Miami Heat: 3 goals for KZ Okpala’s 2021-22 season
By Jack Simone
KZ Okpala has been criticized for his jump shot ever since his days in college. If he can fix his mechanics, he could find a spot in the Miami Heat’s rotation.
One of the biggest issues with Okpala’s game in college was his shot. Most major outlets noted a hitch in his jump shot that desperately needed to be fixed.
He did manage to improve his mechanics in his second, and final, year at Stanford, but he still has a long way to go. Fixing this issue could greatly improve his ability to hit threes at an NBA level.
Okpala has a super low release point on his shot and gets rid of the ball very slowly. This leaves his shot susceptible to be blocked, and with how talented NBA defenders are, that’s a real problem.
If Okpala can learn to release the ball at a higher point and get rid of it quicker, he should be able to shoot over a lot of the people that get matched up with him. Him being 6-8 already gives him a huge advantage, so adding a jumper with a high release point would help even more.
Luckily, Duncan Robinson is the perfect player to learn from in this regard. If it wasn’t obvious from his stats, he has one of the best jump shots in the NBA.
Robinson gets rid of the ball up above his head, while Okpala releases with the ball out in front of him. If Okpala can learn how to release the ball in a similar manner to Robinson, he could seriously improve his three-point percentage.