After a summer dedicated to changing his jump shot, Mike Muscala summed up the final results in the simplest of ways.
“It just feels better,” he said.
The Hawks’ forward/center spent hours in the gym changing the release of his already steady shot. It has paid dividends early this season. Muscala has averaged 11.0 points through three games. His field-goal percentage of .667 (12-of-18) ranks fourth in the NBA. He trails teammate Thabo Sefolosha, who leads the league with a percentage of .706.
Muscala, much like Kent Bazemore when he arrived with the Hawks, cocked his wrist too much in his motion. Working with Hawks assistant and shooting coach Ben Sullivan, Muscala tweaked the motion.
“He is big on release point,” Muscala said. “I, sometimes, would cock (the ball) back too much and flip it forward instead of up and out. Watching guys like Steph Curry, he is the epitome of that shot. More from the center of your body. Maybe it’s not as high of a release point because it’s just straight up and out but it’s quick. It’s easy to repeat because there aren’t as many moving parts.”
Most notably, Muscala was 7-of-8 from the field on his way to 14 points in a win over the 76ers on Saturday. He hit from mid-range time and again, with his only miss was a 3-point attempt. While Muscala has made 1 of 4 from long range through three games, he and the Hawks are confident he has improved from that distance as well.
Muscala, 25, has become a regular part of the Hawks’ playing rotation. He has been the first player off the bench in all three games. He has added 12 rebounds, five blocks, three assists and three steals and averaged 22 minutes per game.
Sullivan would not detail the changes, but said Muscala has dedicated himself, on and off the court, to strong habits that resulted in the difficult change of muscle memory.
“We made a couple of adjustments to make him feel more comfortable,” Sullivan said. “He feels comfortable. He feels confident. He feels good. He’s out there and not thinking about it and is able to relax and shoot. That, at the end of the day, is what I was hoping to do. He’s made most of the changes himself.”
The 6-foot-11 Muscala appeared in 120 games in his first three seasons with the Hawks. The team acquired his rights on draft night in 2013 after he was chosen in the second record in 2013. He averaged 3.9 points, with a .505 field-goal percentage, and 2.4 rebounds in 10.6 minutes. His role has significantly increased this season.
“I think he is very confident in his shot,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “He is making that mid-range, that 15-17 footer. … He is that versatile big that we like, who can make a 3, can make a 15-footer, can finish around the rim, can make decisions, plays with pace, can defend. He’s a good young player.”
Tim Hardaway Jr. and Muscala were constant presences at the Hawks’ facilities all summer long, according to those around the team. They worked out, ate and socialized together as both trained to make significant improvements to their games. There was a lot of stake. Hardaway will become a restricted free agent following the season after the Hawks did not extend his rookie contract.
Muscala enters the final year of his contract Hawks and will become an unrestricted free agent. He fought to make the Hawks’ roster with a partially guaranteed contract when 15 others had full guarantees.
“It was a matter of whether he wanted to change it and become a more consistent shooter,” Hardaway said. “As you can see right now, he is just that. He is automatic from 15 to 17 feet out and he can knock down the 3 really, really well for a guy his size.”
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