Wilt Chamberlain's Unstoppable Fadeaway

[LAZERUSS]

At some point, I hope to take the time to analyze each of these shots, the level of defense played, the nature of the double team or single team coverage, etc.

But as a matter of some initial observations. It's clear that Wilt had a solid fadeaway off the glass from the left block, although there are some variations in this video. But any highlight video is inherently a bit deceiving. Watching a Michael Jordan highlight video might make you think he never missed a fadeaway or mid range jumpshot in his life. Watching a Lebron video could lead one to believe he's an all time great three point shooter or never missed a drive to the basket. The fact of the matter is no fan makes "lowlight" videos highlighting any all time great's misses, even though such footage is routinely analyzed by scouts, coaches, players, and those who really know the game.

The point is - we really don't know how well Wilt shot these type of shots and we have to real idea if it was really "unstoppable" or if it was a shot that his defenders encouraged him to take as a lower percentage shot farther away from the basket. We really don't know how many of these shots he took or made over his career - a video showing 30 or 40 of these made shots really cannot give us any idea of how truly effective the shot is on a game by game basis. Moreover, if you just take a bit of time to look at some of the limited game footage and unedited videos of Wilt, you can find examples of times where he missed these shots, sometimes quite badly.

What we know from highlights is that Wilt could make such shots and that he probably took them on a fairly regular basis. Whether it was frequent and efficient enough to really could be compared to a truly verified "unstoppable" shot such as KAJ's skyhook, MJ's fadeaway, or Dirk's fadeaway is probably unknowable but I have my doubts. I believe Wilt more likely had a fairly average percentage on such shots, and increased his overall percentage and points primarily by dunks, offensive rebounds/putbacks, finger rolls and other, closer to the basket shots. His free throw percentage demonstrates he's not naturally a good mid-range jumpshooter, although going off glass makes such a jumpshot much easier of if you know the angles.

None of this is to bash Wilt, I simply don't believe a 6 minute highlight video can come anywhere close to establishing an "unstoppable fadeaway" particularly where we don't have any idea how well or how frequently he shot it.

Oh, and P.S. Laz can you please stop claiming DJ has a 28 inch vertical. I don't care what the draft measurement report says, there is no possible way that is currently true. There are way too many videos and photos where his head is clearly rim level or even above, which suggests a vertical of at least 39 inches. You can denigrate his offensive abilities if you wish, but the guy indisputedly has one of the explosive verticals all-time for a big man.

You know what? We only have 2% of Wilt's entire NBA career on video, and aside from an ASG where he hung 42 points on 17-23 shooting, we have ZERO footage from any of his 271 40+ point games.

If anything, we are SHORT-CHANGED by these videos.

As for Cousins...no way in hell does he have a 39" vertical. Not even close.

[GimmeThat]

how easy is that shot to pass out of a double team

[LAZERUSS]

how easy is that shot to pass out of a double team

Easy enough to lead the league in assists one season, and finish 3rd in another. Hell, in a season in which he averaged 34 ppg, he STILL handed out 5.2 apg.

[Psileas]

Whether it was frequent and efficient enough to really could be compared to a truly verified "unstoppable" shot such as KAJ's skyhook, MJ's fadeaway, or Dirk's fadeaway is probably unknowable but I have my doubts. I believe Wilt more likely had a fairly average percentage on such shots, and increased his overall percentage and points primarily by dunks, offensive rebounds/putbacks, finger rolls and other, closer to the basket shots.

Maybe, but then again, equally deceiving is the percentage of other signature moves. Kareem, Jordan, Hakeem, all these guys have made thousands of dunks and layups, without being 3 point (or traditional 3 point, for Jordan's case) shooters, so the efficiency of their own moves isn't as high as their percentages indicate. Maybe Dirk is somewhat of an exception, but Dirk is without a doubt a better natural shooter than them.

His free throw percentage demonstrates he's not naturally a good mid-range jumpshooter, although going off glass makes such a jumpshot much easier of if you know the angles.

First, I agree with the last part of it. Wilt uses the glass a lot. Tim Duncan doesn't seem like a good mid range shooter when he takes FT's either, but we all know how efficient he is using the glass.
Second, Alex Hannum wondered about Wilt's FT percentage and had suggested to him that he use his patent jump shot when shooting FT's, but Wilt found this too awkward to try (although he tried other weird methods that other bad FT shooters - see Shaq - refused to).

[senelcoolidge]

Great footage because it shatters the ignorant notion that Wilt was just some tall slow lumbering center that only dunked the ball. Quoting someone from the clip, "he was uncommonly skilled".

[LAZERUSS]

Maybe, but then again, equally deceiving is the percentage of other signature moves. Kareem, Jordan, Hakeem, all these guys have made thousands of dunks and layups, without being 3 point (or traditional 3 point, for Jordan's case) shooters, so the efficiency of their own moves isn't as high as their percentages indicate. Maybe Dirk is somewhat of an exception, but Dirk is without a doubt a better natural shooter than them.



First, I agree with the last part of it. Wilt uses the glass a lot. Tim Duncan doesn't seem like a good mid range shooter when he takes FT's either, but we all know how efficient he is using the glass.
Second, Alex Hannum wondered about Wilt's FT percentage and had suggested to him that he use his patent jump shot when shooting FT's, but Wilt found this too awkward to try (although he tried other weird methods that other bad FT shooters - see Shaq - refused to).

A prime Duncan had seasons in which he shot .414 and .402 from 3-10 feet.

[GimmeThat]

my gut tells me that coaching circles who saw what the D'Antoni small ball did to the league, naturally comes to defend players that of the statue of wilt.

and that for as much as the first pioneering PG (if I may use such term) of the league Bob Cousy gets made fun of in his footages.

dribbling, is an element that is perhaps more crucial than others may realize when it comes to possessions, in which teams feel as if they have the chance to be a victor.

for the arguments that Wilt won, when he had a supporting cast equate to that of Russell.

Wilt's never necessarily played with a type of style which benefited his back court players to become better at managing the game, to grow with him in that essence, instead of just the ability to shoot a high percentage field goal.


to phrase it in another way, Wilt was the guy, who asked his friends to look after his girl, while Russell was the guy who grew in diverse ways with his friends and as each of them went on to have their own girl, they all still maintained a healthy friendship.

[LAZERUSS]

my gut tells me that coaching circles who saw what the D'Antoni small ball did to the league, naturally comes to defend players that of the statue of wilt.

and that for as much as the first pioneering PG (if I may use such term) of the league Bob Cousy gets made fun of in his footages.

dribbling, is an element that is perhaps more crucial than others may realize when it comes to possessions, in which teams feel as if they have the chance to be a victor.

for the arguments that Wilt won, when he had a supporting cast equate to that of Russell.

Wilt's never necessarily played with a type of style which benefited his back court players to become better at managing the game, to grow with him in that essence, instead of just the ability to shoot a high percentage field goal.


to phrase it in another way, Wilt was the guy, who asked his friends to look after his girl, while Russell was the guy who grew in diverse ways with his friends and as each of them went on to have their own girl, they all still maintained a healthy friendship.

Chamberlain's '72 championship Lakers had Goodrich and West, who averaged 26 ppg each. Of course, Chamberlain had to pick it up in the Finals, when West went missing.

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

His efficiency on fadeaways were terrible. LOL @ anyone comparing him to Dirk..............the skill, technique, angle, footwork is eons apart. Dirk is in the running for GOAT fadeaway, Wilt if we had numbers would look very pedestrian. He tried too much to be cute and skilled when he shouldve just used his size advantage like Shaq

[julizaver]

About efficiency and field goal percentages:
- a good shooter makes around 40 % of his mid range signature shots ( fadeaways, off the glass, step back, one leg shots, hook shots) during games. And up his FG% with lay ups, dunks or high percentage shots near the basket. There is an excelent article about B. Griffin and how hard he train in order to improve his shot.

About Wilt - he had this shot and he relied heavy on it early on his career. That's proven. There is second half video of '64 Finals game, where he made some fadeaway shots, and you can see that in the video.

[Stringer Bell]

Really good use of the glass.

Which other players were very effective at bank shots?

Tim Duncan
Bill Walton
Scottie Pippen

Who else?