https://t.co/fDfLzgJuBW, Curtis Fitzpatrick (@cfitzfox) July 27, 2022. Did you know you were getting a player this dedicatedwhen the Spurs drafted him? Kawhi Leonard, $16,407,500, 2015-16. The Spurs planned for years in order to have enough money to throw at a max free agent this summer. Here it is, in its entirety: What a silly mistake. When Leonard was drafted 15th overall by the Indiana Pacers out of San Diego State in 2011 and immediately traded to the Spurs, there were only three days left for him to meet his new bosses. The shooting specialist credited with sharpening the strokes of Grant Hill, Tony Parker and, most recently, Kawhi Leonard . The California-born baller spent four years at Duke before going un-drafted in 1983. Engelland wasn't much of a defender or playmaker but he totaled 1,025 points in his Duke career before going on to. All rights reserved. Hes also become a much better free throw shooter, having hit 69.7 percent of his free throws before Engelland changed his shot and 77.2 percent of his freebies since.4 Altogether, since Engelland came to San Antonio, the only guard who has hit a higher percentage of his 2-point shots than Parker is Steve Nash.5 Chip Engelland might very well be the difference between Tony Parker, very good point guard, and Tony Parker, future Hall of Famer. The longtime Spurs assistant coach and well-known shooting guru has no. Join in via the comments below or on Twitter and Facebook!TWITTER: http://bit.ly/BBallTweetsFACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/BBallFBWEBSITE: http://bit.ly/BBallWebABOUT BBALLBREAKDOWNBBallBreakdown is devoted to deep-dive analysis of NBA basketball gameplay. Before teaming up with the winningest coach in NBA history, Gregg Popovich, his hoops career was touched by some of the game's most legendary figures. I somehow confused Fraser/Engelland on the previous Kerr/Portland anecdote, a mistake made worse by the fact that I had already correctly written about it once. 5. SAN ANTONIO - DECEMBER 13: Assistant coach Chip Engelland of the San Antonio Spurs looks on from the sideline during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers on December 13, 2005 at the SBC. That ranks second in the NBA behind the Golden State Warriors. It was an honest, but strangely specific, mistake. This is a carousel. Engelland, considered the NBA's preeminent shooting coach, spent 17 years with the Spurs where he's. Dated Jeanie Buss. After ranking 24th or worse six times in Popovichs eight seasons before Engelland arrived, the Spurs have finally turned things around. But Engelland planted a seed that sparked Leonard's summer workout plan, and the evolution had officially begun. A shots very personal. Engelland has been a. [2] He was known by Filipino fans as "the Machine Gun" for his superb shooting skills. Chip Engelland grabbed a book off a display, thumbed through it, then looked up in my direction, at me, quickly; a sightless glance, the kind one delivers to strangers thoughtlessly. No Summer League. Filed Under: NBA, San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard, Marco Belinelli, Bill Barnwell. Part of the reason hes something resembling a secret weapon is that Engelland doesnt seek the spotlight. Engelland might quietly be one of the most undervalued assets in basketball. With Kerr playing reduced minutes in Portland as a 36-year-old during the 2001-02 campaign, he found himself struggling to stay loose for meaningful shooting opportunities. Chip Engelland, the San Antonio Spurs assistant coach who has been working wonders with NBA players' jump shots since the late 1990s, found himself holding court with a half-dozen reporters at the NBA Finals off-day session at American Airlines Arena. And then when he came back to San Antonio after the lockout, the coaching staff was really happy with his progress and where he was with his jump shot.". Then Engelland would have him sprint onto the court and shoot another shot before sitting down again. Kawhi Leonard made the old Tony Parker look like a long-lost Korver brother. Round1 opens in San Antonio this Saturday. Ballard notes that Parker had shot 34.5 percent on his attempts outside the paint during the previous season; in his first year working with Engelland, Parker shot 39.7 percent on those same attempts. Then they come to the pros and have a lot of different options in life. The Cooler (@The__Cooler) July 27, 2022. Don't try to push it out to the 3-point line at first. And then, as we probably should have expected all along, Belinelli broke out. Engelland has been with the Spurs . Not these guys, they were a brute force. Sometimes, hed start reading a newspaper or start asking Kerr about his family. Deadspin reporter Kevin Draper found numerous examples where Simmons cut-and-pasted press releases for copy in his own articles, so maybe what were seeing here is just sloppy or lazy journalism. That was a nice statement for him.. They drilled the new shot for a couple of days before the lockout hit, at which point Leonard was stuck familiarizing himself with his new mechanics by himself in Las Vegas and San Diego.6. If you want to read more on Engellands path to the Philippines and the wildly entertaining world of Filipino basketball, you can check out the authoritative Pacific Rims by Grantland editor Rafe Bartholomew. He understands that a big part of shooting is the shooters mind, Kerr said, and a moment toward the end of Kerrs career provided such an example. Jeff McDonald began covering the Spurs for the San Antonio Express-News in September 2007, three months after the team's fourth championship. I think his scoring average has gone up each year not by 10 points, but 2 or 3 points each year. 1993 In 1993, Engelland started his coaching career, introducing his basketball camps Chip Shots with the aim of helping players of all ages improve their shooting skills; two years later he founded the In-Net Corporation, strengthening his reputation as a clinician and advisor. But that doesnt make any sense, does it? He's helped improve perimeter shooting from many who have worn the Silver and Black uniform such as Tony Parker, Keldon. Engelland, in fact, became a naturalized citizen of the Philippines and played for their national team (sponsored inimitably as San Miguel Beer) in the 1985 Jones Cup, where Engelland dropped 43 points on a Gene Keady-coached United States team in a double-overtime thriller.2. Josh Giddey's outside shot needs development. It wouldnt be a surprise if Engelland was involved at some level in the target identification process, recommending players he might be able to fix. There was good reason for Leonards haste; the league was about to lock out its players, meaning that Engelland had just 72 hours to work with his new charge before he would be forced to cease all contact. And after finishing 51st out of 86 in the league in 3-point percentage a year ago (among guys with 100 or more attempts) by converting 35.7 percent of his shots from beyond the arc, not only did Belinelli hit a full 43 percent of his 3sthis past year, he won the 3-point shootout duringAll-Star Weekend. Engelland, 61, served as an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons (1999-2000) and Denver Nuggets (2003-2005) before arriving to San Antonio in 2005. Chip Engelland, an assistant coach for the Spurs, is also the team's designated shooting guru. He had a great focus, beyond his years.. Here's what you should know. Parker, as Adrian Wojnarowski mentions in that story, was also pissed. He did play professionally . But that could change after legendary shooting guru Chip Engelland joined the Thunder this off-season as an assistant coach after a long stint at the San Antonio Spurs. Youve got to pull him out of the gym. he San Antonio Spurs have announced that Chip Engelland has joined the team as an assistant coach. Yet Leonard's development is the one most germane to the here and now, as the Spurs' quest to avenge their loss in the 2013 Finals might well have been lost if not for his breakout game. "I just think it's one of those innate things he has, an ability to connect and get the most out of a guy.". Then, hed return to the bench. Jul 12, 2022 1:15 AM. That was the requirement that Chip Engelland requested when approached to do an interview. The Spurs shooting coach turns 60 today. And then we used Kobe Bryant. In addition, DAngelo Russell had a down shooting year from outside in 2021-22 as well, at just 34 percent. 9. Engelland:We knew when he came back, how much it had stuck with him and he took it to heart. [1][3] In 2022, Engelland signed as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he works today. For that story, I conducted extensive interviews with the Spurs player-development coaches, Chip Engelland and Chad Forcier. They both had this (mimics the behind-the-head form). He had so much to learn, him and Cory Joseph both. Its something he works at really hard.. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. The Oklahoma City Thunder are reportedly hiring longtime San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Chip Engelland, per ESPNs Adrian Wojnarowski. Engelland comes to the Thunder after 17 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs , where he had been significantly credited with the shooting development of young players like Kawhi Leonard . -Spurs assistant Engelland explains how he strengthened Leonard's outside shot (LINK) -The Shot Doctor (LINK) -Rookie Leonard gives Spurs unexpected scoring help (LINK) For more on shooting: -Monty Williams Team USA shooting drills (LINK) -Meet the NBA Shot Doctors (LINK) -Kyle Korver on shooting (LINK) -Bob Knight clinic notes - "Shooting" (LINK) Search instead in Creative? Deadspin reporter Kevin Draper found numerous examples where Simmons cut-and-pasted press releases for copy in his own articles, tweeted Simmons, and his Editor at the Chronicle, Audrey Cooper, I wrote about it when Klay Thompson was in a shooting slump. On the other hand, Simmons was recently suspended after writing a news story on the Warriors purchase of land for their new arena that was copied almost entirely from a Warriors press release. Perhaps that explains why he might have taken a story about one NBA coach and attributed it to another, to make his piece more interesting. Engelland never played in the NBA, but spent time professionally overseas in the Philippines before joining the Pistons' coaching staff. 10. There was no better source to go to for answers, what with the Spurs having set Finals records for first-quarter shooting (86.7%) and first-half shooting (75.8%) in their Game 3 win against the Miami Heat that gave them a 2-1 series lead. Tiago Splitter, $10,000,000, 2013-14. Before the season, ESPN Insider Kevin Peltons SCHOENE projection system used Belinellis prior performance to suggest that he would hit 44.0 percent of his 2-pointers and 39.4 percent of his 3s. Engelland is known for being the best "shot doctor" in the league. The Spurs won a title a month before his hire after defeating the Detroit Pistons in a thrilling seven-game series. Both turned into productive shooters under Engelland after entering the league not known for their shooting capabilities. (Barnwells response is below.) Engelland insisted that Parker take the 3-point shot out of his game, and he has; after averaging nearly 200 3-pointers per season during his four seasons in the league without Engelland and hitting on just 31.5 percent of them Parker has averaged just over 56 3-point attempts per season since. With that in mind, its no small matter that one of the most coveted skills coaches in the NBA is about to make a departure from his current team. Engelland is regarded as one of the best shooting coaches in the league and is credited with Kawhi Leonard and Tony msn back to msn home sports Skip To Navigation The next time youre thrown into those tests, youre better. Engelland, described as a shot whisperer, helped former Spurs star Kawhi Leonard work on his jump shot after turning pro. He just needed it to be honed in games, and because of the lockout there arent many games. He is a. The Spurs thrive in obscurity, and nobody exemplifies that more than Engelland, the teams secret weapon.1. Belinelli hit 44 percent of his 2-pointers before arriving in San Antonio; this year, he has hit a whopping 52.5 percent of those shots. At first, hes learning something and changing it. If he can become a more accurate shooter while working with Engelland, the future looks especially bright for Oklahoma City. But while Belinellis shot charts from the past two years (courtesy ofGrantland colleague Kirk Goldsberry) reveal a player who is taking different shots, they also reveal one who has been a significantly better shooter almost regardless of where hes taking them: Its hard to even envision that those two charts could be of the same player, let alone in consecutive seasons. Its hard to find a category where he isnt having his best season. Neal himself was another Engelland project; after making 35.9 percent of his 3sin college, Neal upped that to 39.8 percent during his three years in San Antonio, including that memorable night with six 3s against the Heat in Game 3 of last years Finals. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Engelland:At a certain point in anybodys rookie season, you back off and let him learn the league, learn the Spurs. Belinelli, who was already about to join his fifth team after just six seasons in the league, hadnt offered much during his lone season in Chicago, where he helped fill in for the injured Derrick Rose. This is awesome for OKC. No open gym, which is a month. Oklahoma City Thunder News / FanNation Inside The Thunder / July 28. The ultimate goal in my job is for the player to be their own shooting coach, but in the right way. Make or miss, Fraser would go back to the bench. The changes had an instant impact. 2. I think we did one different thing this summer. We used him as a model that release point and shot. Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford and the San Antonio player personnel department to pursue players, like Leonard, who are undervalued because of their shooting woes, knowing that they have the leagues best shot doctor on staff to improve things. The Spurs will play Game 1 of the Finals against the Miami Heat on Thursday. We saw that right away. With Kawhi it wasn't a makeover, it was more of a tune-up, changing the release point. Its not unreasonable to think either could end the season with a shooting percentage in the high 30s under Engellands tutelage. -Archie Miller clinic notes Daytons Skill Development Program (LINK). Chip Engelland, shooting guru and long-time Spurs assistant coach, has left the franchise to join the Oklahoma City Thunder. Booty Patrol' truck spotted in South Texas, San Antonio woman shows strength of single moms on 'Naked and Afraid', Kyle to open first Costco Wholesale this March, Former Boerne quarterback allegedly gave plays to other XFL teams, Massive alligator shocks South Texas locals in Atascosa County. As good as Engelland is at helping players improve their shots, these things take time. Engelland asked for permission to change Leonard's shot, to perform a "tune-up," as he called it, on the player who shot 43.5% overall and 27.5% from three-point range in his final collegiate season but hit 52.2% of his shots overall and 37.5% of his threes this season. var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; Chip Engelland-the guy who singlehandedly redoctored Tony Parker's jumpshot! Fortunately for San Antonio, though, theres only one Chip Engelland. Its hard to imagine that tiny shift of weight even being perceptible to an observer, but Kerr noted that Engelland is capable of seeing things in a shooters motion that even Kerr, the leagues most accurate 3-point shooter ever, wouldnt notice. They lost in the championship game, so the winning element was still around. Texas mom accused of killing her children has history of violence, South Texans want to know who's behind the 'Booty Patrol' truck, 'Naked and Afraid' lets San Antonio mom show off survival skills, Costco to open first $15M store in Central Texas this March, PHOTOS: Massive alligator spooks locals along a South Texas road, Here's what you should know about Round1 in San Antonio, Rooftop bar Cowboys and Cadillacs to grace downtown New Braunfels, The Kawhi Leonard companion: A Chad Forcier Q&A, Police: North Texas mother arrested after stabbing her 5 children, killing 3, Residents curious about 'U.S. Is that the point in the project where Kawhi is right now? Chip Engelland, a Spurs' assistant coach and shooting guru, has been a huge part of smoothing out and simplifying the shooting motion of Leonard, almost instantly making him a reliable. Chip Engelland, the San Antonio Spurs assistant coach who has been working wonders with NBA players' jump shots since the late 1990s, found himself holding court with a half-dozen reporters at. We came up with a couple things, and he was all ears. Engelland doesnt discuss the particular players hes working with, butits fair to assume that the Spurs evaluated Leonards game closely and felt confident that Engelland could improve his shot before the team traded George Hill to the Pacers for Leonards draft rights. Rather than keeping his right hand under the ball, Parker had it slightly higher up. . fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); "He has a great feel and understanding of what makes players tick and how to deal with them especially Kawhi," Leonard's agent, Brian Elfus of Impact Sports, said of Engelland. Because Warriors Beat Writer Rusty Simmons tells a story about Fraser which will sound oddly familiar to Spurs fans, like us, who were avid readers of Grantland. (Miss you, Pruiti!). As DraftExpress noted before the 2011 lottery, virtually every one of Leonards shooting metrics from his time at San Diego State were abysmal. His high school predecessor noted that since Kerr had a sore knee that was affecting his balance, hed do well to widen his base. Engelland has become one of the more underrated faces in the game of basketball during his time with the Spurs. https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/thunder-chip-engelland-hired-shooting-guru-spurs-josh-giddey, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Engelland would ask Kerr to tell him what was going on with his kids or even leave him to read a newspaper. He does whatever the coach tells him to.. His style of coaching lends itself to completely changing a players outlook and significantly raising their ceiling. His reputation as a shot doctor comes from cases like Kawhi. It's unclear when. Engelland would ask Kerr to tell him what was going on with his kids or even leave him to read a newspaper. Engelland hit 55.4 percent of the ACC's 17'9" three-point shots in 1983. He knew the benefits would be down the road.. So he and Engelland did whole workouts where Steve would shoot one shot, then go and sit down for five minutes. Giving fans a taste of a pro coach's film session, host Coach Nick breaks down fundamentals, play calling, offense, defense, shooting form, officiating, and everything else basketball. You dont want to rush and try to get results in one day. Below is a litany of articles on the adjustments Leonard made (note the gif above) with Engellands guidance along with a document of my favorite quotes about the process. Some of the players will take a few shots, just because there are baskets there. Players such as Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker, Danny Green and others have credited Engelland with helping them improve their shots. Kerr and Engelland would sit alone on the bench in the Portland practice facility after everybody else had left. You can only imagine how furious he might have been hadthe signing actually happened. At this point, you really have no idea what Leonard is like personally. He didnt shoot a high percentage from 3 in college, and that was a shorter distance. David Robinson, $14,841,000, 1998-99. Engelland was the guru who built Shane Battiers 3-point stroke at Duke and refined Grant Hills outside shot during Hills run in Detroit, but hes come to find a home in San Antonio, where he has dramatically affecteda number of players careers as a shot doctor over the past nine years. In an interview with fan podcast "At The Line," Eubanks spoke about expanding his game away from the rim and working with the team's shooting coach guru, Chip Engelland. USA Today Sports' Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt break down the Spurs' dominating win against the Heat, as well as the big-time performance from Kawhi Leonard. You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7. In 1993, Engelland started his coaching career, introducing his basketball camps Chip Shots with the aim of helping players of all ages improve their shooting skills; two years later he founded the In-Net Corporation, strengthening his reputation as a clinician . There were 13 Thunder players in attendance during Olin Simplis Big Guard U NBA runs. 4. By now youre most likely familiar with the story of how Kawhi Leonards shot reconstruction. Unlocking all the things that make a player great. Again, the fix seems impossibly simple in hindsight.