How the Hornets’ cold-as-ice Devonte Graham got his groove back vs. New York Knicks
Devonte Graham used to dread the cold tub. No argument there.
Have you seen those polar bear plunges, where people jump into freezing water mid-winter? That’s essentially what pro athletes do daily to fight off inflammation, sitting in tubs of water so chilled it’s painful.
“I’ve got a new little method,” Hornets point guard Graham said after a 107-101 victory over the New York Knicks. “First, I go in the steam room. Then I go in all the way (to the freezing water). Dunk under. For like 30 seconds. Then, go out to steam room, then dunk under again.”
Graham is striving for longevity. He aspires to play in the NBA for 15 seasons. That makes learning how to maintain his body a priority.
Graham went from a rookie who was mostly watching last season from the bench to a starter averaging 35 minutes per game. Keep in mind, those are high-usage minutes — constantly bringing the ball up-court, serving as one of this team’s primary scoring options.
All that usage ganged up on him of late. The All-Star break wasn’t much of a break — he was in Chicago three days, participating in the Rising Stars game and the 3-point contest, plus a bunch of promotional appearances. He came back colder than if he’d spent all weekend in that freezing water, shooting 1-of-17 from the field over two games.
Coach James Borrego recognized exhaustion, both physical and mental. He sat out Graham in Tuesday’s road loss to the Indiana Pacers, calling it a “reset.” Wednesday, Graham bounced back for 21 points and five assists.
“I was definitely not playing up to how I should be,” Graham said. “Get a little rest, some treatment, cold tub, steam room. Try to get my mind off everything and just compete.”
All so new
Graham has been a fun story in a rough Hornets season: Second-round pick becomes one of the NBA’s top 3-point threats. He was so good that 10 games into the season, Borrego threw him into the starting lineup.
Graham has had a career-changing season. If he just maintains what he’s done this season (17.7 points and 7.1 assists), the Hornets or some other team is going to make him very rich by the summer of 2021 when his initial NBA contract expires.
But attempting to be a facsimile of former Hornets star Kemba Walker is no small challenge. It was inevitable scouting would catch up to him, with defenses intent on taking away his open looks outside the 3-point line.
His shooting percentages, both from the field and the 3-point line, have dropped significantly since that 40-point game in Brooklyn on Dec. 12. After that game, he was 42 percent from both the field and from 3. He’s now at 38 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3.
Progress isn’t always linear, and he has correction coming.
As Borrego said post-game, Graham has mastered perhaps the toughest offensive skill in the NBA — consistently making 3-pointers off the dribble. If he’s weaker finishing at the rim or making mid-range shots, that’s acceptable right now. Those are typically easier skills to acquire than that ability to make 3s off the bounce that Stephen Curry has made so famous.
Veteran influences
Walker, now with the Boston Celtics, still keeps close tabs on Graham. No doubt, he has relayed his own early-career routine: Use the season to gather data on your strengths and weaknesses, and the offseason to address those flaws.
Walker was several seasons into his NBA career before he was a dangerous 3-point shooter. Graham has that part figured out; now he has to upgrade the mid-range offensive skills Walker had so early.
The other vet influence for Graham was Marvin Williams, now with the Milwaukee Bucks. Williams was meticulous in his off-court routines to keep his body fresh. Every time Williams would notice Graham upping his cold tub visits or massages, he’d give Graham a knowing nod.
“I want those 15 years Marvin has,” Graham said.
So he’ll suffer the daily cold tub. He’ll get a massage. And he’ll figure out this summer how to score from 12 feet and in.
This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
