Francis' Release.

Francis is smaller and he has a higher vertical than any of them. That puts him in a different position than those players at the time he's at full extention. He's physically different, and his shot is correspondingly so.

 

The main difference between the players you mentioned (Jordan, Kobe, Carter) and Francis is the size of their hands. Francis cannot even palm a basketball, as demonstrated during his dunk contest attempt at that "statue of liberty" 360 dunk.

With the larger players, their shooting hand can spread out and control the ball with ease, whether it be on fade away shots or spot up jumpers. My belief is that Francis cannot controll the ball as easily and needs his off-hand for support when attempting shots of high degree of difficulty.

Shooting on the move involves a good grasp of the ball. Francis cannot control the ball due to his relatively small hands, thus forcing him to use a different release than the larger-handed players mentioned above.

 

I didn't think Kobe had very big hands. Certainly nowhere near Jordan-size.

Still, those pics seem to indicate Kobe has significantly larger hands because Francis is using his left hand to control the ball near the bottom, whereas Kobe's left hand is farther up on the side of the ball, allowing his shooting hand to control the ball much more. Plus Kobe's elbow is farther in, making for a more accurate shot.

 

kobe has got a better shot cause his forearm and elbow both in a line umlike steve's whos elbow is bent and not even with his forearm. this is just what my h.s. bball coach said i needed to work on

 

Throw T-Mac and Jerry Stackhouse in there as well. Paul Pierce shoots a step-back/fade jumper as well but looks a bit different compared to MJ/Kobe/VC/T-Mac becasuse he's not as athletic.

Steve's inability to grip the ball does come into play a bit. He could shoot a Jordan-esque shot if he wanted to, but the additional gripping power of bigger hands has to add stability to an off-balance shot. Overall though I think their kind of shot is broadly a positional thing and specifically an indication of what kind skilled player we are talking about.

In general, PGs operate out on the perimeter. If they do end up in the paint, it's usually because they are driving with the intention to dish, dunk or lay the ball up, not because they are cutting or posting up. SGs and SFs have more freedom to where they can be on the court. Kobe/VC/T-Mac/Pierce/Stack all can create their own shot and are so versatile that they can score from anywhere on the basketball. The Jordan-esque shot is a one of their main weapons and allows them to score when they have defenders draped all over them or can't get to the rim.
Those Jordan-esque shots usually end within 15 feet of the basket. How many times have we seen MJ or Kobe get double-teamed, then spin away from the double team and shoot a fadeaway jumper? It's really a beautiful thing to watch.

What's one of the most fundamental ways of shooting a jumper? Elevate straight up or even lean forward and follow through going forward. Lebron James has recognized that fault as the main problem with his jump shot at this point. When PGs do shoot, they usually shoot from the outside, and if they are sound fundamentally, they elevate straight up let their momentum take them forward. Stevie has a very nice looking jumpshot. It's not "cool" like MJ's or Kobe's but it is very serviceable, effective, and most importantly, pretty accurrate, especially for a guy who can't palm the ball. And with his ability to penetrate, defenders tend to give him space and you see him shooting it often times right above the free throw line.

SGs and SFs on the other hand, shoot from all over the place. The best ones shoot from all over the place and from all angles.
To have the midrange/post game at the level that MJ/Kobe/VC play, that kind of fadeaway jumper is a necessity. They become so good at it in the post that the shooting motion naturally carries slightly over to other parts of the floor where they may shoot from, yet from 3 point territory, they all shoot a very fundamentally sound shot. Kobe is a great fadeaway jumper shooter, but even his ability to hit that kind of shot drops dramatically when he gets out to the 3 pt line, which is why he sets up shoots a pretty fundamental shot from out there. MJ barely jumped at all when he shot a 3.

PGs don't play the midrange/post game so there's usually not a reason for them to develop that kind of shot. If Stevie ends up in the paint, no fadeaway is going to help him get a shot over a player 6-7 inches taller than him. And he's not going to shoot a fadeaway from outside when he can deliver the ball to a teammate for a better shot.

 

Having this conversation would be similar to telling Jeff Bagwell to swing his bat like Sammy Sosa. Or telling Brett Favre to throw like Daunte Culpepper. Or telling Andre Agassi to extend his arm on a serve similarly to how Andy Roddick does it.

It's different for every player. In every sport.

 

I disagree. Baseball swings are completely different, yes. But there is a 'right' way to shoot a basketball. Bend the knees, elbow in, shoot off the fingertips. Everyone who can shoot (except The Matrix) does these things. Slight differences occur, but look at the greatest shooters--Rick Barry, Steve Kerr, the Persons--they all do this stuff. But people only remember the unorthodox-looking shots.

 

This is true. But the part I find interesting is the reasons behind why players use certain grips. Each player has found a way to succeed based on what feels comfortable for that particular player. Reggie Miller is a great shooter but his shot is very unorthodox and no one would think about copying his shot in order to shoot well.

If every player had the same physical characteristics and there was a certain way in which produced the best results, then it would be silly for a player not to use that procedure. However, analyzing a player's form to find out why he/she does how he/she chooses to do it is interesting to me.

 

There is a right way to swing, isn't there? Feet a little more than shoulder length apart, hands together with right hand over left for a righty, roll your wrists and swing through the ball. Every sport has basic fundamentals that most players follow to be successful.

It is the Julio Francos and the Jeff Bagwells that have differences that are interesting because they do things their own way and still have success. All sports have players who mostly follow the basic fundamentals but have a personal approach that they feel comfortable. The best are the best not always due to having classic form but due to practicing their particular form to the point where their talent and skills become greater than the rest of the pack.

 

Its the principle that counts. There are great shooters that dont shoot like Rick Barry or Steve Kerr. There are also horrible shooters that shoot like the Persons.