Blocks
While everyone knows that Chriss can leap out a gym for a spectacular dunk, that same athleticism and leaping ability can be used on the defensive end for the emotional equivalent of an alley-oop with the blocked shot.
A skill that takes both timing and incredible hand-eye coordination, a player like Marquese Chriss could probably average two per game if he set his mind to it – and he absolutely has the skillset to do just that.
Against the Hawks Chriss had two spectacular blocks, one late that proved to be a game saver with only seconds before the end of the game. This second block even drew the attention of the Hawks’ PR guys leading to this hilarious exchange on Twitter:
RE-JECT-ION#TrueToAtlanta pic.twitter.com/dC9qPZWcCK
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 3, 2018
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/bleacherreport/status/948412515473547265
https://twitter.com/quese/status/948445316054790144
On the season, Chriss is averaging a career-high 1.0 blocks per game. Per-36, it’s a different number but similar outcome, 1.7, which is again a career-high.
Over these last seven games both of those stats go up a notch. Per game he is averaging 1.3, while per-36 he is averaging 1.8..
Hopefully Chriss learns to make the blocked shot just as much of an exciting and thrilling moment in any given game just the same as the alley-oop slam dunk.
I’m sure that he takes pride in his defense, but should he reach the point where the exciting blocked shot became just as goal-worthy as the thrilling slam dunk, that would undoubtedly take his game to a whole new level, and the 2.0 blocks per game theory would quickly become a reality.