David Lee’s Trainer Drew Hanlen Gives Us An Inside Look

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I caught up with Drew Hanlen earlier today to talk to him about his off-season program with David Lee. Hanlen is working with Lee on changing his jump-shot and expanding his range going into next season in order to improve his mid-range game. Lee is coming off a season in which he consistently struggled to hit the mid-range jumper and allowed defenses to sag off of him in order to pack the paint.

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How long have you been working with David Lee?

I started working with David after the 2010-11 season (his first year with the Warriors). He’s a super hard worker that is always searching for ways to enhance and expand his game so that he can improve the team’s chances to win. His main goal at this point of his career is to advance further in the playoffs.

What was the off-season goal for David Lee this summer?

We have two main focuses this summer: 1) Changing his shooting form so that he can consistently be deadly from mid-range, which will open up the rest of his game. 2) Improve on the defensive end. He improved in almost every statistical category on the defensive end from a year ago, but he knows he can be more consistent and more impactful with improved strength and better understanding of angles next season.

Give us the low down on Lee’s new shooting technique

For the first time in his career, he’s getting his shooting hand (left hand) completely under the ball. He had a tendency to let his balance hand creep into his shot, which imparted a bit of sidespin on the ball, but that is no longer the case. We’ve been working on developing consistent balance on his base (eliminating a slight lean back and creating more power from his legs) and making sure he’s lifting his shooting arm and wrist through the ball and straight at the rim (no twist or turn, which will keep all of his shots straight – hopefully no left or right misses).

How do you see Lee’s off-season work translating into the NBA season especially his three point shot?

He’s been shooting the ball great from NBA three with his new shooting form, but our big focus is turning him into a deadly mid-range shooter. While he’ll have the capability to stretch the floor by making catch-and-shoot threes next season, we never want him to be a volume three-point shooter. He’ll leave that to Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and stick to his strengths. That’s what helps the team the most.

What’s the typical off-season workout schedule for Lee?

He just came off a minor core surgery, so his usual schedule looks like this:

Morning: Shooting workout and rehab session
Afternoon: Lift and cardio session
Night: Another on-court skills session

Like I said, he really gets after it and is serious about helping the Warriors advance further in the playoffs next season!