'He's A Wizard': Thunder Star Speaks on Ex Spurs Shooting Guru

The San Antonio Spurs benefitted from the expertise of NBA shooting guru Chip Engelland for 17 years. He ended up getting hired by the Oklahoma City Thunder during the offseason. 

Like the Spurs, there are plenty of young players on the Thunder's roster that would benefit from Engelland's expertise. A prime example is Josh Giddey, who shot just 26.3 percent during his rookie campaign.

During an interview with news.com.au, Giddey spoke about a wide range of topics, including his experience working with Engelland so far. 

“Shooting was a big one for me this off-season,” Giddey said.

“Spent a lot of time in the gym getting up shots. Obviously having Chip England here — one of the best shooting coaches if not the best in the world — here at the Thunder is someone that’s perfect for me to use as much as possible. He’s been great.”

Giddey was asked if Engelland had made major changes to his shooting mechanics during their workouts together. Giddey explained: “Not really. Chip’s hard to explain. He’s a wizard with what he does."

“It’s not unorthodox but it’s different to every other coach that I’ve had, who’s said, ‘Shoot this way’. Chip is one of the best guys I’ve been around. He’s obviously been doing this for so long with San Antonio.

“When I found out he was coming to OKC I was very excited for that and knew he was someone I was going to be spending a lot of time with. He’s been great and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with him.”

The Spurs will surely miss the expertise they once benefitted from having in the shooting department as they undergo a full rebuild. Especially when considering San Antonio has drafted players like Jeremy Sochan, whose shot could use fine-tuning. 

You can follow Grant Afseth on Twitter at @GrantAfseth.

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