Tomas Satoransky
Height: 6-7
Weight: 210 lbs
Age: 26
NBA Experience: 2 years
Nicknames: Saty, Sato
By the Numbers:
Games Played: 73
Games Started: 30
Minutes: 22.5
Points: 7.2
Rebounds: 3.2
Assists: 3.9
Steals: 0.7
Blocks: 0.2
Turnovers: 1.1
Field goal shooting: .523
Three-point shooting: .465
Free throw shooting: .781
Net Rating: +13 (124-111)
PER: 15.4
The 2017-2018 season gave us an unexpectedly large dose of Tomas Satoransky. After John Wall went down midseason with a knee injury, Scott Brooks looked right over the head of Tim Frazier and to his sophomore third-stringer to fill in. A former draft-and-stash pick in 2012, Sato made the wait for him worthwhile as he proved his worth in the absence of Wall. His worth mainly being that he can stably facilitate an offense and show flashes of greatness in the process.
Season TakeawayS
- A very, very faded silver lining in John Wall’s absence this season was the emergence of Satoransky, who started 27 straight games while Wall was nursing his injured knee. Sato’s Wizards won 10 of their first 13 games with Sato at the helm, before ultimately flaming out and losing nine of their next 14. Nevertheless, Satoransky rose to the challenge and kept the Wizards afloat, averaging 10-6-4 in about 30 minutes per game over that span. A real perk in Sato’s increased time on the floor was getting a solid dose of his flashiness.
- Even before Sato got the nod to replace Wall, he’d already become a fixture in the Wizards rotation as his minutes drastically increased from his rookie campaign. Moreover, with the increased minutes Sato’s numbers jumped in just about every major statistical category, indicating that he has acclimated just well in the NBA. Most of us will tend to forget that while Sato is entering his third season in the NBA, he’s entering his ELEVENTH season as a professional basketball player.
- Commonly overlooked in Sato’s game is his staunch defense and specifically his ability to clamp his man one-on-one. Staying in front of a pursuit to the rim even against some of the more prolific scorers in the league has been a knack for Sato. Russell Westbrook, and even LeBron James have dealt with Sato’s lengthy – and mobile – 6-foot-7 frame cutting off their paths to the rim. Sato’s defense is something that we can look forward to seeing improve as he continues to be assigned tough matchups, and as he continues to win those tough matchups.
Grade: B+
The backup point guard position has been a perpetual revolving door for the Wizards. The list – dating back to Wall’s rookie year – goes just about as long as Redskins starting quarterbacks dating back to 1991. Okay that was a tad bit hyperbolic but the analogy still fits. The fact of the matter is the Wizards have struggled to find a viable insurance program for John Wall, but after watching Satoransky comfortably take on the role of filling in, that void might be a thing of the past.
The Best of TOMAS SATORANSKY Off The Court
Sato is all about the kids at his basketball camp.
GQ Sato!
Tomas Capone!?
The Best of TOMAS SATORANSKY On The Court
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