Lakers Draft Workout Shootaround (w/video)

November 25, 2012; East Lansing, MI, USA; Louisiana Lafayette Ragin Cajuns guard Elfrid Payton (2) lays the ball up against the Michigan State Spartans during the first half of a game at Jack Breslin Students Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

The following is a workout shoot-around video.  It is part of the draft workout process.  Usually, teams will leave the shoot around as the last drill of the workout.  The players have gone through their drills, played some two-on-two or three-on-three, and now have their legs worn down.  The participants include Nik Stauskas, Matthew Hezekiah from South Carolina State, Marcus Smart, and Elfrid Payton.

The footage is uncut, so you see this misses with the makes as the players go around-the-world from 20′ from the hoop during the workout

Thanks to LakersNation for the workout coverage.

Notice how Nik Stauskas does especially well with the shot-fake, dribble, jumpshot drill.  Once he gets himself gathered, the shot results with makes with great accuracy.  It is worth noticing how consistent his shot form is, his release point, his follow-through, and the flick at the wrist where the release point is.  That allows him to be a great shooter.  The other players do not have the same habits, nor do they have the same accuracy, as shown by the workout.

Matthew Hezekiah has a high release point, but involves his thumb upon the shot release.  This makes for inconsistent results.  The wrist-action doesn’t follow-through completely.  In fact, there are quite a few shots where his hand stops parallel to his arm.

There is excellent footage of Elfrid Payton and P.J. Hairston taking shots from the 3-point line.  Payton’s shot is flat every time.  You can see the trajectory when he takes the corner three-point shots.  The ball goes just high of the top of the backboard before sinking.  P.J. Hairston, on the other hand, is a reputable shooter.  He has a good shot pocket and a proper follow-through.  You can see how the shot flings from his wrist, has better rotation, and has far more arc than Payton’s shot.

Both P.J. Hairston and Nik Stauskas have NBA-level jumpshots.  Their fundamentals in regards to shooting stand out from this workout drill.

That is worth noticing.  Wish we could see Aaron Gordon’s jumpshots too.