Why The Spurs Winning The 2014 Championship Mattered

With the 2014-2015 NBA season starting today, I am excited to once again be able to watch the best players in the world compete for the most prestigious prize in basketball, The Larry O'Brien Trophy. This season looks to be a great one as the competition is tight with no one team having a guaranteed Finals appearance. Although, some might argue the Cavs but I would disagree as they are still inexperienced and will face tough competition against the Bulls. Not only that, the Knicks would be tough to beat if they are able to adapt to the triangle offense. Also, don't forget about the Heat, Pacers, and Wizards looking to surprise some teams. Over on the Western Conference, it's anybody's game to win. It's a battle royale over on the West Coast with teams like the Timberwolves, Blazers, Nuggets, Jazz and Kings all contending to make the Playoffs, while teams such as the Warriors, Clippers, Rockets, Mavs, Grizzlies, Suns, and Thunder, are aiming to overthrow last year's top seed – and eventual champions – The San Antonio Spurs. With all the buzz being about how the Cavs are favorites to win it all now with LeBron's return, the Spurs are once again brushed off as legitimate title contenders. It was said probably 3 or 4 years ago that the Spurs are too old to win another championship. What happened? They were one rebound away from winning in 2013, and won the 2014 title in spectacular fashion. Their victory against the Heat this past June to me was one of the best things that happened to the game of basketball in recent memory – and here's why: it showed the world that teamwork triumphs over individual greatness, that a team should be developed and built through thick and thin, and that defense is still a priority in winning championships.

Built Not Bought
The San Antonio Spurs' organization is truly one to be commended for their ability to draft and attain good players who are willing to play certain roles, pass the basketball, and motivate one another to higher levels. The Spurs were fortunate to draft Tim Duncan at number 1 in 1997 and was able to build the team around him since then, obtaining valuable pieces in Manu Ginobili (57th in 1999) and Tony Parker (28th in 2001). This was the core that won championships in 2005, 2007, and 2014 (99' and 03' featured David Robinson). Never did they sign two or three more top 5 draft pick players to win. They were able to develop Parker and Ginobili into all-stars, and would bring in key pieces to help complete the puzzle.

 

D + O = W
For those of you who don't know basketball math, that's defense plus offense equals wins. And that was the formula the Spurs used to beat the Heat in 4-1 in last season's Finals. Yes, their offense was great (more on that later), but it was their defense that stopped the Heat from three-peating. Defense was a priority for the Spurs. After every timeout and team huddle, they would put their fist together and shout, "defense!" Whether they were down 20, up by 5, tied, before games or after practice, "defense" was their mantra after every huddle. The Spurs were given a lot of credit for their teamwork and ball movement but I believe that it was as much defense as it was offense that gave them the upper hand in that Finals series. 

A True Team
Teams are everywhere. In your workplace, in schools, and in clubs, there are teams being formed. In the NBA, there are 30 teams competing to be the best. However, never have I seen a true team as the one I saw winning the 2014 NBA championship. The Spurs to me, are the definition of a true team in every sense of the word. You can have super-teams and all the superstars in the world, but it takes more than a couple of great players to make a team. You have to have each other's back, trust one another, and believe in a common goal. I believe the Spurs were all that and more. Led by their head coach Greg Popovich and the big 3, the Spurs were able to bring out the most in every player they had on the roster. Danny Green emerged as a 3-point specialist during the 2013 finals. Sharpshooting Patty Mills came up big of the bench hitting critical shots for the Spurs. Their third year player – Kawhi Leonard, was named Finals MVP. EVERYONE on the team scored in game 4 of the Finals. The team was selfless. They bought into Coach Pop's system and philosophy. They stood by one another through tough times. They suffered a devastating loss in game 6 of the 2013 Finals as they were up 5 with 28 seconds left in the game. The trophy was literally making it way out of the tunnel and into the court, but it was not to be. Nevertheless, they still believed in one another. They still believed in Popovich's wisdom. They regained their focused the following year and became Champions once again after 7 years. 

I urge every young aspiring basketball player to rewatch every game of the 2014 NBA Finals and focus on the Spurs. Focus on how they play. Focus on their defense. Focus on their ball movement. Focus on their unselfishness. Focus on their demeanor and how they bring each other up and never down. The teamwork they showed is something that I hope will catch on with the generations to come. Too often do we see the media glorifying individuals. Replaying the dunks, crossover and assists of ONE player. Basketball is a team sport – and what the Spurs put on display in the 2014 Finals was the epitome of team basketball. While the Heat were busy looking for their superstar, the Spurs were looking for each other. I'm glad they won because it was the first time I had seen people actually buzzing over team basketball. People were excited about ball movement. People were tweeting about how everyone touched the ball in that possession. People were, once again, amazed by the beautiful game. 

I leave you all with two videos showing of the Spurs demonstrating how great, and beautiful, the game of basketball can be.

 

 

Read More

Fundamentals of Shooting

Being able to shoot the basketball is one of the most important aspects of the game. I believe that if a player is a good shooter, he or she is able to fit in any team and have a longer career. Yes, outstanding athleticism can get you a spot on a team in high school, but if all you can do is run and jump, you won't be able to make it far as a basketball player because at some point in your life, those things will start to diminish and you will be left with nothing. On the other hand, a great shooter can have a long lasting career even if that's all he can do. An excellent shooter is able to space the floor on offense, creating more opportunities for drives and lay ups. Without even touching the basketball, excellent shooters immediately have a positive impact on a team's offense. Being a great shooter allows you to have an easier drive to the basket because of the defense will aggressively close out on you to stop you from shooting, giving you the upper hand at blowing by your defender. On the other hand, a great athlete and rim attacker without a good shooting stroke will find themselves having a hard time driving to the rim, simply because the defense will sag down and dare them to shoot it. 

In my introductory post, I mentioned about teaching two kids the proper way of shooting a basketball and that I now realize what I thought them then wasn't exactly right. This is because over the past year, I've discovered a YouTube channel dedicated to teaching viewers how to shoot a basketball. At first I was skeptical—it went against everything I knew about a fundamental jumpshot. The channel preaches three techniques on shooting that are the opposite of what most coaches would teach. They are the turn, the dip, and the sweep and sway. 

The Turn

When I heard them saying a player's feet should not be squared to the rim and should be turned towards the side, I frowned and questioned their techniques. Surely it can't be right—everyone knows that all ten toes should be pointing to the rim. That's how the ball goes straight isn't it? Wrong. Through countless videos, they showed how great shooters, like Steve Kerr, Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and the list goes on, actually have their feet turned when shooting. For right handers, their feet foot point around 10-11 o'clock. As for lefties, 1-2 o'clock. This blew my mind. Have I been shooting with the wrong technique all this time? Turns out I wasn't. The next day, I went to shoot some baskets and I tried to focus on seeing where my feet were pointing every time I catched the ball and "squared up". Lo and behold, as much as I've been practicing to have ten toes pointed to the rim on the catch, I found myself turning on EVERY catch. The reason for the turn is because shooting is done with one hand. Therefore, only the shooting shoulder and hip should be pointing towards the rim, not both shoulders squared at the hoop. With a player's feet turned, it automatically aligns the shooting hip and shoulder towards the rim and it creates a straight line from hip to shoulder to elbow to shooting finger when a player shoots the ball. All this gives the player more consistency and a straighter shot. Take a look at the feet of the players below and where they point at. Next time you watch an NBA game, watch where the feet of great shooters point to.

Spot the difference.

Notice how all of them have their feet turned toward the side, with their shooting hip and shoulder aligned to the rim. With all the best shooters in the world shooting this way, why are we then teaching young kids to square their shoulders and have ten toes toward the rim? The picture below shows someone shooting the way many coaches still teach. 

 

Awkward...

What do you see in that picture? I see a stiff, rigid, and awkward position for a shot. Having the shoulders squared to the rim creates tension on the player's shoulders, which will restrict the shooting motion of a player's shot. Not what you want if you're looking to make more shots than you miss.

The Dip

"Don't bring the ball down!" That's what my coach used tell me when I shot the ball. I tried hard to eliminate it from my shooting form because with bringing the ball down, called dipping, would supposedly make my shot slower. Have you ever tried shooting the ball without a dip? It's awkward, tense and it will throw your shot off. I believe rhythm is important in shooting and not dipping the ball breaks the rhythm of the shot. With the dip, you have a motion that helps transition the ball from your hip to your above your head effortlessly during a catch. Catching and bringing the ball up above your head immediately is not only difficult, it makes your body tense up. Consequently, the shot ends up not having the fluidity that it should have and becomes choppy. But wait! Won't dipping the ball slow down your shot!?!? It won't. A slow dip makes your shot slow, not the dip itself. Watch the gifs below and notice the dip on their shots. Also, notice how Ray Allen has a huge dip on his shot and yet, he has one of the fastest release in the history of the game. 

Ray Allen. Poetry in motion.

JJ Redick.

Stephen Curry. Small dip here, but still noticeable.

Kevin Durant. Again, dips the ball before shooting.

Another reason for players to dip the ball is physics or more specifically, inertia. Inertia is the concept that a body in motion tends to stay in motion while a body at rest tends to stay at rest. According to Wikipedia, "inertia is the resistance of any physical object to any change in its state of motion, including changes to its speed and direction. It is the tendency of objects to keep moving in a straight line at constant velocity." That last sentence is a big reason why the dip should be used when shooting. With dipping, the ball is able to travel from somewhere near a player's hip, to above the head, and finally to the rim with little to no external forces acting on it. On the other hand, using the awkward shot technique, the ball moves from chest height to above the head, comes to a stop, and then proceeds to move again when the player shoots it. The starting and stopping motion of the ball causes inconsistency in a player's shot whereas the dip helps the shot to be in one motion, thus having  greater consistency to move in a straight line.

The Sweep and Sway
The final component of the big 3 of shooting is the sweep and sway. In the past, I would jump forward when I shoot the ball, which was frowned upon by my coach. He then told me to jump straight up and down when I shoot. Of course, I would try jumping straight up and land at the same position I started when shooting. It felt weird, rigid and stiff. That's because shooting straight up and down creates tension in the shoulders when shooting, similar to when a player has his or her shoulders squared to the rim. Soon after trying, I decided not to continue with jumping up and down. Now, what exactly is this technique and more importantly, how is it done? Is it simply jumping forward when you shoot? Not exactly. You do want to jump forward, but you do not want to bring your shoulders along with the jump. Basically, the sweep is the motion your legs is performing when you jump forward. The sway is the motion your shoulders perform. That is, they sway back while your feet sweep forward. Done correctly, it should look like a broom sweeping the floor with the handle as your shoulders and the bristles as your legs.

Kyle Korver using the sweep and sway.

A broom sweeping.

I believe this technique helps a player to generate more energy for a further shot, typically a three-pointer. The three-point line is now 23 feet and 9 inches away from the rim. I believe it is physically impossible to shoot at a high percentage while jumping straight up and down. The sweep and sway not only helps generate power for the shot, but I also believe it is something the body naturally does. So instead of fighting what your body wants to do, allow it. Also, the sweep and sway allows the shot to have a higher arc instead of a flat one. This is because your body in now at angle which makes shooting with a high arc easier and effortless.

Putting It Together.
Forget squaring your feet. Forget not bringing the ball down. Forget jumping straight up and down. Doing all of those things will only create a tensed, choppy, and awkward shot. How do you expect kids to shoot better when they are learning the wrong concepts that actually make shooting even harder than it should be? Just to clarify, I am not trying to put down my coach or yours. I have the utmost respect for my coach and appreciate everything that he has taught me. However, this is something that should not be overlooked as it can hinder an individual's ability to be a better basketball player. Therefore, turn your feet to align your shooting shoulder, hip, and elbow to the ring. Dip the ball to have a fluid and rhythmic shot. Sweep and sway to have a higher arc and a further shot. No doubt, there are more to shooting than just these three techniques, such as the release, follow through, hand position, what to look at, and so on. Nonetheless, I strongly believe that with these three components alone, you can and will be a better, more consistent shooter. Try them out, let me know if it helps. Disagree with the techniques? I'd be more than happy to start a discussion. If have any questions on the techniques, or about shooting in general, don't hesitate to ask. Lastly, share this post to those who you think would benefit from it!

Read More

The Who, What, and Why?

For those who don't know me, my name is Moo Voon Hoe and I recently turned 22. I was born and raised in Subang Jaya, Malaysia and I'm currently living in the Indiana, PA. I recently completed my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology this past May. The title of this blog, Eat - Lift - Ball, is literally the top three things that changed my life for the better and they are what my life revolves around. As some of you may know, I was a fat kid who got hooked on basketball. With basketball, I had a medium of exercise that I never had before apart from thumb exercises on the Playstation controller. I then thought of ways to improve my game. In came weightlifting and eating well. It has been 6 years since I started basketball and with that comes 6 years of researching, testing, and developing workouts, exercises, and diets.

With all that I know from research and experience, comes the reason I am writing this blog - to educate, teach, and share my knowledge on the topics I know best: healthy eating, weightlifting, and the game of basketball. I may not be an expert on any of these things. I'm not a personal trainer, nor am I a certified basketball coach. What I am, is someone who went from seating on my rear end to busting it every workout. What I'll be writing on this blog will be from my own experiences with hopes that there are people out there who can benefit from them. 

As I've mentioned earlier, this blog is to educate people on what I know best. Why? Simply because I enjoy teaching. A few years back while putting up some shots after playing pick up basketball at my local park, there were two kids who joined me. From the way they were shooting, I could tell that they had no idea what they were doing. They were missing shots left and right while mine were going in most of the time. I then told them, "you guys aren't shooting the right way," and proceeded to teach them them proper way of shooting a basketball (which I now realize isn't really right - more on this in another post). After a few tweaks and adjustments to their shots, they finally managed to put the ball into the basket. The smiles on their faces when they made the shots was joyous. Contagious even. They then thanked me with a grateful, "thank you kor kor (big brother)." Their smiles and thanks in turn, made me learn something about myself. It showed me how much I enjoyed sharing my knowledge to others. With that, it also showed me that you can still learn something when you teach. Therefore, with sharing what I know to you guys, I know I am able to learn just as much, if not more.

Thus, I'll be writing about various topics revolving around the three subjects this blog is named after. If there's a specific topic you'd like me share what I know and think of it, feel free to leave a comment or send me a tweet/Facebook message.

Read More