Semi Ojeleye's improvement evident against 76'ers - PA announcer needs help with his name
Semi Ojeleye's floor time in the regular season and playoffs had real value for him and the Celtics.
Against the Philadelphia 76'ers in Summer League action last night, he played a team-high 29 minutes and was tied for scoring honors with Guerschon Yabusele with 16 points each. Semi was 6-of-13 from the floor, 2-of-7 from beyond the arc and a perfect 2-of-2 from the foul line. He also added two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block.
Beyond the numbers, he just looked relaxed and confident out there. He launched shots with zero hesitation, drove to the hoop and finished under the rim. What was missing was the tentativeness he often displayed during the season. The terrific video below shows his progress better than I can describe it.
The biggest source of amusement for patrons at the Summer League game was the inability of the PA announcer to pronounce Semi's name correctly. He evidently could just not get it right.
And the #Celtics faithful just gave the PA announcer the Bronx Cheer for saying Ojeleye properly for the first time.
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) July 7, 2018
The biggest story from the Celtics' summer league opener didn't come on the court. It came on the sidelines.
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) July 7, 2018
On Dick Calvert, who has been the UNLV game announcer for 47 years and who just met his greatest challenge:
She-mee OH-jel-ay.https://t.co/iKlH9Z2maV pic.twitter.com/e0M2BCH9XI
If Ojeleye keeps playing this well in Summer League, the announcer may need to practice the pronunciation. Thank Heaven he doesn't have to pronounce Semi's real full name, which is Jesusemilore Talodabijesu Ojeleye.
Semi looks like a keeper on a very team-friendly contract. His defense has been stellar, and all he needed to do was become a more-complete and confident offensive player. He is well on his way to accomplishing that.
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Photo via Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports
Video via Tomasz Kordylewski