Nick Nurse: Shoot Like a Pro - Fundamentals, Skills & Competitive Drills

with Nick Nurse,
Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Head Coach;
Toronto Raptors (NBA) Head Coach from 2018 to 2023;
2019 NBA Champions;
2020 NBA Coach of the Year;
2020 NBA All-Star Game Head Coach;
Toronto Raptors Assistant Coach from 2013 to 2018;
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (NBA D-League) Head Coach from 2011 to 2013;
2013 NBA (D-League) Champions;
Iowa Energy (NBA D-League) Head Coach from 2007 to 2011;
2011 NBA (D-League) Champions;
2011 NBA G-League Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year;
head coach in the British Basketball League (BBL) for the Manchester Giants, London Towers and Brighton Bears between 1995 and 2006;
2x BBL Champions;
2x BBL Coach of the Year;
2003 English Cup;
1999 Uni-Ball Trophy;
Head coach for Telindus Oostende (Belgium) in 1998;
1998 Belgian Cup & Super Cup;
played collegiately for Northern Iowa

A winner at every level of basketball that he's coached, Nick Nurse - 2020 NBA Coach of the Year with the Toronto Raptors - uses this on-court presentation to teach the characteristics of basketball's best shooters. With an emphasis on developing shooters to execute offense and score the ball, Coach Nurse discusses his approach to crafting quality shooters that can translate to any level of the game.

Shooting Factors

Coach Nurse begins with the concept of getting the shot lined up on a single line. The middle of the ball should always be in line with the middle of the basket. To achieve this, lines are on the court to illustrate the point, just like at the Toronto Raptors' practice facility.

The second shooting factor is arc on the shot. If the arc is too much, the ball will not travel as far as needed. Likewise, too little arc results in a shot being more likely to miss, as it will hit the rim and not have a chance to go in the basket. Developing proper form and mechanics will reduce these issues and get the correct arc on the ball.

The last shooting factor is depth, or the distance the shot must travel. Along with drills and teaching techniques designed to improve form and arc, drills are also presented that develop shooting range.

Perfect Shooting Drills

To teach shot mechanics, Coach Nurse emphasizes two main drills. The first is Perfect Form. In this drill, players work on form and execute on a cadence. Athletes face each other while on volleyball lines on the court to practice the visual of getting everything lined up to shoot the ball correctly.

The second drill is Perfects, with the plan to shoot the perfect shot. In three lines, one at the front of the rim and one on each side of the rim, players shoot with the target being a green piece of tape on the rim. The objective of the drill is to get all net and make sure that everything is lined up accordingly. The follow-up to the Perfects drill is The Backup Game. Here, players get to take a step back from the last spot where they made a shot.

3-Point Shooting Drills

One of the most important shooting abilities is to be able to make shots from a long distance. Many of the game's best shooters have the ability to make deep shots well behind the NBA 3-point line.

To test athletes and their ability to make long range shots, the Deep Threes drill is presented. Using a similar concept to adding more weight to a bar for a bench press, Coach Nurse extends the shooting range well beyond the 3-point line. Another drill that can be used to develop 3-point shooting is Five Spot Shooting, which is a great drill for players to compete against themselves.

This video will give you the whole package on how to develop a quality shooter, thanks to Coach Nurse. With several years of experience, his ability to develop outstanding shooters is incredible.

73 minutes. 2021.