Kyle Korver’s Shot Has Returned

Kyle Korver has had a difficult season by his standards, struggling to replicate his excellent shooting numbers from one year ago after recovering from two surgeries this offseason. However, over the past two months, the Hawks sharpshooter has regained his 3-point shooting prowess and is once again a major threat on offense.

Kyle Korver suffered a season-ending injury during the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals when Cleveland Cavaliers’ point guard Matthew Dellavedova dove into Korver with reckless abandon when pursuing a loose ball. Delly’s disregard for the safety of Korver led to an ankle surgery, preventing him from engaging in his normal offseason workout regimen.

Korver is well known for not only his shooting acumen, but his work ethic in the offseason. In 2013, Korver began to engage in “misogi,” which is a Japanese purification ritual. The goal is to challenge oneself and to push yourself to your limits. In one such exercise, Korver ran an underwater 5k while holding an 85-pound rock.

By undergoing such rigorous workouts during the offseason, Korver is able to stay in remarkable shape and to continuously improve his game. His game is predicated on running off of screens in order to gain an open shot or to draw defensive attention away from his teammates.

His offseason workout routine is a big reason why at age 35, Korver can still operate in the same way that a much younger player can.

Because of his ankle injury suffered in the ECF, Korver was unable to participate in his normal offseason workout routine. Additionally, Korver underwent elbow surgery this offseason to remove foreign bodies in his right elbow, further complicating the veteran’s road to recovery.

All these complications, of course, affected Korver early in the season. From a fan’s perspective, Korver looked a step slower coming off of screens, and his efficacy on offense was noticeably diminished. The accuracy of his shot was also off, leading some to believe that perhaps father time had finally caught up with one of the best shooters of this generation.

Korver hit rock bottom in December, where he shot an unsightly 29.3 percent from beyond the arc: a stark contrast to last season’s gaudy 49.2 percent. Something was clearly wrong, and the Atlanta Hawks were suffering because of it.

Last season, Korver was probably the biggest reason for the Hawks success on offense. His outside shot, coupled with his ability to draw defenses along with him, allowed the Hawks offense to work efficiently and effectively. Earlier this season though, one could argue that there is a correlation between the inconsistency the Hawks have faced and Korver’s shooting struggles.

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Despite only shooting 38.7 percent before the All-Star break, Korver has begun to regain his three-point shot; and by no coincidence, it has coincided with the Atlanta Hawks playing their best basketball of the season.

Since Feb. 26th, the Hawks are 12-3 and have ascended to the third spot in the Eastern Conference playoff standings, all while Korver has shot a cool 52.5 percent from three-point range during that stretch.

It may have taken a few months, but it looks like Korver is finally healthy. His ability to make his shot with striking accuracy once again has given the Hawks a boost on the offensive end, and has also opened the door for players like Tim Hardaway Jr. to benefit from better looks.

Time will tell whether Korver’s shot is here to stay because of the inconsistency displayed earlier this season; but if Korver is really back, so are the Hawks.

Next: Hawks Hitting Their Stride At Perfect Time

Aside from Stephen Curry, there is no other shooter in the league in my mind that is as dangerous as Korver. Welcome back, Kyle.