Sahvir Wheeler still searching for the right offensive balance

With 3:00 left in the first half of Kentucky’s win over Kansas, allll the way back on Jan. 29, Sahvir Wheeler drilled a 3-pointer that put UK ahead 46-29. It was his fifth make from distance over his previous five outings, a massive leap after not hitting a single one in the seven before that. That 3 against Kansas was also the last time that Wheeler has made a field goal for the Wildcats — 11 days ago.

The 5-foot-9 junior point guard failed to convert a bucket in Kentucky’s 86-76 win over South Carolina on Tuesday night. He finished 0-5 from the field for four points, hitting four of his six free-throw attempts. Since that Kansas game, Wheeler has become a ball of randomness when it comes to picking and choosing his shots.

The majority of Wheeler’s looks have come as long contested jumpers or off-balance floaters. Most shots are forced and stop the offense dead in its tracks. Every missed shot not corralled by an offensive rebound is effectively a turnover. He’s up to 19 straight missed field goals since the Kansas game. 10 of those misses, over 50 percent, have been jump shots.

But here’s the conundrum: Wheeler is easily the most dangerous playmaker on the floor no matter who UK is playing. Against South Carolina, he emphatically proved that.

“He impacts the game,” UK head coach John Calipari said postgame. “And the good news is if he’s struggling or he needs to come out we’re fine. How many point guards impact the game like he does? Not many. Not many in this country.”

Wheeler countered his poor shooting night with 11 assists against the Gamecocks, his most since Nov. 26 against North Florida. Despite some minor foul trouble in the first half, he still managed to play 37 minutes. Four of his 11 dimes came during a two-minute stretch in the middle of the second half where UK desperately needed a boost from its offense.

He put together a string of possessions where he picked apart the Gamecock defense with ease. Also not to be ignored are his four rebounds and constant tenacity on defense.

Back to back great finds by Sahvir Wheeler. When he's not pressing and forcing shots, he plays his role perfectly. Don't worry about scoring, just distribute and find guys.

— Shawn Smith (@gbbcountry) February 9, 2022

“Sahvir, he’s proven that he can really affect the game without him scoring,” Kentucky forward Keion Brooks Jr. said postgame. “His scoring is a plus. We all know he can make shots and score the ball but even the nights he’s not making shots, he does a great job of getting us in our sets, creating open shots for other people, and what doesn’t get talked about enough that I try to bring light to is the way he harassed the other team’s point guard and ball handlers. He gives them nightmares the way he pressures the ball…His value is beyond him scoring baskets.”

Granted, Wheeler did turn the ball over five times against South Carolina, and his five missed shots were all ones that should have been turned down for better looks. This is the challenge of understanding Wheeler — a clearly gifted playmaker who has yet to find the right pace in his role across a full game.

He’ll play at his preferred pace for two straight possessions only to break from that rhythm the next time down. He’ll lay a perfect pass in transition only to overthrow his target shortly after. If the opposition gives him a look outside the paint, he gladly takes it, seemingly unaware he’s fallen right into the defense’s trap.

Wheeler is often inconsistent with how he plays on offense, much to the frustration of the Big Blue Nation. All that being said, he’s still arguably the most effective playmaker in the country. Kentucky needs him on the floor in order to succeed, he just needs to clean up the sloppiness that prevents him from putting together a complete game — which subsequently prevents his team from doing the same.

“There was a stretch Sahvir did not play well,” Calipari said. “Put him back in guess what he goes assist, assist, free-throws, all the sudden it changes the game.”

Right now, Kentucky simply has to take the lumps that come with Wheeler in hopes he can turn a corner in the coming weeks, which is entirely possible. Having freshman TyTy Washington to help shoulder the ball-handling load helps downplay the issue a bit, as well.

As is, Wheeler is one of the most dangerous point guards in the country. If he can hit his stride down the stretch and find a steady comfort level, Kentucky will only be that much tougher to beat.