Andre Jackson making fans

[The Yakk]

He shot 25% from three last night, and is at 20% throughout the preseason. He was at 28% last season at UConn

The form looks better and it's clear he's been in the gym, but he still has a lot of practice and development to get to a good level. Hopefully he can train his way into at least 33-35%. I think that will be the threshold to be considered a good enough 3P percentage

The pro 3 point shot is a little longer; no one should be surprised if his % decreases at first.

 

[husky429]

And he is still releasing the ball as he is still going up. Not at the apex of his jump. Which means he can only take totally uncontested jump shots because he will not be able to get it off while being covered. But he will evolve and he brings so much more to the table this I think is not anything that will hold him back.

Best practice is releasing the ball on the way up, not at the apex. Ain't the 90s any more.

 

[husky429]

Because he takes the ball so low he has to have his left hand on the front of the ball (otherwise gravity would do it's thing) so he has to try to release his left hand outwards at the exact right time. Accidentally paused the video at the perfect time to see it haha

This is silly. You can grip the ball from the side if you dip. How do you think people dribble and shoot? You grab the ball and lift it.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I was so dissapointed when the Celtics didn't take AJ as they had the 35th draft pick and took Julian Phillips from Tennessee instead of Jackson.

I irrationally hate Jordan Walsh b/c he's not Andre Jackson Jr.
Also b/c UConn & in part Andre played him off the floor in NCAAs, so maybe not totally irrational.

 

[Dogdeacon]

It's super strange. It's not even like a push where you figure they just never outgrew bad middle school shooting habits. He really just has no idea how a shot is supposed to feel in your hands.

Which is crazy because his feel for the game passing and dribbling in the open court are ridiculously advanced.

He's an enigma.

I agree, every single other thing Andre does on the basketball court is performed with an incredible amount of athleticism that I can best describe as a joy to watch. Its improving, we can debate mechanics all day, simply put his shot isn't that.

 

[husky429]

I agree, every single other thing Andre does on the basketball court is performed with an incredible amount of athleticism that I can best describe as a joy to watch. Its improving, we can debate mechanics all day, simply put his shot isn't that.

Best shooting coach I ever knew constantly reminded me that it doesn't matter what the shot looks like. It needs to have enough arc and be consistently repeatable mechanics.

Andre's shot is never going to look perfect but he should be able to develop consistent mechanics from toes to fingertips.

Among other things, I think he needs to focus on releasing with his index finger and a snap. He shoots with all 4 fingers. It's weird.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I irrationally hate Jordan Walsh b/c he's not Andre Jackson Jr.
Also b/c UConn & in part Andre played him off the floor in NCAAs, so maybe not totally irrational.

It wasn't unreasonable to think Walsh was lower risk. I think the D and athleticism is similar, Walsh probably a better scorer, Andre definitely a better facilitator.

I'm thrilled to see Andre improving so rapidly with one exception, I'll mostly be rooting against the Bucks.

 

[August_West]

Andre's shot is never going to look perfect but he should be able to develop consistent mechanics from toes to fingertips.

✂️ Husky429 Shooting advice

7 seconds · Clipped by jeffm725 · Original video "Basketball Jim Calhoun's Way" by spoonani

youtube.com

 

[husky429]

✂️ Husky429 Shooting advice

7 seconds · Clipped by jeffm725 · Original video "Basketball Jim Calhoun's Way" by spoonani

youtube.com

How many takes was it to get a clip of Calhoun not dropping an f-bomb for a minute straight? I'm shocked lol

 

[SubbaBub]

It's better, as if he had nothing to do for the last 6 months except to work on it. It's still pretty ugly by NBA standards, or any standard. It's a lot less of a straight push shot and a bit more overhead but it is nowhere near textbook.

 

[jibsey]

Steph or Eddy?

Chicken...

 

[willie99]

Better release point combined with some elevation. And defenders running him off his spot

Are you kidding me? I love it, go AJ

 

[Hunt for 7]

Best practice is releasing the ball on the way up, not at the apex. Ain't the 90s any more.

Have you ever watched Hawkins shoot. I know you are an expert but this is not correct. Ray Allen released it at the top of his jump. The motion starts on the way up. Just look at the film.

 

[caw]

Have you ever watched Hawkins shoot. I know you are an expert but this is not correct. Ray Allen released it at the top of his jump. The motion starts on the way up. Just look at the film.

He's not wrong, now most shooting coaches teach the Curry style of shooting over the Allen style.

Debatable which is better all things considered as where Curry's shot sacrifices the high release point it has the advantage of being a quicker release with arguably less motion to mess up. I'd argue Allen's form is better if you are getting a lot of shots off of off-ball screens (which isn't common anymore in the NBA, while Curry's is better off the dribble. Catch and shoot is up in the air because really mechanics are less important than consistency and touch.

Jackson's shot at UConn was bad mechanically but it also was inconsistent in how it was bad. His mechanics are better now, if marginally but he is still inconsistent in how he shoots. The big positive I saw is that his looks more connected to his lower body now and his elbow is marginally better. His release point is still off and inconsistent, as are the fingers that control the shot.

 

[Hunt for 7]

He's not wrong, now most shooting coaches teach the Curry style of shooting over the Allen style.

Debatable which is better all things considered as where Curry's shot sacrifices the high release point it has the advantage of being a quicker release with arguably less motion to mess up. I'd argue Allen's form is better if you are getting a lot of shots off of off-ball screens (which isn't common anymore in the NBA, while Curry's is better off the dribble. Catch and shoot is up in the air because really mechanics are less important than consistency and touch.

Jackson's shot at UConn was bad mechanically but it also was inconsistent in how it was bad. His mechanics are better now, if marginally but he is still inconsistent in how he shoots. The big positive I saw is that his looks more connected to his lower body now and his elbow is marginally better. His release point is still off and inconsistent, as are the fingers that control the shot.

So does Hawk shoot it on the way up or just as he is getting to his apex? His shot looks a lot like Allen’s. I understand being able to shoot from different release points. But Curry developed that to keep usually a bigger defender off balance. With Andres hops and if he shot more like Hawk from a form perspective he would not have to pump fake move his feet to get open enough to shoot. You develop what you have to to give you the best chance to get the shot off. Just curious about how “they” now teach foul shooting. Because a jump shot and a foul shot are not the same thing.

 

[Kenny11]

Does Andre's brother still play in college? Is his shot normal looking?

 

[husky429]

Have you ever watched Hawkins shoot. I know you are an expert but this is not correct. Ray Allen released it at the top of his jump. The motion starts on the way up. Just look at the film.

I need to stop biting on these, but we can all learn about jump shooting. It's a fun topic.

TL;DR: Ray Allen doesn't shoot wrong, we just teach people different nowadays. The focus isn't on elevation and releasing at the apex of the shot. We focus more on having a small, compact and consistent leg drive that impacts the flight of the ball the same way every shot instead of "jumping higher" to shoot at longer ranges. Modern players shoot more accurately overall from range because they have a much smoother transition from the legs to the arms.

I wish I could claim to be an expert, but I'm far from it; I just listen to those who know better than me. If it makes you feel better I was keyed into this first from one of our current assistant coaches a decade ago. I wouldn't even say you're "wrong" because there are great players who release at the apex of the shot still. And at the end of the day, we're talking about milliseconds of difference between apex/before/after. Where you go wrong is thinking it's a requirement to shoot at the apex, or that Ray Allen is a paragon of shooting form currently in the game of basketball. Heck, I shoot at the apex of my shot and I'm the best jump shooter on this message board.

I never said Ray Allen or Hawkins shoots wrong, because they don't. Hawkins actually has better timing on his shot than Ray by modern standards. Ray's shot is just an old school way of shooting that you wouldn't use with someone building a shot from the ground up (like Jackson needs). My philosophy has always been "if the shot has enough arc and has consistent mechanics from toes to fingertips, it doesn't really matter what it looks like." Coaches focus more on having consistent and smooth form so you get the power of the legs into the shot instead of using them to get HIGHER UP like they did in the old days.

An example of modern shooting having less jump and a different type of power generation.... Compare Ray Allen here actually shooting on the way DOWN after a high jump versus Klay here releasing on the way up with way less elevation. That doesn't even include Steph who practically doesn't leave the floor on his 3s sometimes. I think you can see after looking at the video that Ray's legs don't actually impact the shot much because he releases at the apex and the ball leaves his fingertips just after he starts going down.

It's week 1 of high school physics. When you're at the apex of a jump, what happens? You stop momentarily. That means nothing is propelling the ball forward and up towards the hoop except for Ray's arms. This was true for a lot of old school shooters. Modern shooters focus on a more compact leg drive that impacts the propulsion of the ball forward. And by having a small, consistent leg drive, it limits the variables of the shot so they only need to concern themselves with the upper body in order to adjust for range.

Back in the day when I was learning, the common practice was to jump high and focus on releasing your shot at the top. This was more important in the days when we took a lot of mid-range because you need to elevate over very close defenders. Guys with a great mid-range shot like Booker still elevate a lot when they pull up in the mid-range to reach over a defender, but when shooting 3s rely on a more modern form. Nowadays with the proliferation of 3s, the focus has been more on having a FAST shot. Steph Curry really revolutionized the game in that way and you've seen hoopers of all ages adapt their shot because of him.

Look closely at Steph, Klay, Booker, Tatum. Shoot even the bigs like Joker or Embiid. None of them elevates the way we saw MJ, Allen or Kobe do. To be fair, some freaks like Klay can actually shoot both ways because they're just that good.

 

[husky429]

Does Andre's brother still play in college? Is his shot normal looking?

He always had a better looking shot, but wasn't as athletic or skilled overall. I think because he was smaller and couldn't jump as high, he probably was forced to learn to shoot better when competing as a kid.

 

[EZPass]

Heck, I shoot at the apex of my shot and I'm the best jump shooter on this message board.

I’m definitely not but I found this old clip on my insta…baggy shorts n all

 

[prankster]

He shot 25% from three last night, and is at 20% throughout the preseason. He was at 28% last season at UConn

The form looks better and it's clear he's been in the gym, but he still has a lot of practice and development to get to a good level. Hopefully he can train his way into at least 33-35%. I think that will be the threshold to be considered a good enough 3P percentage

His 3pt percentage is somewhat a casualty of the tyranny of low numbers.

28% last year. Vs. 25% this year, so far. Take 1 more shot, and it falls, suddenly 30% (as an illustration). As the # of shots goes up, the % becomes a much more stable (and appropriately representative/descriptive) number.

 

[uconnfan68]

He shot 25% from three last night, and is at 20% throughout the preseason. He was at 28% last season at UConn

The form looks better and it's clear he's been in the gym, but he still has a lot of practice and development to get to a good level. Hopefully he can train his way into at least 33-35%. I think that will be the threshold to be considered a good enough 3P percentage

The form is SO much better, and I expect the ball to start falling for him.

 

[ElPresidente]

Our boy is showing as active on the team roster. Would love to see him on the floor Thursday night. Definitely will become a crowd favorite.

 

[Excalibur]

So does Hawk shoot it on the way up or just as he is getting to his apex?

Hawkins can actually do both, but the vast majority are apex (or very near apex) shots. Probably better for him given his ability to elevate quickly.

 

[Dogdeacon]

His 3pt percentage is somewhat a casualty of the tyranny of low numbers.

28% last year. Vs. 25% this year, so far. Take 1 more shot, and it falls, suddenly 30% (as an illustration). As the # of shots goes up, the % becomes a much more stable (and appropriately representative/descriptive) number.

Eh, guys who are confident shooting 3's shoot them, particularly in today's game. Most shooting a low percentage on a low # of attempts should probably keep that number low.

With respect to Andre, obviously given his position and today's NBA he needs to take and make WIDE OPEN 3's, regardless I'd measure his success by attempts at the rim. There he really did need to shoot more, drive and work thru the misses as his athleticism favorably impacts his odds of figuring out how to finish.

 

[husky429]

So does Hawk shoot it on the way up or just as he is getting to his apex? His shot looks a lot like Allen’s. I understand being able to shoot from different release points. But Curry developed that to keep usually a bigger defender off balance. With Andres hops and if he shot more like Hawk from a form perspective he would not have to pump fake move his feet to get open enough to shoot. You develop what you have to to give you the best chance to get the shot off. Just curious about how “they” now teach foul shooting. Because a jump shot and a foul shot are not the same thing.

Hawkins is good enough that he's developing both types of shooting, but is primarily an Allen-esque shooter who elevates above defenders. He's a brilliant shooter off screens when he elevates though, that much is obvious.

A big part of his shooting like Allen with a big jump is because he shoots primarily off screens and without much (if any) dribbling. It is much harder to shoot consistently and accurately with a high jump when you're shooting off the dribble. That's a major reason why you're seeing guys learn to shoot with a smaller, compact jump and a faster shot (rather than a slower shot that elevates over shooters).

Foul shooting is taught similarly modern shooting. Obviously no one is jumping in the air to elevate over a defender to shoot a foul shot. You're going to see coaches focusing on a high release point, keeping the ball close to the body as you lift from hip to set point, a high arc, and keeping a consistent finger position (usually index finger on the middle of the ball, but splitting middle and index is common too).

A subtle "tell" of bad foul shooters is that they hold the ball away from their body and swing it up to their head to release. Giannis comes to mind.