Seeing the ball pierce the net again, at the buzzer of the first period, he stopped and let out a cry of rage. Vit Krejci had just converted his 5th 3-point basket, for as many attempts, on the Bulls floor. The Czech will return another long-distance missile in the second half to bring his total points to 18 units, without missing a single shot (6/6), with 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
It was quite simply his career record, pushing back the one posted a few days earlier against the Celtics with 16 points. “ It's just a matter of trust. You score a few, the team plays well. The reason we shot well today is because we moved the ball. When you get a 3-point shot after three passes or a ball popped like that, it's always better than a 3-point shot with just one pass », Analyzes the player selected in 2020 (37th choice).
He is referring here to his team's 29 assists which generated 19 winning shots (19/40), where the Bulls had to be content with a modest 7/28 from distance based on 17 passes. By playing the sobriety card, Vit Krejci has found his place in this collective. Back in Georgia at the end of December, his introduction into the Atlanta five followed Trae Young's stint in the infirmary.
Since he started in early March, he has averaged nearly 8 points for excellent percentages (53% on shots including 47% from 3-point range). At the end of his previous good outing, against the CelticsHowever, he assured that he was aware that his defense allowed him to get minutes, and not his attacking game.
Defense initiatives
Against Boston precisely, he stood out in this register by notably deciding on his own, and not on instructions from his coach Quin Snyder, to defend on Jayson Tatum all field.
“ I told myself that he might get tired at the end of the meeting. I tried to make his life as difficult as possible. I know I'm going to get minutes defending, so the idea is to do the little things. I'm happy that coach trusts me to put me on a guy like Tatum. It means a lot to me “, he appreciated, specifying that his time with the College Park Skyhawks, a G-League team affiliated with the Hawks, had helped him a lot in this regard.
Before getting a real chance with the Hawks, the Czech had spent more time lower down, in the development league. It must be said that he had a chaotic start to his career: recovered by the Thunder then transferred to the Hawks, cut for the first time, then recovered by the Wolves before being cut again. Before finally returning to Atlanta, at the end of 2023, via a “two-way contract”.
Based on such a journey, we understand better why the person concerned does not fail to display his enthusiasm. “ When I think back to where I was last year, not playing, it's just an incredible feeling to be on the floor. So I enjoy every moment here. I'm not going to take anything for granted, because I know that in the slightest second it could end », he posted after his match against the Celtics.
| Vit Krejci | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2021-22 | OKAY | 30 | 23 | 40.7 | 32.7 | 86.4 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 6.2 |
| 2022-23 | ATL | 29 | 6 | 40.5 | 23.8 | 50.0 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 1.2 |
| 2023-24 | ATL | 14 | 26 | 48.4 | 39.0 | 80.0 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 5.9 |
| Total | 73 | 17 | 42.5 | 33.1 | 82.8 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 4.2 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
