Skill development season

For most NBA players, summer’s the only chance to add new weapons

BY DAVID THORPE

MATTHEW STOCKMAN/GETTY IMAGES

It’s August, when social media blossoms with the things NBA players do when they have free time. Trae Young’s breaking a double-team on some practice court; Bones Hyland’s running a camp; Jayson Tatum’s on a golf course. I assure you that each and every player also spends part of the day stressing about the upcoming season. Are they doing enough? Are they doing the right things?

It’s one of the most common conversations I have with players, wading through decisions like should I play for my national team? Should I go to Los Angeles, where the best players play pickup? Should I join my family at the beach for a month?

It’s one of my favorite conversations to have—and we’ll get into the nuances—but the bottom line is: summer is the time to do the difficult work of adding weapons to your game. 

Heat fans had to be ecstatic after Bam Adebayo’s tip-dunk over Nikola Jokić in the second quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals. The play was huge, putting the Heat up 44-42. 

The Nuggets knew the fight was real, and they rolled out their top weapon on the following possession, getting Jokić the ball on the elbow, where he began to back Adebayo down into the block. The Heat had a plan, though: offer fake help at first via Caleb Martin with Jimmy Butler ready to rotate to Martin’s man—sharpshooter Jamal Murray. The Nugs had a counter ready, though; as Martin fully committed to the double, Murray quickly slid to his right to create more space between him and Butler in case Jokić decided to kick out. 

Of course, that’s exactly what happened. As Martin doubled down, Jokić threw a perfect left-handed water-polo pass—routine for him—to the sliding Murray, who knocked down the 3 and put the Nuggets up 45-44. The Nuggets would never trail again in Game 3. 

Now, we’re all used to seeing Jokić do brilliant, even magical, things on the court. But it’s sometimes hard to see the gravitas of any single play. Given the position of the Heat defenders and Murray, Joker had but one option, throw a one-handed pass with his left (off) hand. For many NBA players, forcing that pass would be a win for the defense—rarely are those passes thrown fast and on target. 

But this was the world’s best player, and that pass is a weapon he has long since mastered. 

Every weapon counts in a battle where every possession could be pivotal. That’s why, when anyone asks me what an NBA player should be doing each summer, I’ve given the same answer for 21 years: “He should be weaponizing his game.” 

“Hammering nails”

One summer, I was lucky to have Jason “White Chocolate” Williams in my gym—easily the best ball-handler I’ve seen in my life (in person). 

After he’d been around for a few days, I asked him: “How is it you’re able to do what you do? The ball is just a part of your hand.”

And Jason answered, in his West Virginia drawl: