Since the Western Conference Finals against the Warriors in late May, Kobe has been analyzing and organizing ’Thompson’s off-ball movent.’
From movent habits, to ways of coordinating with teammates, to movent strategies, to corresponding tactical ideas... detailed to the extre, from both the player’s perspective and an outsider’s perspective, aiming for perfection until halfway through the finals, it was almost complete.
Zhang Yang was busy during the Western Conference Finals, watching replays every day, discussing coordination details with Harden, DeRozan, Budenholzer, and Gentry.
However, the finals timing was relatively ample. Budenholzer was well-prepared even before the finals, even incorporating the ’Three Giants’ new playstyle’ into it.
The main opponent was the sa as before, for the third consecutive year in the finals, the Cavaliers’ playstyle had hardly changed, still utilizing the set developed by David Blatt in the 14-15 season, which Budenholzer had long figured out.
Outside of finals training and matches, Zhang Yang gathered with Kobe to discuss the nuances of ’Thompson’s off-ball movent.’
He initially thought Kobe would be impatient with him, especially since he had given Kobe such a troubleso task. When he first brought it up, the old ironsmith (Kobe) clearly wanted to curse.
But unexpectedly, Kobe warmly invited him to discuss together, wanting to hear his thoughts on this aspect...
At first, he was puzzled, wondering if the old ironsmith had a masochistic trait. The more he was tornted, the more he enjoyed it? Images of Vanessa in a leather skirt with a whip flashed through his mind.
Later, he understood, the old ironsmith, whom he used as a tool, was using him as a tool in return!
Kobe without the ball was decent, but he was no match for Zhang San, so he used Zhang San to provide insights on off-ball movent.
Also used as a tool was Gentry, known as the ’Space Managent Master.’ During his ti coaching the Suns, assisting Mark Jackson and Kerr, and with the Lakers, he displayed an extraordinary ability in creating space for shooters, possibly the best in the league. Curry and Thompson’s best year for space creation through off-ball movent was the 14-15 season.
In hindsight, Zhang Yang guessed, is the old ironsmith aspiring to be a coach?
Originally, Kobe’s last three years were dismal, every step onto the court consud his passion for basketball. But on the 10th line, ending a dynasty with eight championships, retiring incited an even greater fervor. After a year away from the court, he was more eager to remain on the basketball court.
A scene flashed in his mind—Fat Kobe pointing at a player’s nose, cursing: If you’re guarded, just back into him, then spin and fade away for a shot over the block, isn’t it simple? Can’t even do that?
Back then, Boss Qiao coached Gerald Wallace like that, while young Zhang San avoided it by following the Legendary Trainer to hone his basic skills.
Due to his deep involvent, when Kobe completed the ’Thompson’s off-ball movent’ analysis, Zhang Yang also basically figured out the details of Thompson’s movents and how to learn them.
It’s much harder than he initially imagined!
He never intended to beco as strong in off-ball movent as Thompson—that’s impossible. Thompson is a pure off-ball shooter, dismissing all else, stepping onto the court just for shooting.
The data Kobe collected showed that Thompson is not only accurate from three-point range but also in mid-range shots, long twos, and threes. Outside close-range shots, Thompson’s accuracy was almost consistent!
Thompson entered his peak during the 15-16 season, from age 25 to 26, with a three-point percentage of 42.5%, long two-point percentage of 45.5%, and mid-range percentage of 44%. His performance in the 16-17 season was nearly unchanged from 15-16.
As for close-range scoring, Thompson had almost none, averaging only 0.8 points per ga in 16-17 with a 33% field goal percentage—that area belongs to ball-handling stars or players with specialties, like Lowry and Felton, yet Thompson very rarely took shots from there.
In single areas, for example, just looking at three-pointers, Thompson wasn’t more accurate than Curry; just looking at mid-range shots, less accurate than Durant; just looking at long twos, less accurate than Zhang San. However, Thompson wasn’t selective with locations; he had no weak spots! And for comparison, these were the kings of those three shooting areas in the 16-17 season!
As long as Thompson found an opportunity and his teammates could pass him the ball at the right mont, he maintained top-tier shooting levels from beyond close-range positions.
Just this point made Zhang Yang think he could almost never fully replicate ’Thompson’s off-ball movent.’ He also claid to be without weak spots, but it was just a claim; he still had clear shooting hot spots.
For example, on the offensive end with hands on his hips, he only went to the left corner; for mid-range shots from the wings, he preferred the baseline’s zero-degree angle or angles between 30 to 45 degrees; at the high post, he liked to receive passes off screens to turn and shoot.
For three-point shots, with the ball, he liked at the top of the arc and right sideline, making it smoother to shoot after finishing technical moves; without the ball, he favored five fixed angles.
Plus, Thompson’s distinctive quality from other pure shooters—he genuinely treated himself as the primary scoring option in movent, his purpose was to score, not to play a supporting role.
Thus, Zhang Yang initially planned only to absorb so advantages of Thompson’s movents to integrate into himself but found out after studying that even that was very challenging.
However, difficulty wasn’t an issue, finding ways to overco difficulties was all, as long as the reward was high enough!
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