When Paul George recently signed his new deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, Sixers fans were excited to see how his brand of shooting could help the team.
But there was a time when George wasn’t as well-regarded for his shooting abilities.
Speaking on his “Podcast P” show, George admitted that he had to work hard to enhance that part of his game.
He said that he relied on shooting “heavy balls” and practiced shooting “off movement” in order to be a better player.
He also went into the psychological effect that not shooting well had on him.
George was in conversation with Oklahoma City Thunder star Chet Holmgren and they were speaking about improving their shots.
Years ago, George wasn’t as capable with the ball and he wasn’t happy about that.
He was even more unhappy because opponents were calling him out on the court, saying they didn’t fear his shots.
This led to him spending hours in the gym with heavy balls.
By utilizing weighted balls, he was able to find his shot and practice countless reps to perfect it.
As time went on, he improved and now George can shoot much better.
The Sixers are hoping to see a lot of that shooting in the season ahead.
He is viewed as a key piece of the team’s offense and they want him to handle the ball often but also play off of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
George can find his spot on the floor, shoot well, and even defend.
But it wasn’t always that way and he had to work hard to get to this point.