The Blueprint: How To Be A Successful Movement Shooter
Every October, before the start of training camp, I assemble one final project for each client to wrap up their off-season: “Player X’s Blueprint.”
Last year, I detailed my process of creating an off-season development plan for an NBA client using Malik Beasley’s1 summer 2019 plan as a guide. This year, I am releasing some in-season projects I’ve done for players, agents, and teams.
I call these projects Blueprints.
Below is Malik Beasley's Blueprint for the 2019/20 Season.
The Basics Of Building A Blueprint:
After the off-season is over, there’s a small gap of time when players go from working on their own to being back with their team. Depending on the player’s status within the league/team, their time to report back could be anywhere from late August to late September.
During this time gap, I send out “Player X’s Blueprint.”
The idea is to give the player a 10,000-foot view highlighting ideas or habits from their off-season plan that, if executed, will lead to more opportunities and a successful season.
My cardinal rule is that everything inside The Blueprint must be process-oriented, not results-based.
No new information is to be delivered to the player here; this isn’t the time to attempt to squeeze in an extra nugget; it’s a time to reinforce and, most importantly, simplify.
Make it Bite Size:
Losing a player's attention is one of the easiest things to do. It’s simple: all you have to do is flood them with too much information.
If you send a player anything in paragraph form instead of bullet points, you should not send it at all; there is no chance of it getting read.
If you send a film edit, you better get your point across in the first three clips because they aren’t making it to clip 15.
When players open something, they decide within a few seconds if it’s bite-size enough to digest. You can lose a player’s attention from the jump if something looks too dense, no matter how enlightening or helpful it might be.
Because of this, I always made the Blueprints bite-size enough that players could open it and immediately feel two things:
Comfortable—The small, quick-hitting notes make engaging with the document easy for the player.
Returnable—The numbering structure makes it simple for the player to return to the document in the exact place where they left off. Additionally, finishing each point gives the player a nice dopamine kick to keep going.
These were my most successful projects because they were sticky; the players continuously returned to them.
Here is Malik Beasley’s unedited2 Blueprint for the 2019/20 season:
1. WIMS: “Where is my Space??”
When you see the back of your defender’s head = Move!!
Your movement can either be a cut to the basket or to open perimeter space.
The main goal of WIMS = Keep passing lanes open.
WIMS Edit: Showing Malik making basic movements into open space when his defender is ball-watching.
These actions were the most important for Malik because they allowed him to hunt shots without having a play called for him. Also, Jokic loves playing with guys who know where space is, and he can make you look great if you understand WIMS.
2. The Epicenter: “Yes or No” Reads in the PnR and Secondary Skip.
Three Key “Yes or No” Questions:
Does the defender drop?
Yes = Shot
Are you outside the defender’s frame?
Yes = Go
Is the defender outside your frame?
Yes = X
If you can make these reads during optionality drills, you can make them anywhere, anytime, versus any defender.
The “Yes or No” reads will become even easier when you see the defender’s center mass moving.
Stacking edit: This edit uses language specific to my Stacking program. It focuses on details in Malik’s footwork, hips, and hands in relation to the defender’s positioning.
3. Shot Prep Footwork: Do your work early!
Consistent shot prep is what separates elite shooters from good ones.
Shot Prep - Feet, Hips, and Hands.
Pump Fake - Get your right foot down in rhythm every time.
Good Shot Prep leads to great rhythm and balance in your shot.
Great SP Edit: Highlighting Malik doing a great job of doing the work early with his feet before the ball gets to him. Great Shot Prep was always one of the “Process” epicenters I graded every game when working with MB.
Good Shot Prep also puts you in rhythm to beat “Oh Shit” Closeouts with PF → Options (Attack or Step Back Jumper).
“Oh Shit” Closeout Edit: Highlighting the importance of not needing to rush threes off versus out-of-control closeouts. Instead, use a great storytelling pump fake and attack after you get the fly-by.
If you want to dig deep into the weeds on what makes a great pump fake then check this piece out:
4. Shot Blockers: Take the ball into their chest, NOT away from their body.
Shot blockers thrive on air space, which allows them to use their length to block or change shots.
Going into their chest removes the space and minimizes their length advantage.
Finishing Edit: Highlighting finishes from the previous year that were good and bad examples of attacking a shot blocker’s chest.
Trust the finishing work you’ve done on both hands this summer.
5. Core 3 Changes: Speed, Levels and Directions.
Core 3 changes apply to offense with and without the ball.
Playing at one speed, level, or direction will always be easier to guard, whether in the half-court or transition.
Speed: Being able to upshift and downshift at will.
Going one speed (too fast) will make it impossible to change levels and directions effectively and make it easier on defenders.
Level: Defender’s hips mirror your hips. Raising your hips will always cause the defender to relax their hips, too.
You can create fear in a defender by dropping the hips after raising them. This fear is the reaction you need for them to give you a “Yes or No” read opportunity.
Direction: Changing speeds and levels will allow you to set up a change of direction opportunity.
Core 3 Change Edit: Highlighting good and bad examples on the ball and off. The biggest key to having good Core 3 changes is speed; if you are playing too fast, it will be impossible for the body to create the deception of changing levels or directions.
Fast isn't always fast, and slow isn’t always slow.
6. Under = Death: You must punish defenders for taking shortcuts.
Any under shortcut is a risk vs. reward gamble by the defense3.
Under opportunities:
PnR
DHO
Off Ball Screens
Under footwork:
PnR: Skip → Shot
DHO: Skip → Shot
Gap: MG + 1-2 (Shot or PF → Options if high hip “oh shit” closeout).
All the footwork above puts your weight on the outside foot, giving you five attack options while moving in rhythm and on balance.
Remember the difference in the rhythm of your shot when you made MG + 1-2 catches vs. inside foot catches against Connor4 during Fade 1’s games.
Under = Death Edit: Highlighting good and bad examples of footwork and reads.
7. Talk and Listen: Mental errors kill trust.
Becoming a great communicator is a top quality you can develop as a defender that takes ZERO athleticism.
Imagine trying to play an entire quarter of defense without anyone being allowed to talk… It would be nearly impossible to get a stop.
Correcting the actions in the edit requires ZERO athleticism, which is why it kills trust with the coaching staff. Always stay mentally engaged!
Right now, you have enough athleticism to be a quality defender.
Eliminating these mental errors can raise your defensive floor and ceiling.
Mental Errors Edit: Highlighting mental mistakes that take zero skill or athleticism to cover up.
These kill trust and are the quickest way to find your minutes being reduced.
My job was to help Malik stay on the court as much as possible; these mental mistakes prevented more playing time.
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I use Malik’s work as an example because he is the only client with whom I do not have an NDA, which prohibits me from publishing work publicly. I wish I could share more of what I’ve done behind the scenes, but unfortunately, that isn’t possible.
I have kept all the videos in their original form. While I am still on the low-budget side on video equipment compared to NBA teams, I used to be VERY LOW-BUDGET and had to record my iPad screen with my iPhone and then airdrop the videos back to the iPad to make folders. At the time, I only had access to NBA league pass, but I made it work the best I could to deliver the ideas and concepts to clients.
In most clips, you can see my reflection on the screen; I was usually at a Starbucks or something, just crushing free internet. My video Dark Ages!
Malik had a chance to become one of the top movement shooters in the league. Knowing how to punish an under while also using the fear your shooting creates to induce PF opportunities is a crucial skill the best movement shooters possess. I was trying to help Malik get there through this concept.
The Connor mentioned here is Conner Griffin, assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets and by far the best workout defender in the NBA. Here’s Connor in action:
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