The offseason of departures continues on for the OKC Thunder, this time coming in the form of Chip Engelland shipping out to Space City.
On Wednesday, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news that the veteran assistant had accepted a position to join Ime Udoka’s coaching staff with the Houston Rockets.
Widely regarded around the league as the “Shot Doctor,” Engelland has been credited for ironing out and, in some instances, fully restructuring the shot mechanics of some of the game’s top talents, with noteworthy, all-time disciples including Carmelo Anthony and Kawhi Leonard.
Now, Engelland’s arrival in Houston presents him with an opportunity to potentially add another success story to his resume, as he faces the challenges of trying to rework the shooting stroke of promising wing Amen Thompson.
Former Thunder coach could help Amen Thompson’s shooting mechanics
Throughout his three seasons in the association, Thompson has established himself as a star on the rise with elite defensive intangibles, high-end athleticism, and an innate feel for the game.
This past season was easily his best yet, as he posted stellar averages of 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals on 53.4 percent shooting from the floor.
Of course, he posted such numbers while registering a long-range shooting clip of just 21.6 percent, a slight decline from his career 21.9 mark.
Just as concerning is the fact that he ranked in with the worst mid-range field goal percentage in the entire league (minimum of 100 attempts) at a clip of 27.8.
By all accounts, Engelland may just be one of the most capable coaches to take on the task of establishing Thompson as a scoring threat from the mid-to-long range.
Kawhi has gone on record crediting Engelland for changing his shot. Beloved former Thunder wing Aaron Wiggins went from shooting below 32.0 percent from deep to an average of 39.2 percent once the assistant joined Oklahoma City.
Heck, he even brought the once sub-par shooter in Lu Dort to north of 40.0 percent from distance not two seasons ago.
It should come as no surprise that, once they officially hired Engelland back in 2022, the Thunder found their long-range shooting percentage rise from the worst clip in the association (32.3) to ranking within the top 10 in each of the last three seasons, even placing first back in 2023-24 (38.9).
Needless to say, if the Rockets want to prioritize making Thompson more of a scoring weapon outside the painted area, Chip Engelland is an ideal hire to join their coaching staff.
Frankly, the thought of Thompson developing his jumper could be enough to send shivers down one’s spine.
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