Phoenix Suns: Terrence Ross' jump shot has high release, arc that make blocking difficult

Terrence Ross’ jump shot can be found somewhere over the rainbow.

“Even the shots that you take, and you think somebody is contesting, he has such a high release and such great lift on every shot that he takes, it’s almost uncontested,” Suns teammate Devin Booker said.

With amazing arc on his shot, Ross has been putting it up that way since he was a kid.

“Always,” Ross said. “It’s always something I try to work on, getting the ball up. I forgot who taught me that, but something I learned early on. Don’t shoot it flat. Shoot it high because when you get tired, it’ still going to get over the front rim. That’s definitely something I’ve always worked on.”

Ross scored 24 points in the Suns' win Wednesday over Oklahoma City, going a season-high 6-of-10 from 3 with that high-arcing launch.

“It gives us another guy that can get his own shot, but he can also space the floor and knock down some 3s,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “He’s got a big body, he can get to the basketball and take a hit, he can finish over top of guys when he needs to.”

Ross, 32, said he’s never had a coach have him change how he releases the ball. He wasn’t always 6-6 with leaping ability that make his shot even more difficult to block, but Ross has always had a high arc on it.

“So when I jump, the ball is going high,” said Ross, the 2013 NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion. “So, when I shoot, I have a high release. So those two things added to each other make it look like it’s just a rocket.”

Ross said he tries to shoot the ball higher than the shot clock in drills to help him get in a rhythm.

“It’s something I always kind of worked on,” Ross said.

The Noah Basketball Shooting System that is utilized by NBA teams tracks shot arc, ball position and depth. Most shots enter the basket between 35 and 55 degrees.

Ross’ shots are on the high end of that range.

“You can pinpoint where your shot is,” Ross said. “Sometimes I’m shooting in the corners, I want to hit it let’s say as high as I can and end up in the high 40s, early 50s. Sometimes when I’m shooting deep, I would try to shoot it with more arc. It’s something I kind of played around with.”

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns: Terrence Ross' jump shot has high release, higher arc