Semi was a late bloomer in college but this year his shooting has finally started to kick in. Semi is a elite athlete but doesn't have the length factor and I believe his adjustment both from three and closing at the hoop has taken its time, But this season you could see the improvement .His lateral and strength with his finally improved shooting make him a 3&d asset.
Don't sleep on Semi he has been doing push ups in the corner. His work ethic and discipline will payoff as a plug in defender that spreads the floor and hits for a high % from corner.
He is always good for drawing charges on Giannis and that gets in his head .Getting him into foul trouble can be the difference between winning a series or not.
And not just Giannis.
Tomasz Kordylewski has a recent highlight video for Ojeleye:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fBH8MV07uACharges drawn:
:18 Jimmy Butler
:48 Mike Conley
2:50 Dion Waiters
5:25 Giannis
And here's Tomasz' video for Celtics drawing charges this season (six of them are Semi):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnLgEhhhuA0More charges drawn:
:03 Ben Simmons
1:37 James Harden
4:49 Harden again
You mention his lack of length, which is a good point - but, as Brad Stevens has noted, he protects the paint by getting in front of the drive; he's one of the league leaders per minute in charges drawn, but of course that's only the tip of the iceberg.
He's never been a productive rebounder.
He's not great at moving the ball - compare to Grant for instance. Having said that, his turnover% is tiny; he's careful with the ball - in this you could also compare him to Grant, this time to Semi's advantage.
It's obvious to assume that those two are in competition; and yet they are in the game together a fair amount because of Grant's ability to guard up and Semi's super versatility.
The good 3-pt% is certainly welcome; obviously that enhances his value going forward. I have to say I'm not a fan of the wider stance, which makes the low back more rigid. But it's hard to argue with the results.
That first video also shows a couple of beautiful finishes off the dribble; but he was a lot more productive in that area in year two. This season he just has not had the opportunities. Too bad, because he's got a varied repertoire, with both finesse and power finishes through contact.
He's also gone from being a grade-D FT shooter last season to nearly AAA - .893 on a small sample size.
A tenth man with his skills and work ethic is a tremendous asset, especially at the bargain price.