Jonas Jerebko just can't miss


Jonas Jerebko, knockdown shooter?! Huh?

Don't dismiss the above statement off as nonsense. Actually, doing so would be wrong as Jerebko is a career 46 percent shooter. But over the past few games, the Swedish Larry Bird has been nothing short of a marksman.

Since the second half of the Mavericks game on November 16th, Jerebko has made 17 of his last 20 shots from the field. To make Jerebko's MVP candidacy even more legitimate he's also made eight of his last nine 3-point shots. Granted, this season Jerebko has averaged only 3.8 shots per game but he's been of extreme value despite his modest shot count.

Coach Brad Stevens praised Jerebko's efforts thus far this season in an interview late last week, via CSNNE:

“This past week has been a really good week for him,” said coach Brad Stevens. "His greatest strength is his ability to space the floor on offense for us, then mix up his cuts and energy to get baskets. And on defense, to guard multiple positions.”

But wait, the NBA game isn't all about offense - it's about defense, too. Not only has Jerebko been shooting the lights out, he's also been grabbing rebounds efficiently, collecting 19.6 percent of available defensive rebounds while on the floor. In essence, in his limited 17.3 minutes per game, Jerebko has been a legitimately valuable part of coach Stevens rotation.


Jerebko's 50 percent field goal percentage is good for third on the team (not counting Demetrius Jackson). Needless to say, that's good.


Overall, the Swedish Larry Bird is putting together an all-around effort that should be appreciated by Celtics' fans. Even he has noted that he's trying to be a little more of a Swiss Army knife while he's on the floor:

“Just to be out there in any situation,” Jerebko said. “That’s one thing I want to do and something coach (Stevens) wants me to be able to do. That’s definitely something I’m out there for.”

It's worth wondering what would happen if the C's fed Jerebko the ball more. Going forward let's see if coach Stevens rides the hot streak. In the meantime, let's be excited for Jonas. After all, he is happy to be here.

Hey, NBA, watch out Jonas Jerebko is on fire. 
Hey, Celtics, give Jonas the ball. Thanks. 


Photo by Mark L. Baer/USA Today Sports
Follow Luis on Twitter @luisdgnyc


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