The drives take Jae’Sean Tate where it might seem he should not venture. The NBA’s land of the giants is generally not for admittedly “thick” 6-foot-4 players.
Tate does not even rely on the variety of mid-range floaters that allow the shorter players who score in the lane to get off shots over the sorts of outstretched arms that could otherwise be shining the backboards, as if scoring at the rim will require a sleight-of-hand magic trick.
But that is his game. As Tate pointed out, he has always been the short man among the seven-footers, has always thrived in their territory.
Without giving away too many trade secrets, as is the magician’s code, he said it is about turning a weakness — or more precisely, a shortcoming — into a strength.
“I’ve always been smaller,” Tate said, “so I think it’s just like any person who finishes well at the rim. I mean, you just get comfortable in having that disadvantage until it’s not a disadvantage anymore. You have your sweet spots on the backboard, on the rim. You have a soft touch. You just have to work on that. But it’s something I’ve always had, a soft touch, and picking and choosing my spots to get that advantage.”
The trick, he said, is in knowing at full speed when to get his larger body into defenders’ longer frames, negating that advantage, and when to motor past them.
“That’s his game,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “He has just a crafty way of pivoting and spinning and using his leverage and finding a way. In order for him to be effective, he needs to push the ball and get in the paint. And his playmaking has been good for scoring or making plays for others.”
It is not just theory. Making 50.5 percent of his shots in the past two seasons, 58.8 percent on two-pointers, Tate has made 59.9 percent of his shots, 67.3 percent from inside the 3-point line, in his seven games prior to Tuesday’s against the Spurs, a rematch of his 6 of 6 shooting in San Antonio on Jan. 12.
His importance to the Rockets has been undeniable. He is shooting 55.1 percent, 35 percent on 3s, in Rockets wins this season; 48 percent, 27.8 percent on 3s, in losses.
Through the first 115 games of a career, only LeBron James, Paul Pierce and Lamar Odom reached Tate’s numbers for points, rebounds, assists, steals and 3-pointers as quickly. But his scoring relies on an ability to do something it would seem could not be done.
“Depending on the situation, if they’re too far from me, you’ve got to be able to finish fast. If they’re close to you, you’ve got to use your body as a shield,” he said. “I learned a lot over the past couple years watching E.G. (Eric Gordon). He does a great job of it. Even James (Harden) when he was here. Those guys, you don’t see them going to the rim and jumping high in the air, but somehow, they’re just laying it up like the defender is not even there.
“That’s just because they have gotten great at their pace and using their body. All three of us have similar body types, so when you have that, when you’re a little thicker and you’re shorter, you’re in bigger defenders’ legs. A taller guy can’t take the bump and jump to affect your shot.”
Gordon, who is an inch shorter, and Harden, who is an inch taller, have the advantage as 3-point shooters. Tate has made 30.3 percent of his 3s, enough to augment his scoring but not enough to make him a full-time floor spacer or perhaps to move to a small forward spot.
He has excelled at power forward since the Rockets switched to a one-center lineup, getting the spacing that comes with Tate and Christian Wood playing in a frontcourt with a three-guard lineup. The spacing has helped Tate work off the dribble with Wood’s ability to pick-and-pop or as a trailer on breaks, often drawing the opposing centers out of the lane.
As the Rockets build, a move to small forward would seem to be a valuable option if they want to add more rim protection and defensive size, as they did when Daniel Theis started with Wood and Tate.
“Not necessarily,” Silas said of Tate becoming a three. “You’re always looking for an advantage. Him at the four has been an advantage for us. I wouldn’t say him at the three is in the cards. Maybe way down the line, who knows what happens? Right now, he’s best at the four.”
As the power forward, Tate is more involved setting screens and rolling. As a small forward, he said he is more often working as a playmaker or to provide spacing.
The Rockets have used Tate’s versatility to initiate offense, both on the break and from the elbows in their halfcourt offense, especially late in games.
“With anything,” Tate said, “it’s about more reps and more confidence from not only yourself but your teammates, your coach to actually run plays, to give you the ball in certain areas, like it’s your turn, that we all believe in what you do. That’s one of the biggest things in this game.”
It’s big even for a player who seems small amongst the trees.
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