A step in the right direction: today's players might not shoot as well as they did 20 years ago, but their ever faster first steps make them harder to defend—and more exciting to watch

Sporting News, The, Jan 13, 2003 by Bob McCullough

The attack takes place dozens of times every night in the NBA: Seconds after the ball crosses halfcourt and an offensive possession begins, teams get the ball in the hands of their best offensive option, and the process of breaking down the defense begins. It starts with one of the most basic moves in basketball, the first step. Without a strong first step, forget about driving to the basket. Forget about the open jump shot, too, because without the threat of a good move, defenders will get closer than your date.

In today's NBA, where crossover dribbles and hang time have a far bigger place in the game than the 20-foot jump shot, nearly all of the top scorers rely on their first step to create the space they need to take open shots. Twenty years ago, the top scorers relied more on jump shooting than on drives to the basket. Back then, of course, having a center who averaged 20 points was not a luxury afforded only the Lakers.

While purists whine about the decline in shooting skills and the absence of genuine low-post threats, some coaches say the increased emphasis on the first step makes today's offensive players more effective than ever.

"They beat you quicker off a step, and when that happens they not only have a better chance of beating you, but they have a better chance of getting by your help," Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders says. "The thing that's changed so much in today's game is the ability of guys to do so much with the ball off the first step."

How do they do it? For one thing, players usually are allowed to palm the ball on crossover dribbles because the infraction rarely is called at the professional level. More important, most players--no matter how big or small they are--have grown up driving to the basket to be like Mike, not settling for jump shots or sky hooks. As seen on TV, an effective first step is based on quickness, but they come in different forms for different types of players.

The explosion step

This one is all about the quickness. Think big dynamite with a short fuse. The league is full of high-scoring guards who can embarrass a defender in the blink of an eye, but there's one name that turns up at the top of every list: Allen Iverson of the 76ers. His fearlessness allows him to venture into a land where he is outweighed by 100 pounds a player, but his first step is what separates him from the rest of the league. At 6-feet, how many 3-pointers do you think he'll be able to get off when he loses his speed?

"I put Iverson in a league of his own," Celtics coach Jim O'Brien says. "He's worlds apart."

In a TSN poll of six coaches and scouts, Rockets guard Steve Francis was mentioned most often after Iverson as having the quickest first step.

A subtle difference between Iverson and Francis is the ability to make the first step after catching the ball. Francis is better when he is dribbling. "He's not as explosive when he gets the ball and he's stationary," says Jazz assistant coach Gordon Chiesa. "With Iverson, it doesn't matter--he can just get it and bust it."

Beyond speed

Sometimes, speed and quickness isn't any more important than knowing how to exploit a defender's weakness. Tracy McGrady of the Magic and Kobe Bryant of the Lakers might not be quite as quick as Francis, but they compensate with size and strength. Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett, one of the top defenders in the league, mentions McGrady in the same sentence as Iverson in terms of quickness but knows McGrady, at 6-8, has other advantages.

"McGrady covers enormous lengths in that first stride," O'Brien says. "Speed is one thing, and length is another. When Point B is eight feet from Point A, he's getting there in a very fast way."

Strength also helps McGrady. "He uses his first step to knock out the guy playing him by exposing his shoulder to open a driving lane," Chiesa says.

For Celtics guard Paul Pierce, footwork and strength are more important than quickness. "Pierce gets people off-balance more than some others do because he's a better shooter," an Eastern Conference scout says. "He does a good job of pump faking his guy and has a good first step to get by his man. But he rarely uses his first step to say, `See ya,' and get to the rim. He's always spinning and trying to create contact."

Slashing away

Just what is a slasher? It's a player who has a knack for driving past his defender and getting into the lane with equal parts quickness, size and savvy. Frontcourt players often rely on their first step more to get to an open area than to set out on a path to the rim. They can take one dribble and set up for an 18-footer. Suns forward Shawn Marion has the size and quickness of McGrady but lacks the 3-point shooting ability. Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal has a strong first step going to his left, which enables him to get in position for medium-range jumpers. Says the scout, who rates O'Neal's first step as the best in the league among big players: "He's a great back-to-the basket scorer, but he can pun guys out to about 17 feet--where he's not a great shooter, but he's good enough--and go around guys. He loves driving left, and he has an explosive step."