The Houston Rockets are reportedly bringing in one of the NBA’s most respected shooting specialists, Chip Engelland, to join Ime Udoka’s coaching staff. This isn’t just another assistant; this is a guy ESPN’s Shams Charania is reporting as a “secret weapon” from the San Antonio Spurs dynasty, and his track record with developing players’ shots is absolutely wild. If you’re looking for a coach who can actually get results, Engelland, at 65, has been proving it for decades.
This Guy’s Impact on Shooting Is Undeniable
Engelland has been a full-fledged NBA assistant for 23 seasons, starting way back in 1999 as a shooting consultant for the Detroit Pistons. Think about this: Grant Hill, a young superstar at the time, shot a combined 22-for-121, or a measly 18.2%, from 3-point range in his first five pro seasons. The very season Engelland arrived in Detroit, Hill’s deep shooting skyrocketed to 34-for-98, a massive 34.7%. Yeah, you read that right. Almost double! Hill left after that year and wouldn’t hit more than 34 triples in a season for the next nine years. Clearly, Chip Engelland knows how to get a jumper dialed in. After Detroit and a couple years with the Nuggets, Engelland linked up with Gregg Popovich and the Spurs, and that’s where he really became legendary, helping fuel a perennial title contender that grabbed two NBA championships during his time there.
The Spurs’ Shooting Success Was No Accident
Engelland’s work with Tony Parker is straight-up legendary. Parker went from a lightning-quick driver with a shaky jumper to one of the NBA’s most reliable midrange shooters. The transformation, as Chris Ballard detailed, started with something as subtle as hand placement. Engelland noticed Parker held the ball differently on his jump shot compared to his one-handed runners. So, starting in 2005, Engelland completely rebuilt Parker’s shot: moving his right hand down, widening his grip with his thumb, slowing his motion, and even changing his release point. The result? Parker’s jumpers actually started falling more often; he went from 34.5% on shots outside the paint in 2004-05 to 39.7% in 2005-06, post-Engelland. But it’s not just Parker. Engelland was a significant force in turning Kawhi Leonard from a defense-first guy into an All-Star, All-NBA selection, and the 2014 NBA Finals MVP. That 2014 Spurs team scorched the Big Three Miami Heat with a 119.2 offensive rating, shooting an absurd 52.8% from the field, 46.6% from 3-point range, and 74.6% from the free-throw line in that series. Those are championship-level numbers, pure and simple.
Now, with Engelland joining the Rockets, you gotta wonder what kind of magic he’s going to work with their young core. This hire is all about player development and making shots fall, something Houston could absolutely use. It’ll be exciting to see how quickly he can make an impact on their shooting percentages and turn those line drives into baby parabolas for their future stars.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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