With two Hawks guards running him off the 3-point line, Waiters has no choice but to put the ball on the floor. He blows by Bazemore, while Schroder flees the scene to guard D.J. Augustin, and is met by Al Horford as soon as he steps foot in the paint. Rather than forcing the issue, Waiters spots Anthony Morrow standing open on the opposite basline and whips a pass that almost clears his head.
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Knowing Morrow is the Thunder’s only remaining option, Kyle Korver wisely runs full speed at his shooting hand. But even that, in addition to the wayward pass from Waiters, isn’t enough to throw Morrow off. He snatches the ball out of the air like a tight end and releases the tricky 3-pointer by bringing it no lower than his forehead. The entire motion takes less than 0.5 seconds, a third of the amount of time it takes for the ball to cruise through the air before kissing nothing but net.
“That’s a tough shot to shoot, man,” Thunder star Kevin Durant said recently. “He practices that every single day. I practice it, but I’m not as good as him at it. It just takes confidence to shoot that shot.”
Morrow warned us this day was coming. He told a group of reporters on media day that his offseason focus was to make his form even quicker, despite the fact that he’s long been considered the only rival to Stephen Curry when it comes to the fastest release in the NBA. It seemed ludicrous, too, seeing as Morrow has already established himself as one of the most accurate shooters in NBA history — only nine players having shot a better percentage from the perimeter over the course of their careers, a list that includes Steve Nash, Kyle Korver and Curry.
“He’s one of those guys where every time he shoots the ball, I think it’s going in,” Durant continued. “No matter how he catches it, he’s always ready. That’s what he’s taught himself over the years. No matter if the ball is low or high, he’s going to shoot it the same way, and it’s going to be good.”
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Shooting in space has never been a problem for Morrow. Converting shots with defenders breathing down his neck, on the other hand, has. Morrow combined to make just 27.7 percent (26-94) of his 3-pointers within 2-4 feet of a defender in 2013-14 and 2014-15, according to NBA.com. While that matters less for someone who relies heavily on his teammates to create opportunities, developing a quicker release with greater consistency would only make Morrow’s presence more valuable.
And that’s exactly what’s happened this season.
Motivated by Andre Roberson blocking his shot in practice, Morrow transformed his release by getting rid of the dip — a term used to describe players lowering the ball before they shoot. While dipping helps to establish a rhythm and generate power from longer distances, it greatly reduces the time needed to get off a shot. It’s often instinctual (Curry says he doesn’t dip, for example, even though he does) but Morrow has managed to take it to another level by eliminating it entirely.
“The first time I saw it, I was like, ‘There’s no way that thing can go in,’ " Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “He shoots it at an incredible rate, but he really practices getting it off quick, and I’ve always said this: Every level you go up from high school to college to the NBA, you have get your shot off quicker and quicker if you don’t have great size. He’s mastered getting it off.”
That’s not to say Morrow never dips. Much of it depends on where the pass from his teammate is located and how his defender is covering him. When he catches the ball in transition, he often has the time to compose himself by dipping the ball.
When Morrow’s defender helps and recovers, though, going straight up gives them little-to-no chance at closing out. There’s also an element of the surprise involved, since opponents aren’t accustomed to guarding someone with the ability to shoot so quickly. Notice how the Hornets’ Troy Daniels makes the right decision by closing out on Morrow as soon as the ball leaves Russell Westbrook’s hands. While he’s in decent position to contest the shot, it’s still not enough to prevent Morrow from catching and shooting.
Considering how abnormal the motion is, it’s remarkable that Morrow is shooting 43.2 percent (16-37) from the perimeter this season when he doesn’t dip — 4.1 percent better than when he does. More importantly, he’s converted 48.0 percent of his 3-pointers within 2-4 feet of a defender, the reason he worked on perfecting his release in the offseason. Because of it, the days of him having weaknesses as a spot-up shooter are gone.
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While Morrow’s minutes have been sporadic, his improvements have helped him become a greater threat offensively. The dynamic duo of Durant and Westbrook are even more dominant when he’s in the lineup thanks to his gravitational pull, with Westbrook’s offensive rating jumping from 112.3 to 117.7 and Durant’s from 113.1 to 120.6. The Thunder’s best lineup offensively (139.5 points per 100 possessions) also features Morrow playing alongside Westbrook, Waiters, Durant and Serge Ibaka.
That might not guarantee Morrow stable minutes during the season, especially with the re-emergence of Kyle Singer, but don’t rule him out as the Thunder’s secret weapon come the playoffs. After all, there isn’t much that can be done in less than 0.5 seconds.
Contributing: Sporting News’ Adi Joseph
