The Knicks Throw Up Another Airball

On Monday, during a rare win for the New York Knicks, against the Indiana Pacers, center Joakim Noah was fouled and stepped to the free-throw line. The lanky, sloppily ponytailed center took a few stiff dribbles and hoisted the ball toward the rim. Immediately, he—along with the rest of the arena—knew that things had gone wrong. As he screwed his face into blank confusion, then sharp terror, and finally sad resignation, the ball sailed crookedly to the left, eventually falling at least a foot short of the hoop. As awful as it was to watch, the botched attempt wasn’t a surprise. In a league of powerful, fleet-footed guards, increasingly dexterous big men, and thousands of improbably accurate three-pointers, Noah’s tortured set shot might be the ugliest recurring event. He stands slightly pigeon-toed and holds the ball as if hoping to squeeze out the air; at the point of release, he looks a bit like a volleyball player, setting up someone else’s big spike.

See the rest of the story at newyorker.com

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