Unrivaled: Dirk Nowitzki’s fadeaway jumpshot
No NBA player can be pigeon-holed into a narrow definition, but every so often someone so thoroughly dominates in one area of the game that a skill, play, or term becomes synonymous with that player. Manute Bol's shot-blocking, Robert Horry's clutch shooting, Frederic Weis' ability to be tall and get dunked on; the list goes on.
There may be no such player-trait coupling more beautiful to watch than Dirk Nowitzki and his fadeaway jumper.
Nowitzki's fadeaway has been the subject of much discussion in the course of his career, and for good reason - it's been the German sharpshooter's most trusted weapon on his way to 26,786 points, 10th-most in the history of the league.
METHOD
Nowitzki's turnaround appears fluid and appealing yet, on first glance, seems to be just another fadeaway. But standing seven feet tall has its privileges when it comes to shooting over a defender, and Nowitzki knows when he leans away from his check that there's little chance the shot is getting blocked. To ensure that's the case, he's also notorious for bending his right leg raised in front of his body, eliminating any threat of a lunging attempt to tip his shot.
With only a short jump off the ground in most cases - and again, you don't need much life when you're already shooting over most opponents - Nowitzki manages to release the ball almost level with the rim
No other seven-footer has the touch Nowitzki possesses, so don't chalk this up simply to benefiting from length. It's not a case of catch, fade, fire. Rather, Nowitzki has developed an array of moves to begin his fadeaway sequence, putting the ball on the floor for a short-dribble before pulling back, or using his body on the periphery of the paint to back down, then fading into the newly-created space.
IMPACT
Nowitzki's career scoring prowess has been mentioned, but it's worth narrowing the focus to his 2013-14 season. Just a year after it looked like the life-long Dallas Mavericks star was on the decline, Nowitzki rebounded by averaging 21.7 points, shooting 49.7 percent from the floor, 39.8 percent on threes and 89.9 percent at the free-throw line.
At age 35.
While most middle-aged players are slowing down or long since out of the league, Nowitzki continues on, posting the 10th-best season ever for a player 35 or older, according to Basketball Reference's Win Shares measure. By ESPN's Real Plus Minus, Nowitzki ranked as the league's fifth-best player overall. He nearly became just the second player - joining former teammate Steve Nash's 2009-10 season - to shoot 50/40/90 at age 35.
How, exactly, does a now-36-year-old remain one of the game's elite players when history suggests players his age can rarely do so? Again, we look to the fadeaway, and the fact that Nowitzki shot more often and at a better clip than most other players in most areas - particularly on the baselines and at the top of the key, where the fadeaway is most often deployed.
[Chart courtesy Nylon Calculus]
That chart shows all field goals taken, but thanks to a new shot search tool at NBA Savant, we can see just how extreme Nowitzki's fadeaway usage is, both in terms of volume and efficacy.
| 2013-14 | Fadeaway FG | Fadeaway FGA | Fadeaway FG% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dirk Nowitzki | 104 | 187 | 55.6% |
| LeBron James | 46 | 97 | 47.4% |
| Kevin Durant | 45 | 99 | 45.5% |
| Carmelo Anthony | 39 | 77 | 50.7% |
| DeMar DeRozan | 37 | 84 | 44.1% |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | 32 | 71 | 45.1% |
| Joe Johnson | 30 | 49 | 61.2% |
Look at those numbers again. Nowitzki made 104 fadeaways while nobody else even attempted that many, and he did so while shooting well above the league-wide average of 50.4 percent.
It's not the only tool in his toolbox, but it's clear that Nowitzki's sustained success is in large part due to his incredible fadeaway jumper.
INFLUENCE
An aspiring NBA talent can't simply go out and emulate the length of Bol, or the size of Shaquille O'Neal, or the speed of Allen Iverson.
Nowitzki's fadeaway is a different matter, however, and none other than the NBA's leading scorer and MVP Kevin Durant is on record as having tried to copy the one-legged fade, among other moves. The best player in the world has also pulled out the one-legger at times, with LeBron James calling it "a show of respect."
Considering someone put together a 14-minute video of Nowitzki's fadeaways, we'd hazard a guess the move is a favorite of fellow stars and fans alike.