Vit “Heat Czech” Krejci has been on an absolute tear during the month of November. Krejci was not meant to fill a large role in the healthy rotation, receiving four DNP-CDs in the first six games this season. But he has now firmly established his spot in the rotation after a few hot performances while his teammates were on the injury report.
Heat Czech is shooting 49.3% from deep this season on over five attempts a game, second in the league among players who have shot over thirty treys. While he will probably fall back to Earth at some point, this is the third season Krejci has shot over 40% from deep on an ever-increasing volume of shots. Heat Czech is real.
Krejci’s shooting improvement is truly remarkable when you consider that the deep ball was his sole weakness when he was traded from the Thunder to the Hawks. A 6’8 point guard, Krejci first stuck around in the league due to his playmaking and ball handling skills at his height.
His shot diet is the most absurd part of his shooting success this season. While Krejci does get his fair share of easy-ish looks, the real magic happens when he’s just made a three. After a made basket, Krejci goes on the hunt for ridiculous threes, hunching his back and zooming into the open space, often directly behind the driving player in a fast break. When he gets the ball in this situation, he’ll jack up just about anything – and make it.
Atlanta’s duo of dynamic movement shooters, Krejci and Luke Kennard, make their bench one of the most dangerous in the league. Krejci has singlehandedly willed the Hawks to multiple victories, most notably his heater against the Los Angeles Clippers. He shot 8/10 from three for 28 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and a game-sealing block on Nic Batum’s attempt at a late equalizer.
Krejci’s emergence has created all sorts of good problems in Atlanta. There was no space for him in the rotation to begin the season, but this undeniable string of performances forced Quin Snyder to accommodate him.
With this being Vit's third consecutive 40% season, it is time to consider whether his shooting can become a focal point for the offense. He’ll never be the star in an NBA lineup, but Snyder could weaponize his movement shooting, dynamic passing, and unique physical gifts in actions that create an advantage that the rest of the team can capitalize on.