It is the chaotic nature of NBA offence that draws Jama Mahlalela to it.
He loves the challenge of bringing some semblance of order, or least a measure of calm, to the frenetic pace and improvisation that ends almost every possession in every game.
And how the Raptors assistant coach teaches that 鈥 how he can establish discipline when bodies are flying around at a hundred kilometres an hour, when one step in any direction could disrupt everything 鈥 is going to go a long way toward determining the team鈥檚 fortunes.
As the offensive co-ordinator on Darko Rajakovic鈥檚 staff, the effusive, always on Mahlalela embraces the challenge of teaching players how to be random actors in an ever-changing ballet.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like you start your offence in transition and it鈥檚 all about the space and your movement and your flow, and then you finish almost every damn possession with something random,鈥 Mahlalela said in a wide-ranging interview at training camp.
鈥淭hat stuff is what I love teaching: After the play breaks down, now what do we do? That鈥檚 the fun. That鈥檚 where you can really start to move things around and teach them how to be basketball players. It鈥檚 teaching them how to move 鈥 that鈥檚 the teaching. Then we build a skill set to go with that movement. It鈥檚 an intricate dance of off-ball movement, and then the ball moving to those spaces.鈥
There is no question the 43-year-old Mahlalela has the enthusiasm to keep players interested in learning through the grind of a long season, and the coaching chops to be listened to. He is unfailingly upbeat and positive, radiates joy and has an infectious attitude in everything he does.
It鈥檚 not fake at all; it鈥檚 the way he鈥檚 always been. And when the games come fast and furious and everyone鈥檚 tired of the work and each other, there鈥檚 no way he is going to bow to the grumpiness. And it will lift those around him.
Mike Brown, head coach of the Sacramento Kings, worked with Mahlalela on Steve Kerr鈥檚 staff in Golden State and swears by his colleague鈥檚 ability to lift people out of doldrums.
鈥淲e鈥檙e around each other a lot throughout the course of the year (and) when stuff gets stale or old, it鈥檚 just like being around your family. You get tired of this person, you get tired of that person, you don鈥檛 want to be there,鈥 Brown said last week in Vancouver. 鈥淲hen you have a guy that is energetic and enthusiastic and just uplifts everybody like Jama does, it鈥檚 a welcome sight.鈥
That combination of creative coaching ideas and a consistent personality is what drew Rajakovic鈥檚 attention when he was putting the Raptors staff together. The chance to poach someone from an organization such as Golden State didn鈥檛 hurt. The joke going around Raptors training camp was that if 色色啦 was going to steal ideas and people from another team, it鈥檇 be someone who had a tangible effect on a good team, rather than a support staffer from, say, the New York Knicks.
鈥淗is reputation around the league, he is an amazing human being鈥 is what Rajakovic said drew him to Mahlalela. 鈥淗e鈥檚 great with the organization. He鈥檚 helping me to take off my plate a lot of stuff regarding practice planning, whatever it might be, organizational stuff.
鈥淎nd also he鈥檚 a very bright offensive mind. He鈥檚 going to be our offensive co-ordinator, and I鈥檓 going to rely on him quite a bit.鈥
It鈥檚 a homecoming for the Swaziland-born Mahlalela, who grew up in 色色啦. He worked as an assistant with the Raptors from 2013 to 2018 and for the 2020-21 season. He was head coach of G League Raptors 905 and spent two seasons working with Golden State.
It鈥檚 given him a unique combination of familiarity with a lot of the Raptors roster, a wealth of knowledge gleaned with the Warriors and a chance to live and work at home.
鈥淚鈥檓 not saying I learned everything, but I learned enough that when this opportunity came up, talking to Darko, it just felt like the next really good step for me figuring out where my career is going,鈥 he said. 鈥淕etting more responsibility here, get to do more. Then the more important stuff. My family loved it in California, but that being said, there鈥檚 only so many times you can go home with your family and I鈥檓 going to take advantage of that.鈥
Mahlalela鈥檚 impact on the Raptors this season will be teaching the read-and-react nature of the rapid-ball movement offence Rajakovic wants. It will be, as he said, teaching how to react to the inevitable breakdown of plays, random moves that are somehow calculated.
鈥淚t鈥檚 slashing and cutting. Most of it鈥檚 off the ball. It鈥檚 all the sneaking behind. It鈥檚 cutting from the spots. It鈥檚 holding your spot when you have to hold your spot,鈥 Mahlalela said.
鈥淪ometimes movement is actually staying still, which seems crazy. But if you鈥檝e got a corner three-point shooter, keep him there and move someone else to create a shot for him.鈥
To do that, Mahlalela will have to devise a system that integrates a new point guard, Dennis Schr枚der, with a trio of Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby and Scottie Barnes that鈥檚 had two seasons together. It will mean creating new habits that take into consideration established skills.
鈥淭he intriguing thing is in the interplay of the three of them,鈥 the assistant coach said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not in isolation. So it鈥檚: What are Pascal鈥檚 individual skills? What are O.G.鈥檚? Scottie鈥檚? It鈥檚 how the three of them interact and what skills complement each other.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the fun.鈥
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