5 NBA stars who need to work on their jump shots in the 2021 off-season
Ever since the Golden State Warriors won their 2015 NBA title using an unorthodox lineup consisting of two guards and no star forwards, the league was quick to realise that long-distance shooting and spacing was the new norm.
NBA offenses quickly evolved, and teams started to launch more threes than ever before. This sudden shift to high-volume three-point shooting left many players who couldn't shoot the ball on an island.
Who are the current NBA stars who need to improve their jump shots?
Before 2014, you could be an All-Star or a championship-level player even if you couldn't shoot the ball. Most plays were designed to get to the rim while shooting multiple threes were considered low-quality shots and would often get players benched.
However, shooting is an asset that is at an all-time high. Even centers and big men come into the NBA with a three-point shot. Nevertheless, there are several active players who still lack decent jump shots and will need to get in the gym this off-season to improve that part of their games.
On that note, let's take a look at five such NBA stars.
#5 Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook is the epitome of effective but inefficient NBA basketball. He will give you his 100% on the field, but his shooting woes are painfully apparent. Many of Westbrook's best performances can be deemed inefficient.
He holds the record for the highest-scoring playoff triple-double in NBA history (51 points in 2017). Every other player on that list got there with a hot hand, shooting 60-70% from the field. But Westbrook's historic night came about as a result of shooting 39% from the field and 18% from the three-point line.
Russell Westbrook is a career 30% from beyond the arc, and his career-high 3P% in a season was during his NBA MVP year when he shot 35%. He is a career 43% from the floor and has never shot more than 47% from the field in a season. More surprisingly, Westbrook, who is a career 80% foul shooter, dropped to 65% this season from the free-throw line.
Although it may be an exaggeration, many have compared Westbrook to the Philadelphia 76ers' Ben Simmons, who is arguably the worst shooter in the league. Ben Maller of Fox Sports Radio said in this regard:
"The only difference between Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons is that Simmons refuses to shoot from the outside. Westbrook can be baited into shooting from outside, but it never goes well."
However, we know that Russell Westbrook knows how to shoot. He has decent mechanics, and we have seen him drop threes. He just needs to put in the work and spend enough hours in the gym in the 2021 NBA off-season to improve those numbers.
#4 Draymond Green
Three-time NBA champion and one of the smartest players in the league, Draymond Green, has struggled shooting the ball lately. We have seen him shoot effectively before, and it's not like he is afraid to shoot the ball or incapable of doing so. He has just seen a decline in his shot attempts and has become the ultimate facilitator.
In an episode of HBO's The Shop, Draymond Green spoke about his leadership role. He also talked about how, when Stephen Curry is even 'half-open', he'd rather pass the ball to arguably the greatest shooter ever rather than take the shot himself. He said in this regard:
"People would say 'Draymond, you should shoot!' But if I can get Steph Curry the ball for a f---ing shot, why would I shoot?"
There is a lot of merit in his statements. Green and Curry share an unspoken connection and chemistry, which is arguably the best in the NBA. Draymond Green led the league in passes to a single teammate this season by a significant margin.
However, it is worth noting that Green's shooting does need to improve. He once shot 38% from beyond the arc in 2016. But that has consistently fallen every subsequent season from then on; it is 27% this season.
He missed a wide open layup in the final seconds of the play-in tournament, which could have potentially won his team the game. The team's GM, Bob Myers, coach Steve Kerr and Draymond himself have admitted that the player needs to work on his shooting in the 2021 NBA off-season.
Draymond Green doesn't need to work on his shooting. He only needs to improve his percentage and shot attempts. If three-pointers are not worth attempting, then a decent mid-range jump shot is certainly achievable.