Donte DiVincenzo’s first year in New York has entered unprecedented territory in terms of how well he’s played.
To a casual fan, his career-high numbers probably don’t mean much; he’s probably just in a great rhythm and system.
But there’s actually much more to his story.
In his first season with the New York Knicks, DiVincenzo is shooting 41% from 3 on 7.6 attempts per game. These are astronomical numbers that are only comparable to none other than Stephen Curry, the greatest shooter of all time.
DiVincenzo came off the bench for his first 20 games as a Knick, but since becoming a starter, he’s averaged 16.5 points per game on 46%/41%/74% splits.
In addition to his ridiculous shooting, he’s also the proud wearer of some of the best nicknames in the league.
Some call him “Divo” (short for DiVincenzo), some call him “White Donte” (Donte is an unusual name for someone with his skin complexion, according to Bomani Jones) and some call him my favorite nickname: “The Big Ragu” (he’s a proud Italian).
Curry and DiVincenzo are the only two players in the league to shoot above 40% while taking over 7 threes per game. DiVincenzo spent last season on a prove-it deal with the Golden State Warriors and became a better shooter, scorer and overall player under the tutelage of Curry.
During his time with Golden State, DiVincenzo studied Curry’s form and routine to carry on to his next team with upgraded skills and knowledge from his MVP mentor.
Mechanically, it’s easy to see similarities in the way that DiVincenzo and Curry have been shooting the ball this season.
Same spot on the court, very similar, fluid forms.
Both shooters emphasize the one-motion form that helps smaller guys get a shot off quicker.
In a recent interview with Fred Katz and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, DiVincenzo talked about how he would try to follow the traditional trends of shooting a basketball: feet and shoulders squared to the basket, rise and release.
But Curry’s shot is so flexible, smooth, and quick that he decided it might be good to pick up a thing or two from the former unanimous MVP and 4-time champion.
Curry insisted that all he needs is his shoulders to be lined up with the basket and he’s ready to fire.
That’s not to say that he doesn’t want to be stationary and have his feet squared with the hoop, but to be able to take shots with more movement, flexibility, and difficulty is a skill that will come in handy when defenses are trying to not let you breathe.
Shooting off the dribble or while moving is something that DiVincenzo has also tried to perfect with his time with Curry. He learned that when shooting off the dribble or on the move, it’s better and easier to lean forward and let momentum take you wherever you’re going, rather than leaning back and losing your strong base.
The studying that DiVincenzo has done on Curry is paying off, putting him in exclusive lists that all stat-nerds love to see.
DiVincenzo is averaging 13.9 points per game on 45%/41%/73% splits is having his career-best season to date in his first year of a 4-year $50 million contract with the Knicks.
We’ll see if The Big Ragu can keep cooking.
-Dom