Hasheem Thabeet's Hands Are a Blessing and a Curse
Posted Oct 15 2008 7:13am
From SWEAT SPOT written by Ian Gordon for ESPN Magazine.
The Jock: Hasheem Thabeet The Workout: Spinning and catching The Benefit: Hands like traps
At 10 1/2 inches long, they're great for swatting the ball but not so much for catching it in traffic. Part of the problem is that UConn's 7'3" Tanzanian has been playing organized hoops for only five years, which has him behind in some of the finer skill sets.
He didn't know you're supposed to catch the ball with your fingertips, says Huskies assistant Patrick Sellers.
A drill the Suns once used with Amare Stoudemire is the crash course Thabeet needed. Sellers starts it off by having Thabeet face the basket, then the big man spins to catch a ball the coach throws from the top of the key. Sometimes it's a basketball, but other times it's a football, a tennis ball, or even a medicine ball -- and Thabeet doesn't know what's coming until he turns around. His job is to catch it with one hand, although he can us two if the medicine ball is flying his way. This past season Thabeet averaged fewer turnovers, and his scoring was up four points a game. Plenty of work remains, but the drill has clearly helped him handle whatever the game throws his way.
The Jock: Hasheem Thabeet
The Workout: Spinning and catching
The Benefit: Hands like traps
At 10 1/2 inches long, they're great for swatting the ball but not so much for catching it in traffic. Part of the problem is that UConn's 7'3" Tanzanian has been playing organized hoops for only five years, which has him behind in some of the finer skill sets. A drill the Suns once used with Amare Stoudemire is the crash course Thabeet needed. Sellers starts it off by having Thabeet face the basket, then the big man spins to catch a ball the coach throws from the top of the key. Sometimes it's a basketball, but other times it's a football, a tennis ball, or even a medicine ball -- and Thabeet doesn't know what's coming until he turns around. His job is to catch it with one hand, although he can us two if the medicine ball is flying his way. This past season Thabeet averaged fewer turnovers, and his scoring was up four points a game. Plenty of work remains, but the drill has clearly helped him handle whatever the game throws his way.