Pick and Roll Skills
Of all big men in the NBA, Mozgov was the second most efficient roll man in pick and roll situations last season, averaging a healthy 1.22 points per possession and scoring on 62 percent of his pick and rolls.
This skill will be well received by point guard D’Angelo Russell, who wasn’t able to utilize his pick and roll passing abilities with Roy Hibbert as the dive man last year. With Mozgov, Russell will finally have a center who can catch and finish lobs like so:
Likewise, Mozgov displayed soft touch for somebody of his size and should be capable of finishing some of the young point guard’s bounce passes in the pick and roll.
Cutting Ability
Though he isn’t particularly known for his ability to cut, Mozgov displayed good court awareness , showing the presence of mind to read when to dive to the rim.
As a big man whose field goals were assisted on 85.2 percent of the time last season, Mozgov has never been a featured part of the offense. However, he can still finish at the rim thanks to penetration from others.
In the clip below, dribble penetration from Cavaliers’ point guard, Kyrie Irving enables Mozgov to cut toward the rim, resulting in an impressive left-handed flush:
Russell and Lakers shooting guard Jordan Clarkson, both of whom should be expecting to see a lot of time in the paint due to the improved spacing promised by head coach Luke Walton‘s novel offensive system, will finally have opportunities to kick it out to a big man capable of finishing.
Here, Irving attacks the paint, attracts multiple defenders, and kicks it out to the cutting Mozgov.
Next: Mobility, Rim Protection and More