The Defensive Short: JaVale McGee standing tall

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JaVale McGee

The Golden State Warriors let their defense do the talking in Game 1 of their matchup against the San Antonio Spurs. The star of the show was JaVale McGee who came out active and long on defense. He had his hands tied going up against LaMarcus Aldridge, who’s one of the best low post offensive players in the league.

Aldridge knows his way around the low post area. He’s very good at finding his spots and creating the right amount of space to get his shot off. However, McGee played him the best way he could by just being a wall and standing tall.

This defensive possession is everything you want from your big man on defense. McGee let Aldridge feel his body and stayed with him on the spin. He remained tall and did not fall for the multiple pump fakes. Last but not least, McGee was able to get up and block the shot without fouling.

The only thing that McGee could’ve done better was stay on his feet. While he didn’t fall for the fake, he was still a little jumpy. However, that didn’t stop him from getting the block. He was active and long and did a great job of swatting away Aldridge’s shot.

This is a great learning moment for a lot of young bigs out there. Defending in the post is a tough job especially against someone as talented as Aldridge. However, if you’re sound, active, and long then you put yourself in the best position to make the right play.

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