ESPN’s Zach Lowe showed Oklahoma City Thunder rookie guard Tre Mann some love as he was as subject in his latest “10 NBA things” column on Friday:
“He has dozens of subtle tricks — hesitation dribbles, shoulder fakes, weird ways of angling his body mid-dribble — to keep defenders off-balance, so they can’t mirror his steps and momentum. He strings them together with predatory intent. He knows what’s coming, but you don’t.”
“Mann’s smart footwork has made him a step-back-3 menace; he’s 13th in made step-back 3s, and he’s 26-of-67 on them, per Second Spectrum.
Mann hasn’t gotten to orchestrate a ton alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, but he’s been dishing of late with Giddey out; he has 20 dimes in his last 5 games. Mann has the smarts to grow into a secondary playmaker on a good team.”
Lowe used a possession against the Sacramento Kings where he was a pick-and-roll maestro as he uses De’Aaron Fox’s knowledge against him and tricks Domantas Sabonis next in order to create an easy look at the basket for a cutting Vit Krejci.
