Steph Curry is the greatest shooter in the world (and of all time), and he’s only 6’2″. I mean only in the sense that he’s short when it comes to the NBA. On top of Steph, there are many great shooters, and majority of them seem to be on the shorter side (of the NBA). So does a players height make a difference when shooting a basketball?
It seems as if bigger players can’t shoot the three ball as well because of their height, but this isn’t the case. Taller players don’t shoot the three ball as much because they aren’t exposed to perimeter play as much as smaller players. Taller players are more often used on the inside or post, and they usually don’t move much outside the paint.
Over time we’ve seen taller players expand their range, and even their ball handling. But in this blog post we’re going to discuss height and how it relates to shooting a basketball.
How Can Being a Taller Player Help Your Jump Shot?
The best example we have in the game today as to why being taller could help your jump shot is Kevin Durant. KD is listed at 6’10” however, there are many reports that he’s actually taller. Not only that but his wingspan is 7’5″.
When he goes to shoot the ball, you could put your hand up all you want, but when he rises up to the peak of this jump shot, he’s almost even with the rim.
If you’ve ever played basketball on a low hoop, or even shot on tikes hoop, you could understand the significance of this. The more even you are with the rim on your release, the easier it is to measure your arc, and to make sure you’re getting that ball in the basket.
When it comes to shooting for Steph Curry, he often has to dribble around in order to get a great look at the basket. In the case of Kevin Durant, it doesn’t matter who’s in front of him, all he has to do is rise up and shoot over the defender.
As time goes on, we’re starting to see taller players become better and better at shooting the ball.
How Come Taller Players Can’t Shoot Free Throws?
This goes hand in hand with the point above. Bigger players tend to spend more time working on their post game. Majority of their shots are with 10 feet of the basket.
The length of a free throw is 15 feet, so when the traditional big man has to shoot free throws, it could be a bit of a challenge.
Constant Contact Could Throw Off Rhythm
The second reason is because of contact. Have you ever wrestled someone for a long time, only to find out that your muscles are shaky? Big men in basketball every time down the court have to box out, and basically wrestle the other big man in order to get rebounds.
So while smaller players can stay in a constant state of rhythm, big men have to deal with this shakiness, which make it very difficult to shoot a free throw.
It’s almost like lifting weights. If you’ve lifted weights and then went to go shoot a basketball, you’ve probably realized that you’re way off the mark in most cases.
How To Become a Better Shooter As a Tall Player
There are many things you could do as a taller player to better your jump shot.
Work On Your Dribbling
If you have a man guarding you, being able to dribble correctly into a pull up is one of the most important factors. You should work on your ball handling for many reasons including:
Rhythm
Good ball handling skills will allow you get into a rhythm. Kevin Durant, who we spoke about above, often gets a rhythm dribble before his jump shot. When he gets the opportunity to get these dribbles in it seems as if he doesn’t miss.
Get a Good Look At The Basket
If you don’t get a good look at the basket while shooting, there’s a good chance it won’t go in. So if you have to look down while you dribble to make sure you don’t lose the ball, you’re behind when it comes to shooting. Make sure you practice dribbling with your head up.
Work On Shooting Off Of The Move
Many big men do pick and rolls. This is when you set a screen for point guards, shooting guards, or whoever has the ball, and roll to the basket. There’s also a pick and pop option where you set a screen for a guard or other play, and then roll out to the mid range, or three point line instead of to the basket.
Practicing setting a screen, and popping out to the three point line, or mid range, will help you set yourself up for game situations.
Being able to do this will also be very helpful to your team because once you set a screen it will be hard to predict whether you’re going to roll to the basket, or pop out to shoot.
Joel Embiid, although he’s not as efficient of a shooter as Kevin Durant, is a great example of someone who does this well.
Repetition Is Key
The more jump shots you shoot, the better you will get. This is why it’s important to your practice time to shoot as many shots as possible. Don’t do it to the point that you neglect other aspects of your game as a big man, but have a set schedule.
For instance, set a goal to hit 200 jump shot per day, and get it done.
Not only should you work on repetition, but tall players should specifically work on release quickness. Shorter players have shorter releases which enables them to shoot the ball quicker, working on this as a big man is important so you could get a complete shot off before a defender even gets to you. This is good especially for when you’re matched up with someone slightly bigger/longer than you.
In Summary
So now you know why it seems as if shorter players in the NBA are naturally better shooters. However, this isn’t the case. If you gave a taller player as much reps on the perimeter as those shorter players, they might just be able to shoot the three ball with as much precision. So while height might not make a difference in shooting, practice and skill definitely do.
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