Detroit Pistons Andre Drummond to ESPN: ‘I’m not shooting free throws underhand’
By Bryan Rose
There are a few guys like Los Angeles Lakers power forward Pau Gasol who could make a mint by opening up a free throw shooting school for big men.
The bigger you are, the more difficult it seems to shot one of the most simple shots in basketball – the free throw.
It’s something Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond is well aware of given his woeful 37.1% from the line last season.
Drummond’s free throw shooting was so bad, ESPN’s Ethan Sherwood Strauss penned an open letter to Drummond, asking him to improve his free throw shooting, even suggesting he go Rick Barry and shoot them underhand.
"If your free throw shooting doesn’t improve like Joe Dumars hopes it will, please consider shooting them underhand.Of all the players who have been in this position, you’re uniquely suited to the dramatic style change.Shaq couldn’t handle it because he thought the form looked goofy. Though O’Neal was an all-timer, his teams lost games in eight playoff series in which average free throw shooting from O’Neal would have made up the difference. Imagine how great Shaq would have been had he succeeded with the underhand style. With, say, 80 percent free throw shooting from the line, Shaq easily could have been the best player ever. Hall of Famer Rick Barry even espoused that Shaq was perfect for underhand free throws on account of his large hands, but Shaq just couldn’t subject himself to looking goofy."
I’m sure Strauss never thought Drummond would get wind of it, let alone respond, but respond he did, telling ESPN he’s not going to shoot them underhanded:
"Let me make this clear…. I’m not shooting free throws underhand.. #Relax"