Speed and strength have never been the calling card of Dallas Mavericks superstar Dirk Nowitzki. Footwork, craftiness and one of the deadliest jump shots ever have carried him for 16 NBA seasons and will one day lead him into the Hall of Fame.
Without superior athletic gifts, Nowitzki has also relied on a constant tinkering of his game in the offseason to keep defenders off-balance. According to Nowitzki, via ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the latest adjustment is a quicker jump shot release.
In his earlier days, Dirk was a pure catch-and-shoot big that stretched immobile centers and power forwards all the way to the perimeter.
After earning respect as a shooter, the closeouts tightened. Dirk responded in kind by developing a pump-and-go game, drawing defenders in the air and deftly slipping to the rim or pulling up from the mid-range area.
Then came the matchup changes. His mobility and ball-handling were largely unheard of for a 7-footer, but his lack of physicality left him incapable against quicker forwards. He couldn't blow by them and they could contest his jumpers, leaving him without an offensive re ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Dylan Murphy
How Dirk Nowitzki’s New Shot Release Will Help His Production
September 30th, 2014 by Dylan Murphy Leave a reply »
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