Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan. AP
DeAndre Jordan is one of the most imposing forces in the paint today, but his struggle to make his free throws has been a major point of concern for the Los Angeles Clippers.
With the Clips currently sitting at third place in the Western Conference, the franchise is going to great lengths to improve his abysmal 42.5 career percentage from the charity stripe.
One of these adjustments is seeking the aid of virtual reality technology (VR), according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.
In perspective, Jordan will use a headset, which shows him draining free throws while practicing his shots in reality.
The VR offers a first-person view, where the user can hear the basketball hitting the court as it is dribbled and released above the head and into the hoop, or a third-person perspective where the user can view different techniques from various angles.
The Clippers are not the first team to use virtual reality with a poor shooting big man, as the the Detroit Pistons also subjected their prized center Andre Drummond to the same ordeal last year.
“The first couple days or weeks, it was hell for me,” Drummond described the process on the Pistons’ website in September. “It was hard. It was doing something new. I was doing something new. I’ve never done virtual reality in my life and to really accept the fact that I needed help with that part of my game was tough just to give in. When I finally gave in to training my brain to focus on one thing, it kind of worked out for me.”
Drummond remains a liability when it comes to shooting foul shots, but his percentage actually improved this year from a dismal 35.5 to 47.3 percent.
Jordan, on the other hand, is currently enjoying his second-highest season free throw percentage at 52 percent. The team is reportedly looking for him to reach around 60-65 percent. Khristian Ibarrola