December 19, 2005

     Best pure shooter I've ever seen? No, not JJ Redick. You probably haven't heard of this guy. But you've definitely heard of some of his students: Kobe Bryant, Stephon Marbury and Ray Allen, just to name three.
     The man's name is Dave Hopla, and he's one of the most renowned shooting instructors in the game. I saw this guy put on several clinics at basketball camps I attended during my high school years. There can't be a better shooter on the planet. He'd take at least a couple hundred shots during each session -- and you'd usually be able to count the amount he missed on one hand. He'd drain half-court shots with regularity, and 3-pointers with his eyes closed.
     Read more about him at his Web site. And by the way? In an article written about Redick in the Daily Press (Newport News, Va.) last year by David Teel, Hopla called Redick's form "flawless." High praise, indeed.