Interesting Athletic article (registration may be required) on some of the unusual training methods Gobert is using to improve his agility and hand-eye coordination:
https://theathletic.com/5421528/2024/04/18/rudy-gobert-timberwolves-offensive-development/. As the article notes, the methods attempt to "train the brain" in addition to the body and claims to be the next fronteir of athletic training.
A couple of snippets:
Four years ago, Gobert set out on a mission to refine his game. The hunger to be more than just a defensive stalwart brought him to a Brazilian coach who specializes in neuroscience and cognitive development. The work the pair have been doing together has Gobert — and his teammates — feeling more confident than ever in his ability to punish teams offensively as the Wolves look for their first playoff series win in 20 years.
“I think when the playoffs come, teams are going to try to adjust to what I do,” Gobert said. “I think being able to have these little extra weapons is going to be key for us.”
Take a look at Gobert’s basic counting stats — 14.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 66.1 percent field-goal shooting — and there isn’t a real noticeable difference from most of his 11-year career. Dive deeper into his shooting profile, finishing package and expanded role in the Timberwolves offense and a different story starts to unfold.
and
Fernando Pereira may have envisioned Gobert earning the trust of different teammates when they began working together while with the Utah Jazz in 2020, but the results are exactly what he believed could happen. Using unconventional drills aimed at targeting the neuropathways of the brain, Pereira and Gobert have worked on sharpening his fluidity, decision-making, anticipation and reaction time.
Compared to the first season the two worked together in 2020-21, Gobert’s turnovers are down 10 percent, assists are up 26 percent and the amount of field goals he has made after taking two dribbles is up 64 percent since 2019.
“This is the future of sports,” Pereira said.
and
They set out on a plan together, focusing on Gobert’s decision-making, scoring versatility and fluidity of movement. The early days of the partnership laid clear how much work there was to be done. Pereira started to use soccer-based drills to get Gobert’s lower body to catch up to his upper-body motor skills. He would dribble a ball with each hand while Pereira kicked a soccer ball to him, forcing his brain to align the upper and the lower.
“The craziest part is that after a month that I got to starting, my footwork got a lot better,” Gobert said. “And my coordination got better. And I started to feel it on the basketball court.”
Pereira designed a program to get Gobert’s footwork to be more nimble and his hand-eye coordination to be sharper so that he could better catch the ball in traffic.
His drills included balance work, distraction, a ball rolled through his legs, a slap on the shoulder and anything to mimic the sensory overload the brain can endure during a game. If Gobert could stay focused and make the right decisions during the drills, then it would translate to the games.
“We changed the brain wave,” Pereira said. “It’s not just repetition.”
more at the link.
