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OKC Thunder 30 for 30, Part 30 via T.I. fan request – O.J. Mayo

By Lawrence George

OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 18: O.J. Mayo #3 of the Milwaukee Bucks prepares to shoot a free throw against the Golden State Warriors on December 18, 2015 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 18: O.J. Mayo #3 of the Milwaukee Bucks prepares to shoot a free throw against the Golden State Warriors on December 18, 2015 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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OKC Thunder
OKC Thunder 30 for 30 by Request: Oj Mayo (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune/TNS via Getty Images) /

Defense

Mayo’s struggles defensively can be attributed to three factors:

  • His lack of physical tools (weighing in at a meager 210 pounds and standing 6’4 with a short 6’6 wing span)
  • Mayo’s priorities lie on the offensive end resulting in a lack of effort on the other side of the ball
  • Prone to ball watching

Dating back to his days in high school, Mayo never bought in on the defensive end. His most infamous moment came during his time in Milwaukee.

In a game against the Denver Nuggets, Mayo became a popular vine where he decided to tie his shoe laces in the middle of a defensive possession.

Mayo has posted a positive net rating in just two of his eight seasons in the league and those came in a defense-heavy Memphis outfit back in 2010-11 and 2011-12. The grit and grind were a throw back franchise, choosing to throttle teams with suffocating defensive pressure over scoring. To his credit, Mayo did a better job hiding on that end of the floor and was serviceable coming off the bench.

To expect Mayo to be a great defender at this stage is a pipe dream. If he can keep himself engaged on a decent defensive team, teams may look his way.

Shooting efficiency

Mayo has never been an efficient scorer and has shot above 45 percent from the field just once in eight seasons (45.8 percent in 2009-10). A career 42.9 percent shooter, his last season with the Bucks saw his efficiency drop to just 37.1 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from three.

During the course of his career, Mayo leaned heavily on his jumper as he possessed average athletic ability. As his shot attempts decreased, so did his efficiency and this is reflected in his final three seasons in the NBA. Mayo needs to work on his shot selection as he is likely to assume a role playing spot on an NBA team.

With his touches coming few and far between, the former lottery pick must make every shot count.

Off-Court questions

As I laid out earlier, Mayo’s reputation around the league has been tarnished due to his waywardness off-court. From fighting with team mates to multiple drug violations, the 30 year-old needs to show he has cleaned up his act to receive an opportunity. Rightfully so, front offices will be skeptical and may not trust Mayo given his history of disruption.

The other issue is whether he can still play and be a serviceable piece on an NBA team. Mayo’s work ethic has been questionable at times and one wonders if at 30 years of age, this has changed.

Mayo was recently spotted playing for the Atleticos de San German team in Puerto Rico.

After averaging 13.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.1 steals on 39 percent shooting and 34.7 percent from three, he was released by the team in June.

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