They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but a chance suggestion by Dirk Nowitzki may prove that wrong.
Dallas Mavericks point guard Rajon Rondo, whose shooting has always been the weak link in his game, worked out with Nowitzki's hoops mentor, Holger Geschwindner, for the better part of the last two weeks, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas.
Nowitzki made the suggestion to Rondo while the point guard was recovering from a facial fracture. Geshwindner has been working with Nowitzki since he was a child, and travels from Germany several times a season to work out with him. When Nowitzki broke into the NBA at the turn of the millennium, it was unusual for a big man to possess a deft outside shot - something Geschwindner is credited with.
Rondo on the other hand, for all his point guard skills, is a career 26.1 percent 3-point shooter and is borderline embarrassing at the charity stripe for his position. The mechanics of his shot are widely accepted to be the culprit. Geschwindner has emphasized the arch of Rondo's shot and the follow through in terms of footwork.
Geschwindner calculates the optimum angle of a jump shot to be 60 degrees.
Still, Rondo is 29 and admits change won't come quickly.
It's early in the process. Obviously Dirk is one of the greatest scorers of all-time. (Geschwindner has) worked with Dirk since he was 10, 11 years old. It's going to take some time, but he's very positive and I pretty much understand all of his methods.
As such, it's silly to mention Rondo's shooting the past three games since his return from injury based on such a small sample, but maybe it's worth noting the 46.3 percent mark from the floor is above his season average (41 percent).
