There have been a number of NBA pickup games and workout sessions already this offseason, a clear sign that players want to let the world know they’re working harder than ever to improve their game.
Recently, we saw Zaire Wade give Ben Simmons, Jordan Clarkson buckets in a low-stakes summer match, and it went viral on Instagram thanks to many excited fans.
Most recently, though, it’s Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal, and Jayson Tatum who decided to put their summer work on full display.
Here’s some of the footage, per Drew Hanlen on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/DrewHanlen/status/1434159270862278661
There were a lot of very interesting clips in that montage, a lot of which should get folks pumped up.
It seems like Beal is determined to extend his range, which falls in line with what he told us last month:
But Beal has a particular focus this summer as he aims to level up once again.
“Deeper threes. I’m not trying to compete with Dame [Lillard], I’m not Logo Lillard. But I want to shoot deeper threes and shoot more threes,” Beal told NBC Sports Washington.
“You know I need to shoot more threes. You probably say it all the time. And, obviously, make them. I have to make them.”
In addition to three-point shooting, there is another area of his game Beal is honing in on this summer, which he’s been less associated with throughout his career.
“Shooting more [threes] and a little bit more post-up. I want to post up a little bit more. That’s probably why [USA Basketball coach Gregg Popovich] thinks I’m a little bit more thicker, too. I want to be able to get to the block and make something happen down there,” he said.
We saw a lot of post-ups from Tatum, which has almost become a signature spot for him at this stage of his career. As he looks to establish himself as a more consistent scorer, we can expect him to utilize post-ups a lot more this upcoming season.
For LaVine, he seems most comfortable around the rim, where he’s able to use his strength and athleticism to get easy looks. With a revamped roster in Chicago, it will interesting to see if Zach adapts his scoring preferences.
Whatever the case, these young hoopers have emerged as stars in this league, and it’s good to see them putting in work during the offseason.
One can only imagine what more they’ll be able to do once the season begins.
