Luka's Step-Back: Frame-by-Frame Breakdown of a Make vs a Miss

Luka's step-back is one of the hardest shots in basketball to diagnose because the misses and makes look almost identical in real time. I synced two of his step-backs from last night frame by frame to the right foot plant and the difference comes down to alignment and knee bend timing.⁣
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On the miss, he's turned too far left and his arms swing up early, which turns it into a two motion shot. On the make, his alignment is cleaner and even though it releases later, it has more arc and goes in.⁣
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The bigger tell for me is knee extension. On the shot that falls, his knees start straightening within 6-7 frames of the plant, so the ball barely waits at the set point. On the miss, he's in a deep knee bend for 12 frames before extending, the shot comes out short by about a foot, and it's almost automatic once you see that delay on film.⁣
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This is why he can miss five straight to start a game and then drill four in a row when it matters. It's not confidence, it's rhythm and mechanics syncing back up. #shorts