February book reviews, part 3

A continuation in the series of book reviews for what I am reading in February.

Today: The Art of a Beautiful Game by Chris Ballard.

OK, so it's another sports book, but at just over 200 pages, it's definitely worth the time.

Chris Ballard, a sportswriter for Sports Illustrated who writes some of the magazine's better columns, tags this book a "thinker's guide" to the game of basketball, and he means it. For anyone who's ever tried to pick apart the art of rebounding or figure out why really, really tall guys can somehow not play basketball, this is the book.

But Ballard doesn't so much try to answer enduring questions about the game; he does one better by merely exploring its intricacies.

With a great combination of technical explanations, storytelling, player quotes, anecdotes, and contextual information, Ballard spends a chapter on different parts of the game (rebounding, shot-blocking, shooting) and puts each facet in its own snapshot for the reader to meander through.

In the shooting chapter, for example, he explores the idea of whether a "natural shooter" exists, or if you can learn the skill. Ballard spends a lot of time talking about Ray Allen's exact form, training regimen, and shooting accuracy, then goes to Phoenix and sees if all-time-great shooting guard Steve Kerr can still hit an obscene amount of shots despite being out of the league for a while. Mixed in are statistics, quirky anecdotes about other shooting greats, and examples of how mere mortals (such as Ballard) compare to these NBA guys who make it look so easy. The final product? An easy-to-read, instructional yet not juvenile chapter that opens the game without breaking the brain.

The whole book is made better by Ballard's obvious understanding of the game (this isn't some guy who hasn't shot the ball in a year, or a sportswriter whose columns focus on an athlete's choice of socks), balanced by his sheer wonder in unlocking the hidden secrets of a sport that still amazes him.

It's clear that Ballard is familiar with not just the game but also the men who play it; he knows what questions to ask and which details to highlight. He also has a good enough connection with a wide variety of NBA players to get an adequate range of information and quotes.

Some chapters are better than others. The chapter on dunking in particular is a pitiful mishmash of a tale we'd rather see on film. Ballard's morose telling of how dunks are cool but players' legs quickly fail them is not an enjoyable read, and the chapter overall lacks the revealing, candid, inside-telling feel of the rest of the book.

Other chapters are more nuts-and-bolts than others; the chapter on defense is incredibly instructive, but you've got to appreciate Shane Battier to enjoy it.

Overall, it's a great book for its purpose, and short enough to read and enjoy but still deep enough to learn. Ballard put a lot of work into it, and you can tell. Better yet, all his little details point toward one focus: This thing that started with a peach basket and a rubber ball really is a beautiful game.