What makes Wayne Ellington an elite shooter? Lets break down his mechanics

The Lakers and general manager Rob Pelinka clearly recognized the perimeter shooting deficiencies and unbalanced nature of last year’s roster, and have put a clear focus on rectifying that situation by signing high-level shooters this summer. The names they added to solve the problem include certified snipers like Malik Monk, Carmelo Anthony, Kent Bazemore, Trevor Ariza, Kendrick Nunn, and last — but certainly not least — Wayne Ellington.

Ellington is perhaps the prime example of the Lakers sacrificing some of their defensive ability to upgrade on the offensive end, with the team placing full trust in head coach Frank Vogel to work his defensive wizardry to make up enough of the difference.

His 3-point shooting numbers for last season are as close to elite as you can get, particularly for a player coming in on the veteran’s minimum. Ellington shot 41.9% from behind the arc overall, nearly 50% on pull-up 3’s, 41% on “open” threes (which are classified as having 4-6 feet of space), and 45% on “wide-open” looks, aka those with six feet or more between the shooter and nearest defender.

Underlying those numbers are great shooting mechanics going into his setup and shot, fundamentals that consistently set him up for success. I detailed those in the following video:

Ellington’s mechanical consistency and understanding of his strengths and weaknesses — combined with the great looks he’ll be seeing playing alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook — could make for a very scary combination for opposing defenses, and a welcome sight for any Lakers fans.

Dr. Rajpal Brar, DPT has a doctorate in physical therapy from Northern Arizona University, and runs his own in-person and online sports medicine and performance business, 3CB Performance, in West LA and Valencia, CA in which he further combines his movement expertise and fitness training. He also works at a hospital — giving him experience with patients in the immediate healthcare setting and neurological patients (post stroke, post brain injury) — and has been practicing for 4 years. Brar is additionally training at UCLA’s mindful awareness research center (MARC), has a background in youth basketball coaching and analyzes the Lakers from a medical and skills perspective for Silver Screen and Roll and on his own YouTube Channel. You can follow him on Twitter at @3cbPerformance.