Want to shoot a basketball like Reggie Miller? Here’s how he practices.
His team was down 6 in enemy territory.
There were less than 19 seconds left in a crucial playoff game and he was the only one who can lead his team to victory.
Fighting to get open to receive an inbound pass, he pushes his defender and gets open, where he catches the pass.
He steps into his sweet spot and goes up for a 3.
Swish.
Sticking to his opponent like white on rice, his opponent trips and he steals the inbound pass.
He dribbles out to the perimeter and makes another clutch 3.
The game is now tied.
After the opposing team choked and missed 2 big free throws, he received the ball and got fouled.
He takes a deep breath and sinks the first. His team is now up to one.
He takes a step back, then resets. The ref passes him the ball and he shoots it. He sinks another shot.
He scored 8 points in the span of 9 seconds.
But more importantly, his team got the W because he stepped up and performed when they needed him the most.
Why Reggie Miller is One of the Best Shooters
Reggie Miller is arguably the best shooter to ever play in the NBA. Okay, not the best, but he is one of the best. Top 5 for sure.
Why do I believe this?
Because Miller is a member of the 50-40-90 club, an exclusive club for players who have averaged at least 50 percent for field goals, 40 percent for three-pointers, and 90 percent for free throws in a single season.
And at the time of his retirement, he was the league record holder for 3-pointers made.
The record, however, would be claimed by Ray Allen a few years later (and then eventually be taken over by Steph Curry).
How Reggie Miller Gets Open
So here’s how Miller was able to make shots efficiently and at a high rate:
On offense, he moves a lot. Miller is constantly running and cutting and coming off of off-ball screens.
This is how he gets open for shots or to get to his spots. He is also comfortable under pressure, meaning he’s able to shoot a good shot even if it’s contested.
Additionally, he always has good communication with his point guard so that they both can bait defenders into moving certain directions; he baits them into moving away from his dominant side or where his screener will be.
But there is no point in getting open (sometimes wide-open looks) if you’re unable to make a shot.
If you’re just going to toss up a brick, running around is useless. You’re just wasting energy for nothing.
So to make sure that his shots consistently go in, Miller practises shooting a lot.
How To Do Reggie Miller’s Shooting Workout
So here’s his shooting routine:
https://youtu.be/If-v_f-upuU
Miller always starts with a warm-up.
He’ll start with close-range shots and work his way around the basket, like how you would in Around the World.
He would start at the first marker of the free-throw line. Then he would move to the next one, and so on and so on until he’s made shots at every marker.
Once he finishes the cycle, he’ll take a couple of steps back and do it again. He’ll do this until he finishes the 3-point-land cycle.
During the warm-up, he doesn’t care if he makes or misses shots; he just wants to get the motions in.
Once he’s warm and loose, he’ll work on shooting free throws. He’ll shoot until he makes 10 and then he’ll go into his shooting workout.
His workout is similar to his warm-up except he only shoots 3-pointers and misses count.
What he does is he will start at the corner.
Miller will take 2 shots, but only one needs to go in (of course, he’ll try to make all the shots and you should too if you do this exercise).
He’ll move around the basket, continuing this process.
If he misses two consecutive shots, he has to make five free throws before he can get back to his spot and continue the course.
Miller will do 10 rounds of this (one round is from one corner to the other and back). However, you can do as many (or as few) rounds as you please if you were to try this workout.
An Alternative Shooting Workout
Also, here’s another workout that you can try.
It involves more running and will test your cardio, but it’s a great shooting workout too.
Final Thoughts
Reggie Miller is one of the best shooters to ever grace the hardwood.
His numbers prove it. The players he has irritated throughout his career are also evidence.
So, if you want to improve your shooting (and conditioning), add his workout (or the alternative) to your routine.
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