J.J. Redick wants DeAndre Jordan to shoot FTs right-handed
DeAndre Jordan’s struggles at the free throw line remain an ongoing discussion in NBA circles. It’s a topic tied to issues that affect the entire league (will Adam Silver push to stop rampant Hack-A-Shaq tactics?), just the Los Angeles Clippers (can they win when teams send Jordan to the line possession after possession?), and anyone who watches the sport for fun (why are we being made to experience this horror?). Many people have an opinion on what he should do to improve upon his 42.5 percent shooting from the line, a mark actually a bit above his career average.
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It looks as if a new potential free throw guru has emerged, and this one would figure to be a little more likely to catch Jordan’s ear. Clippers guard (and Vertical podcaster) J.J. Redick, a career 88.6-percent shooter, has an idea for Jordan. He wants him to shoot right-handed. From Dan Woike of the Orange County Register (via EOB):
After the game, J.J. Redick, maybe jokingly and maybe seriously, said for the past two seasons he has told Jordan to shoot free throws with his right hand.
“He jumps off his left foot, which is how most right-handed people jump,” Redick said. “Their left foot is their dominant foot. He shoots every single jump hook, and tonight, running hook, with his right hand. He finishes around the basket with his right hand. He’s really good at it.” […]
Despite throwing with his right hand, despite jumping off his left foot, despite swinging a golf club or tossing a bowling bowl with his right hand, he’s not a righty – or even ambidextrous.
“No,” he said, “I’m left-handed.”
“I think because I’m the only left-handed person in my family, they tried to force me to do stuff with my right hand,” Jordan said. “I can do a couple of things with both.” […]
“I tried to shoot with my right hand, and it was pretty much the same. Maybe worse,” he said. “I think I’m going to stick with the left because I’ve been practicing that for awhile.”
It’s worth noting that Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson actually did make this change in 2013 and saw immediate improvement while playing for Team Canada, although his NBA rate is the same this season as it was before the switch. Thompson also claims to be ambidextrous, while Jordan doesn’t use that term despite using his right hand for so many things (that are only tenuously related to 15-foot shots) on the court.
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So it’s unlikely that Jordan will take Redick’s advice, just as it’s unlikely that shooting right-handed would cause his free-throw percentage to skyrocket from the putrid to the acceptable. Shooting right-handed would take practice to get right, just as Jordan would need to figure out a way to go granny-style effectively. This problem does not have a readily apparent quick fix within Jordan’s control. He and the Clippers will almost certainly have to rely on a change to the rules.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
