Using software, Brook Lopez improved his shot

During its first eight seasons, Brook Lopez had scored just three award-winning baskets in 31 attempts. Then, from the 2016/2017 season, the former Nets player became a feared weapon behind the arc, more particularly in Milwaukee in the conquest of the title in 2020/2021.

Without being huge, his 34% success rate at 3-pts for six seasons (649 award-winning shots scored) remains very correct for a pivot of his size (2m13). Nevertheless, this summer, and at the age of 34, he still wanted to improve in this area.

“I worked a lot on my shooting during the off-season to become a better shooter”, he was telling The Athletic a few days ago. “I changed my shot a bit. I have confidence because I have worked a lot. I worked quite a bit with Noah. »

Noah is not the name of a teammate or a particular coach, but the diminutive of ” Noah Shooting System“. This is a system, with a camera placed above the circle and a computer, which allows the data of the shots to be measured in real time: the curve of the shot, the place in the circle where the ball arrives (in front of , behind or just the net), if the shot is well in the axis or rather to the right or to the left…

Brook Lopez therefore took many shots with a digital voice that immediately gave him the statistics of his shot, after each attempt.

“It’s great because we have a direct return”explains the 2021 champion. “It’s a lot of rehearsals. I found it very useful, it was great. Maybe not for everyone, but since I like numbers, I thought it was cool. We can visually see that we are improving. »

A good curve, but a tendency to lean to the left

The results of the first shoots showed that the curve, which should ideally be between 40 and 50°, of Brook Lopez was very good. “I’m probably around 44°, when we thought I was higher. A little below 45 is optimal. »

Then, to chain the “swish” even more and prevent the ball from hitting the circle and coming out, the Bucks pivot changed the position of his feet. First tightened, then spread apart, always with the aim of finding the right combination. “We tried a lot of things. Series of 25 shots with the feet like that, then a series with the feet another way. »

Thus, with his team, Brook Lopez discovers that he generates too much power with his legs, that he brings the ball to his left and behind his head. He must therefore bring the ball back in front of his face and further to the right of his body. “Being straighter, because we saw that that explained why my shots went a little to the left, a little to the right”he says. “We are trying to fix that. »

Details that make the difference, as we noticed with Stephen Curry last season. A simple change of support when drawing (on tiptoe when he usually shot with the soles of his feet) had disrupted the MVP of the 2022 Finals, the best shooter in history, for several weeks.

For Brook Lopez, this recalibration is visibly starting to pay off. He came out of a 7/9 behind the arc against the Cavaliers and thanks to this great performance, he posted 39% success at 3-pts this season. If he finished with such an average, then it would be his best season in his career.