howard2
11-15-2005, 05:40 PM
The Detriot News
By Chris McCosky
Nov 15, 2005
The Detroit News (http://www.detnews.com/2005/pistons/0511/15/E05-381865.htm)
Spurs' shooting gets assist
Parker benefits from Engelland, who worked with Hill
AUBURN HILLS -- It looks like my old traveling buddy, Chip Engelland, is out to make it tougher for the Pistons to win their championship belts back from the Spurs.
Back in the day -- it was only seven years ago, but it seems like another lifetime -- Engelland was Grant Hill's shooting coach with the Pistons. Since he wasn't considered an actual assistant coach, Engelland had to travel to the games on commercial airlines, just like us hacks.
I'm happy to report he's traveling in much better style, and better company, these days. After Engelland spent two years as the Nuggets' shooter-tutor, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich hired him for his staff.
"I finally found someone I thought was not just professional enough, but knowledgeable enough, credible enough and understood pro athletes enough to become a part of the family," Popovich said. "He also has a track record of players that he's worked with, who are players I know and respect. I know full well how far they've come under his tutelage."
Engelland worked wonders with Steve Kerr, who played for Popovich, as well as with Hill and Larry Hughes. He helped the Nuggets raise their field-goal percentage from 41 to 44 percent in his first year, then to 46 percent last season. He took their free-throw efficiency from 69 percent to 76 percent in each of the last two seasons.
With Engelland on board, the Spurs were third in the NBA through Monday in field-goal percentage, which is typical, but they were fifth in free-throw shooting. The Spurs, who shot 75.6 percent from the line last season, are shooting 78.7 early this season.
Engelland appears to be making the biggest impression on point guard Tony Parker. At this point the last four seasons, Parker averaged 11.9 points on 37.8 percent shooting. Through the first two weeks of this season, he was averaging 22.5 points on 58.2 percent shooting. He scored at least 20 in four of the Spurs' first five games.
Engelland, who was a ball boy on John Wooden's 1975 NCAA champion UCLA team, did to Parker what he did with Hill -- essentially told him to forget everything he thought he knew about shooting and start over.
Parker had one consistent shot in his repertoire, a running tear-drop jumper. Engelland explained to him the mechanics of that shot, how he used a thumb for leverage, and had him incorporate it into his regular shooting motion.
"It's like two, three steps backward," Parker said. "A little bit like Tiger Woods when he changed his swing. I totally change everything, basically. The way I hold the ball, the way I do my routine, everything. I just start from scratch."
Not only is Parker making jumpers, he's also making free throws. After shooting a career-worst 65 percent last season, he made 12 of his first 15.
Tim Duncan is making free throws, too, but that might not have anything to do with Engelland. Duncan doesn't ask for or take any advice on his free-throw shooting.
"I think, through osmosis, (Engelland) will help Timmy," Popovich said, laughing. "Timmy has a different deal in his contract. Timmy's free-throw improvement will be through clairvoyance and intuition."
'Sheed's school
Darn it if Rasheed Wallace didn't teach young Zach Randolph yet another lesson Friday in Portland.
See, Randolph cut his NBA teeth under the tutelage of Wallace when they were teammates in Portland.
At first, Wallace simply punished Randolph, who was 20 when he jumped to the NBA from Michigan State in 2001.
It was when Randolph started fighting back that the lessons began for real.
"There were times when Rasheed didn't like to come to practice, when he wouldn't go as hard as he normally would in a game," former Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks told the Oregonian. "But then Zach started to feel like he could compete with Rasheed, and Rasheed would start to pick up on that.
"And that would make for some pretty good battles. When Rasheed realized Zach was playing like that, he had to re-establish himself and let it be known that he was the better player, and let's make no mistake, he did that. But there was no backing down from Zach."
The lessons continued after Wallace left and Randolph replaced him in the starting lineup. In three meetings before Friday, Wallace held Randolph to averages of 13.3 points and 7.0 rebounds, well below Randolph's averages of 19.7 points and 10.2 rebounds in 131 games as a starter.
"He's a great defender," Randolph said. "He's almost 7-foot (6-11), he's long, and he knows the little tricks of the trade. He grabs, holds, plays me to my right hand."
So Randolph had to feel good when he hit six of his first eight shots Friday. He finished with 21 points but walked away with only another painful lesson -- games aren't won in the first quarter.
Randolph missed 10 of his last 13 shots and managed nine points after the first quarter. Meanwhile, Wallace hit two three-pointers, had a block, steal and four rebounds in the fourth quarter alone, and walked out with another victory.
"It wasn't just another game," Randolph said. "He's the reason my game is where it's at. I owe him a lot."
By Chris McCosky
Nov 15, 2005
The Detroit News (http://www.detnews.com/2005/pistons/0511/15/E05-381865.htm)
Spurs' shooting gets assist
Parker benefits from Engelland, who worked with Hill
AUBURN HILLS -- It looks like my old traveling buddy, Chip Engelland, is out to make it tougher for the Pistons to win their championship belts back from the Spurs.
Back in the day -- it was only seven years ago, but it seems like another lifetime -- Engelland was Grant Hill's shooting coach with the Pistons. Since he wasn't considered an actual assistant coach, Engelland had to travel to the games on commercial airlines, just like us hacks.
I'm happy to report he's traveling in much better style, and better company, these days. After Engelland spent two years as the Nuggets' shooter-tutor, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich hired him for his staff.
"I finally found someone I thought was not just professional enough, but knowledgeable enough, credible enough and understood pro athletes enough to become a part of the family," Popovich said. "He also has a track record of players that he's worked with, who are players I know and respect. I know full well how far they've come under his tutelage."
Engelland worked wonders with Steve Kerr, who played for Popovich, as well as with Hill and Larry Hughes. He helped the Nuggets raise their field-goal percentage from 41 to 44 percent in his first year, then to 46 percent last season. He took their free-throw efficiency from 69 percent to 76 percent in each of the last two seasons.
With Engelland on board, the Spurs were third in the NBA through Monday in field-goal percentage, which is typical, but they were fifth in free-throw shooting. The Spurs, who shot 75.6 percent from the line last season, are shooting 78.7 early this season.
Engelland appears to be making the biggest impression on point guard Tony Parker. At this point the last four seasons, Parker averaged 11.9 points on 37.8 percent shooting. Through the first two weeks of this season, he was averaging 22.5 points on 58.2 percent shooting. He scored at least 20 in four of the Spurs' first five games.
Engelland, who was a ball boy on John Wooden's 1975 NCAA champion UCLA team, did to Parker what he did with Hill -- essentially told him to forget everything he thought he knew about shooting and start over.
Parker had one consistent shot in his repertoire, a running tear-drop jumper. Engelland explained to him the mechanics of that shot, how he used a thumb for leverage, and had him incorporate it into his regular shooting motion.
"It's like two, three steps backward," Parker said. "A little bit like Tiger Woods when he changed his swing. I totally change everything, basically. The way I hold the ball, the way I do my routine, everything. I just start from scratch."
Not only is Parker making jumpers, he's also making free throws. After shooting a career-worst 65 percent last season, he made 12 of his first 15.
Tim Duncan is making free throws, too, but that might not have anything to do with Engelland. Duncan doesn't ask for or take any advice on his free-throw shooting.
"I think, through osmosis, (Engelland) will help Timmy," Popovich said, laughing. "Timmy has a different deal in his contract. Timmy's free-throw improvement will be through clairvoyance and intuition."
'Sheed's school
Darn it if Rasheed Wallace didn't teach young Zach Randolph yet another lesson Friday in Portland.
See, Randolph cut his NBA teeth under the tutelage of Wallace when they were teammates in Portland.
At first, Wallace simply punished Randolph, who was 20 when he jumped to the NBA from Michigan State in 2001.
It was when Randolph started fighting back that the lessons began for real.
"There were times when Rasheed didn't like to come to practice, when he wouldn't go as hard as he normally would in a game," former Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks told the Oregonian. "But then Zach started to feel like he could compete with Rasheed, and Rasheed would start to pick up on that.
"And that would make for some pretty good battles. When Rasheed realized Zach was playing like that, he had to re-establish himself and let it be known that he was the better player, and let's make no mistake, he did that. But there was no backing down from Zach."
The lessons continued after Wallace left and Randolph replaced him in the starting lineup. In three meetings before Friday, Wallace held Randolph to averages of 13.3 points and 7.0 rebounds, well below Randolph's averages of 19.7 points and 10.2 rebounds in 131 games as a starter.
"He's a great defender," Randolph said. "He's almost 7-foot (6-11), he's long, and he knows the little tricks of the trade. He grabs, holds, plays me to my right hand."
So Randolph had to feel good when he hit six of his first eight shots Friday. He finished with 21 points but walked away with only another painful lesson -- games aren't won in the first quarter.
Randolph missed 10 of his last 13 shots and managed nine points after the first quarter. Meanwhile, Wallace hit two three-pointers, had a block, steal and four rebounds in the fourth quarter alone, and walked out with another victory.
"It wasn't just another game," Randolph said. "He's the reason my game is where it's at. I owe him a lot."