Kawhi Leonard entered the NBA Draft with some of the most freakish athletic attributes of any of the potential draftees.
Leonard is a physical marvel whose wingspan of 87 ¾ inches is larger than Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum, who is more than five inches taller than the Spurs No. 1 draft pick. And Leonard’s hands are 11 ½ inches wide, which is the size of Shaquille O’Neal’s hand.
But Leonard has gone to the laboratory for ESPN’s Sports Science to by tweaking his trajectory with a change he hopes will result in a better shooting percentage once he starts playing with the Spurs.
The Sports Science crew details how he is diligently working on keeping his shooting elbow high with a straight elbow to the rim as a way to improve his shooting consistency.
That’s a change from college, when Leonard’s elbow tended to flare out. But his work since declaring for the NBA Draft has improved his release angle in a way which should result in a bigger target for his shooting attempts.
It’s a high-tech way to improve his shooting mechanics, which was considered his major weakness coming into the draft.
Leonard’s diligent work in trying to improve is another sign the Spurs might have gotten a steal with the 15th pick of the draft. But he’ll have to remain patient this summer as he awaits his first NBA training camp and his opportunity to work with the Spurs staff.
