How much quicker is Gordon Hayward’s jump shot?

For those who don’t know, I’ve launched a subscription service for some of the more in-depth basketball writing. For $2 a month, you can subscribe to my Patreon for multiple pieces like this in addition to college scouting reports of potential draft picks and other work.

I’ll still provide you daily free updates and reactions as usual here on RedsArmy, but now that I’m a full-time Celtics reporter (read more about that here) I’m asking for $2 a month for some of the more labor-intensive work.

Here is my first piece.  It’s a video breakdown of Gordon Hayward’s shot to see how much quicker his release has gotten.

Curry’s shot uses the momentum of his entire body to power the shot. It’s a re-imagined form that’s given him a lightning-quick release and incredible range. It’s an innovation. And when someone innovates, he gets copied. 

Markelle Fultz is a good example of this. He had good form in college but it was a classic jump shot. Now he’s trying to emulate, to some degree, Curry’s type of form where the arm and the release are all one more fluid motion. He wanted it so bad that he got hurt trying to change his form, and even so it’s still not there yet.

Hayward appears to be trying a little of the same. I don’t see it in all of his shots, and it’s not a full Curry, but it seems like that’s how he’s trying to get a quicker release.  

I’ve tried to match up some of the shots he’s taken this preseason with similar shots taken in Utah. It’s not an exact science, but it’s going to give us the best look so far at what has changed with Hayward’s jumper.

Here’s a little taste of what you’ll get when you see the whole post. There are a bunch of examples from his Utah days, matching the spot on the floor and general circumstance, to show you how what his current shot looks like compared to the old one. Of course, this is just a teaser.

Again, this is just $2 a month and it will definitely be worth it. Please subscribe today.