Golden State Warriors: Is There Hope Left for Brandon Rush?

Injuries can change an athlete’s career drastically. From the big classic “what ifs” like Bill Walton, Yao Ming, Ralph Sampson to modern day contemporaries like Penny Hardaway, Tracy McGrady, and Grant Hill, injuries have stolen far too many talented players from the NBA.

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But for every big name player that suffers a career-changing injury, there are tons more from small-time NBA players that might not carry the same name recognition.

Enter: Brandon Rush.

After his breakout sophomore season, many were picking the then Indiana Pacer to be a future All-Star player. He had a deadeye from the perimeter, shooting 41.1 percent from long range, and was a top perimeter defender. Back when 3-and-D players were still a relatively new concept in the league, Rush was an early adopter of the role.

He was used exclusively off the bench in his first season with the Golden State Warriors, but continued his deadeye shooting, averaging 45.2 percent from the perimeter. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL and played just two games the next season. The team moved on from him and traded him to the Utah Jazz to create cap room for Andre Iguodala.

Last season, he returned to the Warriors and fans (myself included) were hopeful that he could regain some of his form. Unfortunately, he was one of the very few Warriors who had a poor season. He struggled to find playing time (just 271 minutes) and nearly had as many fouls as points (27 personal fouls to 30 points). His shooting touch completely deserted him as he shot 20.4 percent from the field and 11.1 percent from three.

It was a no-brainer decision that Rush decided to opt into his player option for next season. Without the option, the Warriors might have decided to part ways with him, and it is very likely that we would be hearing about Rush playing overseas for one last hoorah. The question now is: is this the end of Brandon Rush as an NBA player?

Watching Rush play last season was painful. Instead of the spry, athletic player he once was, the ACL injury slowed him to a crawl. The defensive instincts are still there, but his body simply cannot keep up. He looked lethargic, and was clearly short on match fitness.

But perhaps the most surprising aspect of his decline is the sudden disappearance of his jumper. Before his injury, Rush shot 43.9 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from three. Post-injury, those numbers have slumped to 30.7 percent from the field and 25 percent from three.

One theory is the lack of lift in his jump shot. Since tearing his ACL, Rush has lost considerable athleticism. With less lift in his shot, his height of release is lower, which affects the accuracy of his shot. The lower release will force him to change the timing of his shot, along with the subtle mechanics. This could explain why he has suddenly lost his shooting touch.

Sadly, this doesn’t bode well for Rush. As a shooter, practice is everything. Ask any shooter and they will tell you that their shot is engrained into their muscle memory. Changing an action that they have worked on and perfected over several years is more than difficult. The loss of athleticism doesn’t end Rush’s chance for a successful NBA return – there are several successful NBA sharpshooters who lack athleticism, but the lack of an accurate shot means he isn’t able to contribute much when on the court.

The conundrum here is that Rush needs playing time to work on his fitness and his familiarity with the Warriors’ system. Unfortunately, there is little reason for Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr to play Rush minutes outside of garbage time due to his lack of contributions on the court. Perhaps the compromise is for Rush to spend some time in the D-League, but many NBA players view playing in the D-League as an insult once they’ve made it to the big leagues.

Unless Rush finds a way to fix his shooting woes, this next season might be the last we see of him. To many, he will be just another forgotten name, but to the Warriors’ fanbase, many will reminisce on the one good season they had from him and wonder “what if”.

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