The Trainers Behind the NBA’s Most-Improved Players

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Trainer for: Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler

Over the last few NBA seasons, Butler has proven that he can play good, solid defense. But during this past offseason, he wanted to add some new moves to his offensive game. So he called on Johnson—the owner of the Team GO Hard Skillz Factory in Houston—to help him. The Bulls sent Johnson a list of things that they wanted him to work on with Butler. And so far, it appears as though their summer was a success, as Butler has shown real improvement on the offensive side of the ball and has, at times, carried the Bulls’ offense in Derrick Rose’s absence. He’s always been great on defense. But thanks to Johnson’s help, he’s the total package now.

Trainer for: New Orleans Pelicans center Anthony Davis

As the Director of Athletic Performance for the Pelicans, Daniel’s job is to make sure that every single New Orleans player is prepared for the rigors of an NBA season. But this past summer, Daniel’s main emphasis was working with the 21-year-old Davis during his time with Team USA. He traveled to Las Vegas, Chicago, New York, and even Europe to work one-on-one with Davis in order to make sure that he was getting stronger in the post.

“He knows that getting strong is a vital component and he’s been dedicated to it,” Daniel said back in July.

So far, that strength has been on full display during the NBA season. Davis is averaging more than 24 points and 10 rebounds per game for New Orleans and has been a handful for opposing big men, which is something that wasn’t necessarily the case as recently as a year ago.

Trainer for: Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal

Although Beal—who is now in his third year in the NBA—isn’t scoring as many points this season as he did last, he is shooting the ball much better than he has in the past. During his rookie season in the league, he shot about 41 percent from the field and 39 percent from beyond the three-point line. But since then, he has put in a ton of work with his trainer Hanlen—a former Belmont University star who has been working with Beal since his high school days—to improve. This year he’s shooting the ball better than ever; his shooting percentages have risen to 45 percent from the field and 48 percent from three-point distance. As a result, he’s become a more efficient player who doesn’t necessarily need to take as many shots in order to help the Wizards win.

“Brad has wanted to be great for a long time,” Hanlen said earlier this year. “He had a special work ethic as a high school player that is still carrying him today.”

Trainer for: Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris

Back in September, the Magic hired Hernandez to be their new assistant coach/head of player development, and it’s not hard to see why. Since 2004, he has been taking young players and helping mold them into solid NBA contributors. Specifically, he has helped transform Magic forward Tobias Harris—who averaged just 5.0 points and 2.4 rebounds during his first year in the league back in 2011-12—into a player who is now carrying Orlando on the court. Harris is averaging about 18 points and eight rebounds so far this season, and he has blossomed into the kind of player that the Magic were hoping he’d become when they landed him in a trade with Milwaukee back in early 2013.

Trainer for: Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry

Now a star for the Toronto Rappers, people sometimes forget that, once upon a time, it looked like Lowry’s NBA career wasn’t going to last very long. He spent his early years playing with the Grizzlies and Rockets and didn’t average more than 10 points per game during his first four NBA seasons. But he continued putting in work with Abunassar—the founder of the Impact Academy who has trained Chauncey Billups and Kevin Garnett in the past—and eventually started to show glimpses of his greatness a few years back. He made his real breakthrough last season with the Raptors, though, when he averaged 17.9 points per game and led the team to the playoffs. And he made it a point to work on his midrange game this past offseason, which has made a big difference in his overall game. He’s averaging a career-high 20 points per game this year and shooting the ball better than he has at any other point in his career.

Trainer for: Washington Wizards guard John Wall

Over the last few years, McClanaghan has trained a number of different NBA superstars, including Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Derrick Rose. But John Wall very well could be his biggest success story, as he has transformed him from a guy who was on the cusp of being considered a bust to a guy who is now a legit star in the league. McClanaghan has specifically focused on Wall’s shooting in recent years, helping him improve from a 41-percent shooter in 2010-11 to a 43-percent shooter in 2013-14, and a 44-percent shooter so far this season. Wall’s three-point shooting has also improved dramatically since he first entered the league, jumping from about 30 percent as a rookie to 33 percent this year. It has led to a big improvement in Wall's overall game and helped him earn a big max contract last year.

Trainer for: Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Knight

The Bucks are enjoying a pretty surprising season so far, and that’s due in large part to Knight’s improvements on the court. He’s actually improved every single season that he’s been in the NBA. But at the moment, he’s averaging about 17 points per game, shooting a career-best 44 percent, and knocking down more than 40 percent of his three-pointers. Some of that has to do with the talent that’s surrounding him in Milwaukee now, but some of it also has to do with his continued work with Remy—a South Florida-based trainer who specializes in shooting and ball-handling and pushes his players to have a “high motor,” which is something Knight most definitely has.

Trainer for: Minnesota Timberwolves forward Shabazz Muhammad

Known as “Hell’s Trainer” to those who he trains, Matrisciano has worked with a number of NBA stars over the years. Guys like Blake Griffin, Zach Randolph, and Gilbert Arenas have turned to him to try and improve their strength and stamina—and to lose pounds—by going through his unorthodox training exercises. And it has paid off. So this past summer, Muhammad, Anthony Bennett, and Rony Turiaf endured Matrisciano’s workouts and saw results. They all showed up at training camp lighter and in better shape. Muhammad, in particular, has also seen a lot of improvement on the court as a result of his new physique. He’s averaging about 12 points per game (up from 3.9 last year), shooting 50 percent from the field (up from 46 percent), and getting more playing time because of everything that he’s done to try and get better.

Trainer for: Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry

The Warriors point guard was a solid player when he first came into the league back in 2009. In his rookie year, he averaged 17.5 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds. But since then, all he’s done is get better every single year. He’s seen improvements in his points, assists, and rebounds per game. And believe it or not, his shooting percentages have even improved, despite the fact that’s he often guarded by the opposing team’s best player or, in some cases, double-teamed. It’s due to his offseason workouts with the Charlotte-based company Accelerate Basketball and his skills trainer Payne, who has shown him new ways to shoot and pass the ball against tough defenses. And if his career thus far is any indication, he’s only going to continue getting better. So don’t be surprised when Curry’s name starts to become a mainstay in the MVP discussion every year.

Trainer for: Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan

Want to know how important DeRozan is to the Raptors? Take a look at how they’ve done since he went down with a groin injury recently. They’ve beaten several of the NBA’s bad teams, but they’ve struggled against almost all of the good ones that they’ve played. They miss DeRozan’s scoring ability, they miss his leadership, and they miss his ball-handling skills out on the court, which have improved greatly since he first entered the league. Some of that is simply because DeRozan is more comfortable with the ball in his hands these days. But it’s also because he’s put in work with a number of trainers in recent summers, most recently spending time with Stephene—AKA “Dribble2Much” (the same guy who crossed over Teyana Taylor a few months back)—and learning new tricks of the trade. It has helped DeRozan get even better as a player and, in turn, has helped the Raptors get better as a team.