Thabo Sefolosha: Balancing Life On The Court After Court

As a West Coast resident, one thing that’s troublesome is that things in the world have already started happening before I’m awake. For example, on the morning of Apr. 9, 2015, I woke up and saw good wishes expressed to Chris Copeland and questions about what the Atlanta Hawks would do without Thabo Sefolosha or Pero Antic.

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Of course, now the story is well known among NBA followers. Copeland was stabbed at a New York nightclub, and Sefolosha and Antic were arrested for “disrupting” the police investigation. Sefolosha also suffered a severe broken leg as a result of an altercation with an NYPD officer.

He’s now recovered (mostly) from his injury and absolved of any wrongdoing.

Now, the Hawks need Sefolosha to come back and play quality basketball. Meanwhile, society needs him to be a role model in dealing with a significant issue facing the country. The two are far from mutually exclusive, but for a player in his position, neither is easy.

First, on the basketball front, a healthy Sefolosha is critical to the Hawks’ success this season. In his previous stops throughout his nine-year career, he has made a name for himself as a near lock-down defender.

His production and role declined when he signed with the Hawks and was moved to the bench. However, his defensive impact was still felt. He ranked fourth out of 90 qualified shooting guards in ESPN‘s defensive real plus-minus. He also led the Hawks in defensive rating.

On the offensive end, Sefolosha finds ways to make acceptable contributions, but certainly is not as impactful. He was sixth on the Hawks in offensive rating after the five starters. He’s a decent passer, and he has the ability to finish at close range. Per Basketball-Reference, Sefolosha shot 57.8 percent at the rim last season.

He’s long and athletic, but he is not exceptionally long or athletic. He finishes with smart ball-positioning and finding the right angles at the right time.

The problem with all of this is that Sefolosha is going to see an increased role this season. DeMarre Carroll left for the Toronto Raptors, and Sefolosha is the Hawks’ best replacement option.

That can work defensively. The trouble is that Carroll’s spot-up threes allowed the Hawks to use their five-out approach really easily. They could place shooters at every position and sic Carroll on whoever the other team’s best player was.

If everything was based on this play, Sefolosha should be able to replace Carroll fully.

The trouble is that Sefolosha hasn’t been able to shoot in two years. He shot 32 percent from deep last season, converting only 0.5 threes per game. On top of that, he shot 28.6 percent from that range when he was “wide open” (closest defender 6+ feet away), per NBA.com. He also had the second worst spot-up field goal percentage on the team.

In a system like Atlanta’s, which is structured around getting the ball swinging around the perimeter, getting open shots is not an issue. Sefolosha just isn’t that kind of player. That affects the Hawks’ ability to play the style they like. Without Carroll, the Hawks may turn to Sefolosha as the starter, which is a downgrade.

This is only compounded as Sefolosha crosses 30 years old and is returning from a broken leg and ligament damage.

Thabo Sefolosha found not guilty on all three charges opens door for his civil lawsuit against NYPD. Incident jeopardized his career.
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) October 9, 2015

When that last sentence can be written about a player’s injury, needing him to take on a larger role a few months later might be an issue. He’s looked okay in two preseason games so far, but has only played 21 minutes. There are still question over how healthy he is.

Now, there are reasons to think Sefolosha can be eased back in. Kent Bazemore is a relatively young defensive hound who is working to earn time in the rotation. Both are 6′ 5″, so they are undersized at guarding bigger wings like Carroll did.

The thing is, Sefolosha has 15 pounds on Bazemore and has experience working as a team’s primary wing defender. I mean, the Thunder needed his defense so much they started him over James Harden. It works in this play, but sticking Bazemore on LeBron James in a post-up isn’t exactly a great match-up.

The idea of Bazemore having to do that for extended stretches of time scares the hell out of me. I’m probably not alone there.

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The Hawks are good enough to make the playoffs comfortably if Sefolosha needs time to heal or to adjust to a greater minutes/offensive load. The point is, the Hawks need him, because he is the best replacement for Carroll at the starting 3.

There’s also a non-basketball aspect to Sefolosha’s post-incident life, one that matters and should also be discussed. His situation is a case study in the problems with police violence in the nation. This isn’t going to be political. It’s up to you to determine the degree to which you feel that law enforcement practices in America need to be scrutinized and discussed.

The reality is that it is a discussion that is ongoing, and Sefolosha is now a part of it. He was acquitted of charges of disorderly conduct, disrupting government administration, and resisting arrest. Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN provided a succinct summary of the argument after the ruling:

"“In the criminal trial, the prosecution asserted that Sefolosha ignored orders from police to leave the area around a crime scene where Chris Copeland, then a forward with the Indiana Pacers, was stabbed. The prosecution’s case also stated that Sefolosha charged one of the arresting officers.“Sefolosha testified that he obeyed the orders. Though he called a combative officer at the scene a midget, Sefolosha said, he was grabbed by several officers and pulled to the ground as he stopped to hand money to a panhandler.”"

Per Arnovitz, Sefolosha was also offered a very lenient plea deal and declined. His fight to fully exonerate himself stood as an example of social activism in the face of mistreatment. Tom Ziller of SB Nation concluded an article about social activism by NBA players by saying,

"“Sefolosha didn’t stick to sports. By standing up for himself, he held strong for others.”"

An investigation into the officers who broke his leg is ongoing, and Sefolosha has the right to bring a civil suit against the NYPD.

His case stands out because it shows that whether it is a pro athlete or your local mechanic, this stuff can happen to anyone. Sefolosha’s success in fighting for his own innocence makes him an example to others who encounter or follow situations like this.

Now, Sefolosha did have access to legal assistance. He also had the NBPA, who had his back throughout the ordeal and continues to do so.

THABO AQUITTED! JUSTICE PREVAILS! THABO HAD THE COURAGE TO FIGHT THE CHARGES - WE ARE SO PROUD! #NOTGUILTY
— Michele Roberts (@MRobertsNBPA) October 9, 2015

Sefolosha acknowledged his fortune in a statement released by NBA.com after the ruling:

"“It pains me to think about all of the innocent people who aren’t fortunate enough to have the resources, visibility and access to quality legal counsel that I have had.”"

Star players like LeBron grow accustomed to transcending basketball. NBA role players like Sefolosha are not as often dragged into social controversies because they don’t have the same exposure. The ongoing consequences from this will affect Sefolosha’s life, even if he does not sue the NYPD.

This all matters because it shows the difficulty of Sefolosha’s current position. Yes, he still gets paid millions of dollars and lives a good life. Yes, his encounter with police went better for him than it has for others.

However, I think it is important to recognize that Sefolosha is still not out of a major life challenge. His job will likely demand a lot more of him. The Hawks need his skills to help make up for their offseason losses, and to truly compensate, they need him to do even better. He’s not the Hawks’ star player, far from it, but even approaching the success of last season will require Sefolosha to step up.

The situation at the nightclub affects his ability to do that. It also makes his off-court life more difficult as the spotlight turns to him. He’s a popular culture figure who got tangled in a social/political conversation.

Exercising empathy for people who are faced with difficult changes in their life is a good idea, whether they’re an NBA player or your local mechanic.

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