Opening Night Observation: Fred VanVleet’s Left Hand

Overtime Heroics Editorial

2145 days ago

Reigning champions are playing? Cool. The new-look Pelicans? Neat. LeBron and AD vs. Kawhi? All right. While these sub-plots kept the masses entertained, the real story was hidden in plain sight: Fred VanVleet’s left hand.

No, for real, his left hand was incredible. VanVleet is a solid 6 feet tall, so scoring in the paint requires some guile. Well, he brought it today with his left hand. In general, his shooting and finishing ability was on full display, as evidenced by this very green shot chart.

Let’s take a look at his left-handed finishes from tonight. Like Steph, VanVleet excels at shielding with his body as he flips the ball high off the glass.

https://streamable.com/ktcwv

I apologize for this wonky formatting

https://streamable.com/9wvt1

There’s more space here than what Van Vleet creates

https://streamable.com/23kbb

This last one looks the most Steph Curry-ish

Oh, I’m sorry, did these three technically proficient layups not impress you? Do you not appreciate guard tandems who can finish among the trees? Then here, look at this beautiful lefty-reverse.

https://streamable.com/11pb0

Instagram proves that many players hone their bodies or their jumpers during the off-season, but somewhere in the cold recesses of Canada, VanVleet has been drilling fundamental lefty-layups. In all seriousness, this is the sort of shot that all short point guards should master. From VanVleet’s shooting percentage in the paint today, it’s clear that his strength and touch will aid his size disadvantage while driving to the rim.

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