Training, Revisited Part II

While Mitsui had wandered off somewhere after his brief chat with Anzai, Sakuragi was busy practicing his free throws, oblivious to the fact that the other two were not on the court any longer.

With his upper body relaxed, his knees bent, and the ball down near his stomach, Sakuragi let fly with his unorthodox "granny-shot" release that mirrored that of the infamous Rick Barry. The shot instantly bricked and bounced back into Sakuragi's waiting hands.

"That's not right."

Sakuragi turned to see Mitsui walking over, a scowl on his face. In Mitsui's hands was a stats sheet that Ayako usually carried around with her—Sakuragi was instantly able to recognize it by the dark handwriting and how there were far more numbers than words on the paper.

Mitsui gestured towards two chairs that he had pulled out near center court. "Let's chat a bit."

Sakuragi walked over to the seats, his arms stuck stubbornly into his shorts due to the lack of pockets. He sat down without a word, expecting some sort of reprimanding from the vice-captain, given his stern look.

Mitsui hovered over the redhead, not taking a seat as he read from the stats sheet. "We keep statistics of all our official games and scrimmages, as you know. Anzai-sensei let me look through Ayako's documents and I did some tallys. Last year, you made three foul shots while attempting eleven in official matches. That means you made only about 27 percent of your free-throws," Mitsui glanced up to meet the redhead's bored gaze. "Do you know what that means?"

Sakuragi stared back blankly. "Genius…?"

Mitsui scoffed. "Hell no! Each missed free throw is a potential missed point. Do you remember the Kainan game? What did we lose by?"

Sakuragi remembered that horrible memory far too well. The formerly bored expression was quickly replaced by a glum, downcast look. "We lost by two points."

"That's right, the final score was 88-90. However, you shot five free throws in that game. You made two. If you had made them all…"

Sakuragi instantly understood where Mitsui was going with this. "We would have won by one point!"

Mitsui nodded. "And what kept us in the game, continued our offensive run, and kept the offensive pressure on Kainan?"

"This Tensai's basketball skills?"

Mitsui sighed, unsure if he wanted to even bother telling Sakuragi the real reason but eventually deciding to anyway. "Well, I guess part of the reason was strong defense… but there was another factor."

Mitsui met Sakuragi's eyes, making sure the redhead would catch the importance of what was trying to be conveyed.

"Kiyota's missed free throws."

"The stinky monkey?"

Mitsui allowed himself a wan smile at that. "Yeah, him. If he had made it… what would we have lost by?"

"…Four points."

"That's right, and in such a case, even if I had made the three at the end," Mitsui paused for a brief second, reflecting on this part bitterly, "we would have still lost the match."

Mitsui gave Sakuragi another look and was pleasantly surprised to see the redhead was listening very attentively now.

"So… if I can make free throws, we can win matches? Just like if I control the rebounds, our team will control the game?"

At this, Mitsui shook his head. "No. However, the greatest things that help teams win are defense, offense… and free throws. Of course, many other factors plays into this: team chemistry, personal skill, luck, and everything else. But, just as rebounds control the game," Mitsui qualified, knowing that he had to keep the redhead's interest, "free throws can determine the conclusion."

Mitsui set the stats sheet on the empty chair across from Sakuragi and wandered off to get a basketball, speaking the entire while.

"Free throws are also a weapon. Sendoh and Maki often charge into the basket to draw fouls for that extra three-point opportunity. Rukawa does this as well when his shot is not falling, and as you know, all three of those players make their free-throws at a very high percentage."

"Stupid fox," Sakuragi mumbled under his breath as soon as he heard his rival's name. Mitsui reached for the loose ball that Sakuragi had left behind and started walking back.

"An added free throw is extra points for the team. Even if you miss the shot, you'll get a chance to get the points you miss if you can draw the foul. Making the shot and drawing the foul is an extremely potent weapon. Also…"

Mitsui returned to the seats, ball at his hip. "Drawing fouls hurts the other team. If you get star players in foul trouble, you force them to leave the court, just like you did with Uozumi."

Sakuragi perked right back up as soon as Mitsui mentioned his name, his ego appropriately stroked. "Oh, you mean the Monkey King! I stopped him easily!"

"Yes. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Sakuragi rubbed his chin in thought. "You want me to dunk on all of them?"

"No, you dumbass!" Mitsui gave the redhead a quick wallop to the head before he dropped the ball at Sakuragi's feet. "We're going to shoot free throws. A lot of them. And hopefully, we'll make a good free throw shooter out of you yet. Now, let's go."

The two walked over to the nearest basket, Sakuragi mumbling complaints under his breath the entire way as he nursed the smoking bruise that Mitsui had left him.

"You shoot first, Sakuragi."

Sakuragi tentatively stepped up to the free-throw line and shot his odd looking free throw. However, unlike a few moments ago, this time the shot swished cleanly through the hoop.

Sakuragi burst into cocky laughter, whirling around to see Mitsui's expression. "See? Genius!"

Mitsui scratched the back of his head, trying to think of how to explain it now that Sakuragi had surprisingly made the shot instead of missing to prove the shooter's point.

"Not really. You may think that the end result is the only thing that matters. I can't blame you for that, since many basketball players think the same way and just randomly shoot, hoping for the best. That's not the case; in fact, that's self-defeating. It might not be as important in-game, because we'll always take whatever you can offer."

Mitsui chased down the loose ball before joining Sakuragi at the free-throw line, a bit off-center since the redhead was still standing at the typical free-throw shooting spot. Mitsui expertly assumed his standard free-shooting position: knees bent, ball up to his chest with his left hand gently supporting its side, his eyes focused on the rim.

"But I'll say this. If you never improve, you will lack stability in your success. This shot right here…" Mitsui shot the ball in one fluid motion and the ball softly snapped through the net. "...will go in the basket far more in the long run than yours."

"Are you sure?" Sakuragi asked, a cocky glint in his eye. Mitsui gave the redhead a brief smile, knowing the only way he would get Sakuragi to listen to him was to convince him.

"I've seen people with weirder shooting forms make a lot of shots. Who knows—you might be able to. But are you going to ignore Ayako's data and just leave today? Or do you want to shoot some free-throws?"

Sakuragi considered the words for a few moments, reaching down to pick up the loose ball that had rolled back over to the two. With a more humbled look on his face, Sakuragi gave Mitsui his answer by again taking a spot at the free-throw line, bending down into his odd shooting position once again.

"Stop!"

Mitsui instantly sidled up next to Sakuragi, grabbing one of his arms and forcibly bringing the redhead's hands back up to a typical shooting position.

"Your form is all wrong. Anzai-sensei taught you to shoot jump shots, right?"

Sakuragi grinned. "Yeah, and I've already improved on the skills!"

Mitsui offered the redhead a skeptical smile, obviously not believing the words since Sakuragi had been in rehab for so long.

"If that's the case, he surely should have taught you the key to shooting."

Sakuragi nodded enthusiastically, eager to share his wisdom. "The secret is in the legs, not the arms!"

Mitsui nodded. "Yes. Free throws are actually not much different: except they're even easier. You are shooting a set shot, which is like shooting a jump shot, except without the jump and without a defender in your face. Now, assume your jump shot position."

Sakuragi lifted the ball up, his wrist cocked, his left hand supporting the ball gently, shoulders squared, and his eyes still focused on the rim. Textbook shooting form.

"Very nice," Mitsui commented, stepping aside. "It's good to see you still remember. Now just shoot!"

Sakuragi promptly shot an air ball.

It took all of a second before the redhead threw a tantrum.

"What kind of teaching is this?Sakuragi shouted, advancing forward to throttle Mitsui. The lanky shooter dodged aside, laughing all the while.

"You completely forgot to use your legs, Hanamichi! You were standing like a statue." Mitsui went to fetch the ball and passed it back to Sakuragi.

"Now, shoot again… but remember what Anzai taught you. Your legs were locked up and you were basically just throwing the ball with your upper body rather than taking an actual shot. Do it slowly and lift onto your tip-toes. Just feel the ball go up and through your body."

Sakuragi pouted and fumed a bit longer before finally heeding Mitsui's advice about shooting. He bent his knees and readied himself, taking the time before he shot—and this time the ball hit the back of the rim. Mitsui chased down the rebound and shoveled a pass to the redhead so that Sakuragi wouldn't have to move form his spot.

Sakuragi went through the same motions again and released… but as soon as it left his hand, that sweet moment of realization that he had not felt in so long reached him.

It's going in!

The ball swished neatly through the net, leaving Sakuragi to laugh in sheer amazement, not just from making the shot, but from again remembering what it was like just to shoot properly.

Mitsui scooped the ball up, tilting his face away so that Sakuragi wouldn't see his surprise at the fluid mechanics of the last free-throw. He really does still love basketball…

"Good," Mitsui said curtly. He bounced the ball back to Sakuragi and made a brief shooting motion with his right wrist.

"For free throws, to become great at them will take nothing but sheer repetition. Any basketball player, even if they are not gifted, can shoot free throws well if they know the right way to do it. Depending on the person, some make up their own little free throw routine before shooting the ball or does some type of stance. Bouncing the ball a certain number of times, or twirling the ball, or whatever, is fine. The key is to get into a rhythm so your body knows that rhythm every time you shoot the free-throw."

Mitsui shrugged nonchalantly, pointing up toward the rim. "And that's what free throws should be for you… routine. The distance is always the same from there to the rim. It's nothing but an unguarded chance for a point."

Sakuragi nodded obediently and was about to shoot again before Mitsui abruptly clapped his hands together, creating a loud enough crack to startle the redhead and throw the shot way off course.

"What the hell, Micchi?!" Sakuragi roared, displeased at the shooter disrupting his concentration. Mitsui only gave Sakuragi a long stare, not in the least intimidated by the much bigger player.

"I was just illustrating another point for you. Free throws are also a mental thing. Some players can't make free throws because they don't believe in themselves, question themselves, or are distracted by others. Just like you were."

Mitsui paced towards the redhead, tossing the rebound back into Sakuragi's hands.

"There's lots of stuff going on in the game and the crowd might disrupt you. None of that matters. Even Rukawa had enough faith in his mechanics to shoot free-throws with his eyes closed. You know why? It's because the more you do them, the more your body adjusts to the exact form you use to make them. Don't rush the free throw, but don't take too long considering the shot or start second-guessing yourself. Just do it naturally."

Sakuragi stared at the ball in his hands, slapping it a few times, trying to once again get the feel of it back. Trying to remember when this small orange thing was like an extension of his body.

"All right, Micchi. I'll try."

"Good." Mitsui motioned behind Sakuragi. "I'll be practicing over there, so if you need me just holler. I want you to make one hundred free throws before you leave today. I'll stay until you have done so."

While Mitsui walked away from the redhead, Sakuragi gazed up at the rim and shot again. It missed, but Sakuragi could feel it would come up short as soon as it left his hand. That was a slight form of victory in itself, he thought.

Sakuragi went to fetch the ball, grinning the entire while. He couldn't wait to show everyone how his training would pay off.