can’t carry Denver when they need him to the most.
What Are Your Thoughts From Last Night’s Games? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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