SAN FRANCISCO — If shooting were an art form, then Chris Hines would be a sculptor of gilded frames. Basketball craftsman. Stroke Butler.
As an assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves, he watched from the sidelines as he created his latest masterpiece: Anthony Edwards’ shot.
“Now it’s crazy, it sucks for me,” Hines said, “I know when it’s not going in. So I’m sitting on the bench watching, ‘Damn!’ as soon as it leaves his hand .
His disciples had no such problem.
“I think I’ll make it every time. I’m not going to lie.
His boasts contained evidence of his maturity. To be clear, Edwards can sense when his form is off and he might fumble. But his skills have gotten to the point where he doesn’t often feel that way.
“Most of the time,” he said, “when it leaves my hand, I’m like, ‘Damn, that… feels good.'” Because I keep working on it, man. I’m not even funny. I’ve been working on my three-point shot. …I’m happy where it is.
Behind all of Edwards’ talent, his hard work is evident in his performance. While his charisma suggests that superstardom will come easily, his vastly improved shooting underscores his insane work ethic.
This art is functional. Edwards, who left the Bay Area this week after a two-game series with the Golden State Warriors, led the NBA in 3-pointers with 103. His 241 3-pointers trail only the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum. Just a quarter of the way through the season, Edwards has become one of the best 3-point shooters in the league — a strong rebuttal to his reputation for attacking the rim.
But don’t miss the beauty of his polished sweater. Appreciate the art of Edwards and the engineering of Hines.
Maybe it was missed because of Edwards’ highlight dunk and viral quote. But he has developed quite a beautiful lens.
“Yes,” Edwards said. “Super beautiful. Shout out to C. Hines.
The third player in NBA history to make 100 three-pointers in his first 23 games.
Special. 🐜 pic.twitter.com/S9JCNRq95s
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) December 9, 2024
The springs hidden in the legs are already very tempting. He just floated, or so it seemed, and time seemed to slow down while he was in the air. Edwards gets up and shoots a jump shot, and it looks like something cool is unfolding. He has developed a mezzo-soprano with classical charm.
His jump shot became more streamlined. This is an efficient transition from pickup to release. smooth. Effortlessly. Contrary to the shot of a typical jumper, who reaches the top of his jump before unrolling something bulky. Edwards works on his move until it becomes one fluid move, repeated over and over again, culminating in a portrait-worthy follow-up and a shot into the net.
Ant-Man creates a different kind of awe. One of the most charismatic players in the league adds to a talent already full of personality.
“It’s not the prettiest,” he declared, nodding to Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. “They have some beautiful sweaters. I’m not trying to have the prettiest sweater. I just want it to go in. But as long as it goes in, it looks better.
However, beauty comes at a price. For Edwards, the process of disbursing the money was as methodical as it was ruthless.
Hines and Edwards put it together into a long-term plan. Like Edwards, his ability is obvious. Talent drips off him like Jerry Curl Juice. The last four years have been dedicated to maximizing his all-round ability, and the next decade will be the same.
Edwards resisted at first. At times, he despised Hines as a tough teacher.
“He hates me,” Hines said, smiling proudly. “From the beginning. He was like, ‘C. Hines, you’re not going to change the way I play. I’m not trying to change the way you play. Just wait until I adjust and you’ll be fine.’
Chris Hines watches Anthony Edwards warm up before a game against the Phoenix Suns in November. Edwards credits Hines for improving his shooting form. (David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
Hines gained Edwards’ trust by not altering the canvas but admiring it. Edwards was constantly told what he couldn’t do, how he had to change — people were constantly telling him how to characterize his game. Hines instead insisted that Edwards just needs to improve, not rebuild. They started working on structure, designing his shot around the plays that made him special.
Hines cleans up Edwards’ advantage first. His handle. His organizer. His footwork. His touch on the rim. These are the basic elements of construction.
“He already has a pretty good, consistent, powerful shot,” Hines said. “We’re just trying to enhance everything around his shot. The little things. … How does he put it in his pocket? Is it clean? How does he find the laces without looking for them? Little things of that nature. So, closing in With all this stuff tight, it was really fun to watch the process.
The shots are continuous and difficult to count, and the time is too blurry to record. Photography is a meticulous craft. It’s feel and form. Technical and creative. It stays true to the uniqueness of the shooter while adhering to universal laws.
Hines worked to simplify Edwards’ shooting motion. First, they have to break his habit of throwing the ball too low. Now, relying on pure muscle memory, his process begins with the ball near his belly button.
Then they modified his higher version. Edwards has a lot of movement, lifting the ball from his hip to the back of his head, creating many opportunities to spoil the outcome of the game. The longer the shape, the harder it is to copy.
Therefore, by raising the starting point and early release point, his movements become more efficient.
Another thing Hines addressed: Edwards’ habit of keeping the ball close to his body, limiting his range of motion. Hines trains his elbows to stay in an L shape instead of a V shape to avoid losing strength and mobility. Hines instilled in Edwards the ingrained idea that at his peak, he needed to keep his elbows above his eyebrows.
Follow-up is another important component. Edwards now visibly snaps his wrists, as if he’s reaching into the rim. This gave his ball a strong spin and splashed into the net.
“We would go to the gym four or five times a day just to shoot,” Edwards said. “Just shooting. Just shooting. So I’ve been working on it – trying to perfect it. Because when I came into the league, the biggest thing was, ‘He can go down, but he can’t shoot. He can’t shoot. He can’t shoot. So.’ I’ve been trying to get that name out of my name for a long time, and while it’s still a little off, I feel like I’m moving in the right direction.
Last month, Edwards sent Currie a voice message in an attempt to glean some off-ball wisdom from his Team USA friend. This comes after he spent a summer picking the brains of his favorite player, Durant.
Edwards’ offensive drive created the threat of a series of highlight-reel shots, prompting defenders to retreat and allow his jumper to stop the poster. As he became an MVP candidate, the number of double teams he faced increased.
Therefore, the next stage of his development is to become an off-ball threat. The rhythm of shooting off the dribble is much different without the rock. Maintaining the same position when catching and shooting requires repetition and precise practice.
Edwards said he wants his shot to be good enough and last long enough so that his fake moves send defenders into the air and open space for him to penetrate.
“In order for me to be able to score off the ball,” Edwards said, “I have to be able to shoot the ball. You know what I’m saying? Let them respect it. … Just being ready to catch and shoot, that’s what will get you there. The offense becomes another threat because guys have to respect that now because I want to catch the ball and shoot it so now if you get me down the line, now I can get to where I really want to be, which is downhill.
It took thousands of shots and hours and hours and years. Hines doesn’t want to rush the process. He deliberately doesn’t skip steps, mastering one skill before moving on to the next.
The pursuit of grandeur is the antithesis of rush. Masterpieces transcend time through the pursuit of quality.
Players have to want this. Really want it. To achieve this level of improvement, grinding is inevitable. When Edwards stops, the amount of work he puts in shows through. Suspended in the air. Fluid Mechanics. Nice spin. Silky splash. His vulnerability has become a work of art. You can tell by its frame.
(Above: Meech Robinson/ Competitor;Photo: Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
