Elite 101: Shot Creators

Jan 28 2016
Photograph by David J. Phillip/AP Images
Jamal Crawford
Guard / Los Angeles Clippers

I feel like I can get any shot I want.

Thats not to sound cocky or conceited. Its

because Ive played basketball basically every day
of my life. So at some point, Ive taken just about
every shot there is. Ive figured out the angles,
almost like a pool shark. I know where to use the
glass, which dribble I need and which spot I want
to reach.

Because of that, I know I can get a clean look and get it up there.

There are basically five ways to score in the half court. Layups, mid-range, three-pointers, free throws
and then what I call tough shots. Tough shots come anywhere on the floor, under
difficult circumstances. The ability to create that shot is a special skill in the NBA. These guys are
shooters who, no matter the situation, no matter how theyre shooting up to that point in the game, no
matter how little time is left on the clock, no matter how you defend them they can get themselves a
clean look and have the confidence to take the shot.

The first step is to create space. At the end of the day, its the reason for everything a shot creator does
before shooting. Thats why I use my crossover. Some guys, like Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant, use
footwork. Other guys find ways that seem wild and awkward at first. Nobody had seen Dirks one-
legged shot before he introduced it. The Eurostep was The Ginobili when Manu first brought it to the
league. Now guys like Dwyane Wade and James Harden do it, too.

The ultimate space creator was Kareems sky hook. That broke all the rules. Youre taught to shoot the
ball with two hands and square your shoulders. Hes got half his body turned to the basket, the ball is
out, hes going off one leg going away from the basket, shooting with one hand.

It was the most unstoppable shot in history.

One of my big influences as a young player was Allen Iverson. All I wanted to do was the left-to-right
crossover, because thats the one he was doing most. But now, with film and YouTube, you need
different versions of every move, because players and defenses figure out what you like and try to take it
away. The great shot creators have a counter, and then a counter to the counter.

Heres how it works for me: the first counter to the crossover is the fake crossover, where I do a little
hang dribble and just keep going. The counter to that is the fake crossover pull-up. I can switch it over to
the other hand, and that gives me another three looks. So now Ive got six moves off of one starting
point. Then its about the battle inside the battle. Take away my left-to-right? OK, Ill come back right
to left. Thatll keep defenders off-guard. Oh, theyre sitting on that? Let me get the right-to-left-behind-
the-back. Took that away? Let me put the right-to-left-behind-the-back-behind-the-back together.
It can look like this: https://gifs.com/gif/rk256E

Two crossovers between the legs, the hang dribble, pull it back. That gave me space. Then another quick
crossover, and I was wide open below the elbow. Your mind never stops working to get those couple of
inches that create the look you want. Thats all an elite shot creator needs.

No matter what the trends are in the NBA teams going big, going small, getting more efficient with
analytics the ability for a player to create his own shot, then convert tough shots, will always be a
weapon, particularly when you get to the playoffs. Opposing coaching staffs have watched days of film.
They know what sets your team wants to run. They know which way players want to go.

For these guys, it doesnt really matter what the film says.

So heres my list of guys Ive played against who are elite at creating their own shot at any time
(keeping myself and all my Clippers teammates ineligible, in the interest of fairness). They all have the
tools, but each guy uses them a little differently. These are the shots fans might look at and wonder
about, because sometimes they look wild or reckless.

But remember, just because a shot is tough for Player A doesnt mean its tough for Player B.

Kobe Bryant (Footwork)

I heard one time in a workout that he practiced a shot for an hour. The same shot. For one hour. And it
wasnt like a three-pointer, it was a little shot in the mid-range area. Do you know how tedious that is?
Do you know how locked in you have to be to do one shot for an hour? To trick your mind that way?
Thats unbelievable.

And basically, Kobes done that for every single shot in basketball. Hes thought about every different
angle on the court. Hes mastered his arsenal to where he has two counters to everything. Sometimes
three. With his footwork, he can get any shot he wants. Some people do it off the dribble, Kobes doing
it with his feet. Hes doing it at closer range to the basket. Hes doing it with his back towards you. Then
hes fading away with that footwork. Hes stepping around you, or putting you in a position where
youre hopping in the air. Its kind of like Olajuwon. He had the Dream Shake.

Well, Kobe does it as a guard.

One of my favorite Kobe moments came back when I was with the Bulls. Had to be 02 or 03. It was
late in the game, and he was out by the three-point line with Eddie Robinson guarding him. He up-faked,
took one dribble, then did this pirouette that was just sick before making the jumper. It was
unbelievable.

Picture this which is pretty incredible only better. www.gifs.com/gif/R6OAxL

Kevin Durant (Little Man Skills in a Seven-Footer)

He has the footwork. He has the catch-and-shoot game, and can get to the free throw line. He has the
post-up, he shoots the Dirk shot. He makes threes from way beyond the line. He has the handle, with the
hang-dribble and the crossover. He has the pull up jumper. So he has all these things, and hes stretched
out to seven feet. Thats what makes him different. He covers so much space. He can do a crossover, or
a double crossover, from the three-point line, and be at the basket in two dribbles.

And KD is a patient scorer now. He can pick and choose his spots, playing the long game, because he
knows he has mastered every way to score the basketball. For guys bigger than he is, he takes them
outside to drive around them and either get the foul or the space he needs. Smaller guys he either
posts them up or shoots right over the top.

Look here. Watch the handle to create space. He goes between the legs, and crosses over in front and
behind the back. He changes speed and direction. Then look where his feet are when he picks up his
dribble, and how much ground he covers going to the basket for the finish.

www.gifs.com/gif/lYRLGj

Hes impossible to guard. Theres just no way. He can create whatever he wants, and can make all the
tough shots. Its why hes the best scorer in the world.

Steph Curry (Range and Release)

There have been other guys who can shoot, with a very fast release. Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, Kyle
Korver, Dell Curry, J.J. Redick. I cant forget Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. But I think its safe to say Steph is
the fastest Ive ever seen at creating a shot for himself and getting it off from that distance, four or five
feet behind the three-point line. Thats his game changer. It opens up everything else he can do.

With todays rules in the NBA, if you can dribble and you can shoot, you can basically create anything
you want. Youre unguardable. And if Steph was in a video game, his handle and shooting would both
be 100. You would laugh using him on your team. And whats even crazier, he can finish with either
hand and off of either leg.

Range, handle and finish thats why he do things like this to create any shot he wants:

www.gifs.com/gif/Kr1y0r

Its truly unbelievable.

Steph Curry is as free as Ive seen anybody on the basketball court in a long time. Hes playing like hes
in the backyard of his house growing up or in high school or at Davidson. Hes truly at peace. He has a
flow with his teammates, with his coaching staff, with the fans.

He can literally do no wrong with the Warriors.

And from a psychological standpoint, its very frustrating for NBA players to get beat over and over by
someone smaller. Most players captivate people with their athleticism or physical strength. Stephs
captivating with his skill set. Its basically Steph saying, Im more skilled than you. You got athletes
bigger, stronger and faster, but that skill set is whats separating him from everybody else. (I actually
have somebody on my bonus list thats even smaller than Steph, but well get to that in a little bit.)

As the saying goes, skills pay the bills.

Carmelo Anthony (Size and Strength)

For Melo, shot creation starts with strength. Melo physically hurts defenders when hes on offense. Its
nothing intentional, hes just stronger and more physical than 95 percent of the people playing at that
position. Melo is a bull in a china shop. He can go inside and bully down in the post. And then, when
you try to be more physical with him, he uses his handle and puts you in foul trouble.

Once that happens, you have to give him some space, and thats when that buttery jumper comes out.

His jumper is so feathery. Its such a soft shot for somebody who plays so strong. Hes like the modern
day Bernard King when it comes to that. He can go inside, then outside. Hes quicker than you think.
His footwork is really, really nice. If you put somebody big on him, hes gonna go around them. He can
handle that ball, too, and take on somebody small. So he can create any shot, and has the skill to convert
the tough ones.

Heres an example: Melo starts with the jab step to get the space to turn his body for the post up. Then
he uses his size and strength to move the defender just a little, creating space for a soft turnaround
jumper. Thats a tough shot, too, against good defense from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

www.gifs.com/gif/NkORRm

Dirk Nowitzki (Intelligence and Shooting)

It might surprise people to see Dirk on a list of shot creators, but it shouldnt. He does it more with the
pick and roll, with him setting the screen and forcing mismatches. At this point in his career, Dirk has
seen every possible defensive coverage there is. So he can see what theyre doing, and knows how to get
to the spot and matchup he wants. Hes creating his shots before he even gets the ball.

Once he has it, now hes seven feet tall and can shoot anywhere on the court, like Durant.

Theres a quirkiness to Dirks game. Its definitely unique. He relies on skills, not speed or athleticism.
Dirk knows how to work angles and put you in bad positions where he can get shots. He has angles
where it looks like hes shooting from the hip or shooting with a double fadeaway. Hes seven feet,
shooting off one leg and fading away, so youll never block the shot. He doesnt even see you.

You cant guard Dirk too closely, because hell work the angles, get you on his hip and get the space he
needs to put the ball on the floor. He shoots 90 percent from the line, so you cant foul him. And if you
back off, we know thats murder. You dont even need to bother watching that shot come down.

Just turn and run the other way down the court while your coach yells at you.
Kyrie Irving (Layup Game and Handle)

Kyries handle is top notch, probably one of the best ever.

As a shot creator, that makes him so shifty, so elusive. And he always has a counter move. In the pick
and roll especially, he likes to use the in-and-out dribble when your hand stays on top of the ball, just
kind of winding it up, like a DJ scratching a record back and forth. It could be a carry if you dont keep
your hand on top of the ball. But Kyries so clever: he straddles that fine line where it gives him an
advantage, but not so much that they call it.

Add all the crossovers, hang dribbles and everything else, and with that handle Kyrie may use four
moves in a matter of seconds while youre just frozen on the floor.

Thats when hell explode.

And when it comes to guards finishing at the rim, along with Derrick Rose (whose speed and athleticism
are next level, almost like a skilled basketball player with world-class track ability), Kyries layup game
is probably the best in the league. What makes him unique is how well he can jump off either leg on
either side of the basket. Most right handers on the right side of the basket try to jump off either the left
leg or two feet. Kyrie jumps off the right leg with the right hand on the right side, which is unorthodox.
He can do it the same way on the left.

You see all of it here, except the in-and-out dribble: the handle to find small creases into the paint, then
the off-foot takeoff for the finish. Unbelievable.

www.gifs.com/gif/wp0Nkr

His body control around the rim is incredible. Knowing angles, and putting the right english on the ball.
He does these weird, wonderful things around the rim. At times, he plays like hes two places at once,
hovering in the air while trying to find a spot on the backboard to convert that layup. His body will be on
the right side of the basket, but hell somehow put the ball in on the left side using a right hand. Its
almost like watching a modern day Rod Strickland. (Strickland is actually Kyries godfather, so )

Guarding Kyrie, its not about stopping him. Its more, How do I not get embarrassed when I try?

James Harden (Change of Speed)

Harden is 65 and 220 lbs, which is really good size for a two-guard, so his strength is a big advantage.
When youre playing against him, you definitely know it. And hes really athletic. Pair his strength with
that momentum, that burst, heading to the basket, and its an explosive combination. Plus hes a lefty,
which is awkward to guard anyway.

But what makes Harden really different is how he uses pace. Most guys are playing fast all the time. If
they change speeds, its from fast to slow. Hardens a change-of-speed guy, but his is more slow-to-fast
than fast-to-slow. Hes not in a hurry. Its like a Paul Pierce pace, but from the shooting guard position,
lulling you to sleep before he suddenly explodes. Thats when he uses the good footwork to get his step-
back for that smooth jumper, or bursts into the Eurostep he likes. And once Harden gets that head of
steam, hes a foul magnet.
Its almost like hes playing with headphones on, because you cant get him out of what he wants to do.
Hes going at his own speed, his own rhythm, where hes most comfortable. And since you dont see the
slow-to-fast thing often, its hard to get into a rhythm defending him.

Heres a good example. Its not just the handle that gets Ricky Rubio off balance, but that split-second
change in speed. Then he goes right back to that smooth delivery.

www.gifs.com/gif/QWkxo0

Like I said before, there are five ways to score in this league mid-range, layups, threes, free throws,
and making tough shots. Harden can create all five. He really is someone who can score from pretty
much anywhere on the court. It definitely takes a wall, a team defense, to combat his game.

Sometimes you can do all the best things, and its just going to come down to him making or missing the
shot.

Bonus:

Isaiah Thomas

Basketball is a big mans game.

Everybodys bigger than Isaiah. Everybody can see over him. Hes going against defenders who are
longer, taller and stronger, and hes still averaging almost 21 points and seven assists on a playoff-
contending team. To be that small with enough talent and will to leave your imprint on the game? I think
thats special.

Isaiah makes up for his size by using his strengths well. Hes very quick and explosive. That first step,
hes gone. He has the Steve Smith move down to a science, where he looks like hes doing the half-spin,
then blows by you and explodes to the hoop. Hes also stronger than he looks, so he can take contact at
the rim, like Damon Stoudamire used to do. And as Isaiah told The Players Tribune himself, hes got an
amazing handle. He can work his way into the smallest spaces to get the shot off, and he has all the
floaters. Hes even added the one-foot runner to his game. He can create, and almost every shot he takes
in the paint is by definition a tough shot.

You see it all here. The upfake, the first step, the body control, and the ability to finish over serious
length.

www.gifs.com/gif/731ZlB

Isaiah should be an All-Star this year, which would make him one of the smallest to ever make the team.
When youre that small, you usually get weeded out of the NBA. Sometimes little guys stick around and
a few may even have long careers, but theyre not able to do it at Isaiahs level.

You have to be exceptional.