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Time for Miles to adopt a new Mantra


NUdiehard

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As we all know, Miles has been pushing the mantra "like the 3, love the rim" ever since he arrived at NU.  This mantra has been pounded into the minds of fans and players alike.  Well, call it heresy if you will, but I think it is time to scrap that mantra and adopt the following new mantra:

 

Like the rim, love wide open shots!

 

I am tired of watching  player after player turning down wide open shots, only to either: (1) drive into the lane which is packed with 5 defenders b/c they are all playing the "pack" defense rather than guard the perimeter, or (2) pass the ball off and then watch TP or SS struggle to find an open shot with the shot clock winding down, only to result in a flailing drive to the basket or an off-balance, fade to the side 3-pointer. The problem with the current mantra "like the 3, love the rim" is that is doesn't take into account what the defense is doing.  If the opponent is placing all 5 defenders in the paint and completely taking away the rim, is it still prudent to bang your head against a brick wall and try to pound the ball into all that traffic time and again?  I realize none of us like it when the opponent dictates what we do, but there must be some level of reason in this. 

 

Opponent after opponent is simply not guarding half our players on the court.  I just read a post in another thread complaining that Miles doesn't run good enough sets against zone defenses.  That may be true, to me it is irrelevant.  What is the whole purpose of running a set play?  Answer:  TO GET AN OPEN SHOT!  Thing is, against most teams (none more exemplified than last night vs. Mich.), NU is GIFTED wide open shots on virtually every single possession without having to run any sets or motions whatsoever.  Opponents simply do not guard Benny or Tarin or Rivers or Tai.  On most every possession those players have a 5 foot cushion to shoot almost whenever they want.  So new mantra:  If you are wide open, shoot the ball!  I would rather see Tarin Smith shoot 11 wide open 3 pointers than see SS or TP force extremely difficult shots late in the shot clock when the defense can crank up the pressure b/c it knows the shot clock is winding and one of those 2 is going to shoot it.  It is 2 on 5, and the 5 is usually going to come out on top. 

 

This mantra also needs to be applied to Walt P.  If Walt is going to be on the floor, then he needs to shoot whenever he is open.  Period.  If Walt is not out there to shoot, then he has no purpose being on the floor.  His defense is atrocious.  Last night he shot only 5 times for 4 points and some no-name "center" scored 12 points and had 9 rebounds against Walt.  That is a major net negative.  Walt has been averaging about 4 to 5 shots over his last 10 games or so.  I haven't gone back and checked, but I would bet anything he was shooting more than that last year when he was critical for NU down the stretch.  I know WP has been off with his shooting this year, but part of that is b/c he is not shooting when he is open.  I am sooooo tired of seeing him catch the ball at the top of the key and then immediately pump-fake even though there is no one within 5 feet of him.  Who is he faking out?  Plus, Walt is 6'10".  He can get his shot off even if the defender is closing b/c he is so tall.  When was the last time his outside shot was blocked?  Ever?  If Walt is open, he needs to shoot. Period.  If he won't shoot it, then put him on the bench and put in Leslee who will as least play good post defense and set good screens and maybe even score a bucket or 2 in the paint. 

 

In short, I think this team and all the so-called "role" players have been too defined into their alleged "roles".  They are deferring too much to TP and SS and it is hurting the team.  Just like you cannot let a team press with impunity (by failing to attack the press), you cannot allow a team to simply not guard 2-3 offensive players every time down the court.  That is ridiculous.  This is div. 1 college basketball, not 4th grade YMCA rec ball.  If you are a guard or a wing and you can't hit at least 35%-40% of your WIDE OPEN shots from 15-20 feet, then you shouldn't be playing.  I don't care how good your defense is  NU cannot consistently win playing 2 on 5 on offense.  It just can't work on a consistent basis.  If you are wide open, shoot the ball with confidence and live the results.  It is better than playing tentative and constantly deferring until the shot clock is expiring and a difficult and contested shot is the only remaining option. 

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Like the rim, love wide open shots!

 

Here's the problem

 

3pt % in the B1G

 

                 3PM-3PA Pct
Tai Webster        2-5 40.0%
Terran Petteway  21-59 35.6%
Walter Pitchford  8-28 28.6%
Benny Parker      3-12 25.0%
Tarin Smith        1-6 16.7%
Shavon Shields    4-25 16.0%

The numbers during the regular season don't look all that much better.

 

 

 If you are a guard or a wing and you can't hit at least 35%-40% of your WIDE OPEN shots from 15-20 feet, then you shouldn't be playing.

 

There is a reason guys in general aren't heavily guarded between 15-20 ft. Hitting 35-40% of 3pts is doing well. Hitting that percentage in 2s isn't.

 

 

In short, I think this team and all the so-called "role" players have been too defined into their alleged "roles".  They are deferring too much to TP and SS and it is hurting the team.  Just like you cannot let a team press with impunity (by failing to attack the press), you cannot allow a team to simply not guard 2-3 offensive players every time down the court.  That is ridiculous.  This is div. 1 college basketball, not 4th grade YMCA rec ball.  If you are a guard or a wing and you can't hit at least 35%-40% of your WIDE OPEN shots from 15-20 feet, then you shouldn't be playing.  I don't care how good your defense is  NU cannot consistently win playing 2 on 5 on offense.  It just can't work on a consistent basis.  If you are wide open, shoot the ball with confidence and live the results.  It is better than playing tentative and constantly deferring until the shot clock is expiring and a difficult and contested shot is the only remaining option. 

 

I understand the point you're trying to make but at the end of the day you're advocating for us to move from being a poor shooting team to a poor long 2 or long 3 pt shooting team. 
 
I do think help is coming next year and in the future in terms of shooting.
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 I just read a post in another thread complaining that Miles doesn't run good enough sets against zone defenses.  That may be true, to me it is irrelevant.  What is the whole purpose of running a set play?  Answer:  TO GET AN OPEN SHOT! 

 

If we're talking about a 10-15 Ft open shot, then yes.

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I just don't think there's an easy answer NUdiehard.  In the final analysis I think your advocating just a different style of offense that will still produce the same results.  I get what Miles is trying to do.  The fact is we are not a good shooting team, from 15 feet out, at least  for sure not a good three point shooting team.  So it looks to me that because we are not a threat from 3, the strategy is to try to take higher percentage shots, and if they don't go in, hopefully we'll get to the line.  Couple that with essentially playing Doc ball, minimizing the possessions and playing solid D. 

 

Has it worked?  Mixed results to be sure.  However, if I were a fly on the wall in Miles' pregame meetings, I'm sure the coaches have decided that if we start taking the first open shot we get every time down the floor, we're not going to make many of those shots, and in turn that increases the possessions for the opposing team, and games could tend to get away from us very quickly. 

 

FWIW, Miles has said he wants Walt to shoot it more.  And I know when Molinari said we like low scoring close defensive games, Miles said "Wait a minute, who says that?  I like to score!"  We need better shooters.  I'd still be happy to see Fuller get more minutes. 

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Like the rim, love wide open shots!

 

Here's the problem

 

3pt % in the B1G

 

                 3PM-3PA Pct
Tai Webster        2-5 40.0%
Terran Petteway  21-59 35.6%
Walter Pitchford  8-28 28.6%
Benny Parker      3-12 25.0%
Tarin Smith        1-6 16.7%
Shavon Shields    4-25 16.0%

The numbers during the regular season don't look all that much better.

 

 

Dakich mentioned Shavon's abysmal 3-point production last night.

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I completely disagree that we should be taking a bunch of open long two pointers.  Dumbest shot in basketball. 

In general I agree with this.  If you are referring to my post, I don't believe I ever said that we should take a bunch of long two pointers.  I did say this:

 

 

 I would rather see Tarin Smith shoot 11 wide open 3 pointers than see SS or TP force extremely difficult shots late in the shot clock when the defense can crank up the pressure b/c it knows the shot clock is winding and one of those 2 is going to shoot it.  It is 2 on 5, and the 5 is usually going to come out on top. 

 

Regarding Walt, I said this:

 

 I am sooooo tired of seeing him catch the ball at the top of the key and then immediately pump-fake even though there is no one within 5 feet of him.  Who is he faking out?  Plus, Walt is 6'10".  He can get his shot off even if the defender is closing b/c he is so tall.  When was the last time his outside shot was blocked?  Ever? 

 

 

My point was definitely to emphasize the guards (Tarin, Benny and Tai) being wide open for 3 pointers, as well as Walt.  That is why I specifically mentioned Tarin shooting the 3 and that I hate when WP does that pump fake when no one is close to him.  If you watch the games, you would know that WP almost always catches the ball behind the 3 point line (unless he is doing one of his very, very rare attempts in the post, which would mean of course that he would not be wide open).

 

If you are referring to my reference to hitting shots within 15-20 feet, I mentioned that mainly because of Rivers, who is quite good at hitting that shot while the 3 point shot is clearly out of his typical range.  SS is also a guy who is very solid from 15-17 feet when he is open and can get his feet set.  And there have been many, many times that he has caught the ball at the elbow, turned and been wide open, only to pump fake and drive into multiple defenders.  Even Miles has said SS needs to take that shot.  Plus, there are times when it is not so terrible to step in 3 or 4 feet and shoot a 16 foot shot if you can get in that close and still be open.  A 16 foot shot is basically a free throw.  Players should be able to hit that shot 60% of the time if they are open.  That is going to be more the exception than the norm, but sometimes for a guy like BP, that may be the best option.

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Like the rim, love wide open shots!

 

Here's the problem

 

3pt % in the B1G

 

                 3PM-3PA Pct
Tai Webster        2-5 40.0%
Terran Petteway  21-59 35.6%
Walter Pitchford  8-28 28.6%
Benny Parker      3-12 25.0%
Tarin Smith        1-6 16.7%
Shavon Shields    4-25 16.0%

The numbers during the regular season don't look all that much better.

 

 

 If you are a guard or a wing and you can't hit at least 35%-40% of your WIDE OPEN shots from 15-20 feet, then you shouldn't be playing.

 

There is a reason guys in general aren't heavily guarded between 15-20 ft. Hitting 35-40% of 3pts is doing well. Hitting that percentage in 2s isn't.

 

 

In short, I think this team and all the so-called "role" players have been too defined into their alleged "roles".  They are deferring too much to TP and SS and it is hurting the team.  Just like you cannot let a team press with impunity (by failing to attack the press), you cannot allow a team to simply not guard 2-3 offensive players every time down the court.  That is ridiculous.  This is div. 1 college basketball, not 4th grade YMCA rec ball.  If you are a guard or a wing and you can't hit at least 35%-40% of your WIDE OPEN shots from 15-20 feet, then you shouldn't be playing.  I don't care how good your defense is  NU cannot consistently win playing 2 on 5 on offense.  It just can't work on a consistent basis.  If you are wide open, shoot the ball with confidence and live the results.  It is better than playing tentative and constantly deferring until the shot clock is expiring and a difficult and contested shot is the only remaining option. 

 

I understand the point you're trying to make but at the end of the day you're advocating for us to move from being a poor shooting team to a poor long 2 or long 3 pt shooting team. 
 
I do think help is coming next year and in the future in terms of shooting.

 

But my whole point is asking:  How much are their current shooting percentages skewed by their bad shot selection.  They are making the game more difficult than it has to be by taking difficult or contested shots when they could be taking wide open shots.  If they improve their shot selection by taking the wide open opportunities when they present themselves, I am confident their percentages would go up.  Besides, for a guy like WP, he shot 41% on 3s all of last year, and even better in conference.  Did he forget how to shoot over the summer?  Law of averages says he is due to go on a run.  I would rather him catch and shoot the 3 when he is wide open than pump-faking no one and then have to try some sort of step back shot.  I am also confident that TS can hit a better percentage if he is open and shoots with confidence.

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I wasn't sure whether Tim was planning to adopt the Praying Mantra or the Mantra Ray as a new mascot when I read the header. But seriously, I find it interesting that the definition of mantra has evolved from having a perfectly good Hindu religious connotation to one which according to the urban dictionary now pertains to the use of a meme so powerful it wins all arguments. Or as someone puts it " an easy way for someone to get their dirty fingers into another's underwear".

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Like the rim, love wide open shots!

 

Here's the problem

 

3pt % in the B1G

 

                 3PM-3PA Pct
Tai Webster        2-5 40.0%
Terran Petteway  21-59 35.6%
Walter Pitchford  8-28 28.6%
Benny Parker      3-12 25.0%
Tarin Smith        1-6 16.7%
Shavon Shields    4-25 16.0%

The numbers during the regular season don't look all that much better.

 

 

 If you are a guard or a wing and you can't hit at least 35%-40% of your WIDE OPEN shots from 15-20 feet, then you shouldn't be playing.

 

There is a reason guys in general aren't heavily guarded between 15-20 ft. Hitting 35-40% of 3pts is doing well. Hitting that percentage in 2s isn't.

 

 

In short, I think this team and all the so-called "role" players have been too defined into their alleged "roles".  They are deferring too much to TP and SS and it is hurting the team.  Just like you cannot let a team press with impunity (by failing to attack the press), you cannot allow a team to simply not guard 2-3 offensive players every time down the court.  That is ridiculous.  This is div. 1 college basketball, not 4th grade YMCA rec ball.  If you are a guard or a wing and you can't hit at least 35%-40% of your WIDE OPEN shots from 15-20 feet, then you shouldn't be playing.  I don't care how good your defense is  NU cannot consistently win playing 2 on 5 on offense.  It just can't work on a consistent basis.  If you are wide open, shoot the ball with confidence and live the results.  It is better than playing tentative and constantly deferring until the shot clock is expiring and a difficult and contested shot is the only remaining option. 

 

I understand the point you're trying to make but at the end of the day you're advocating for us to move from being a poor shooting team to a poor long 2 or long 3 pt shooting team. 
 
I do think help is coming next year and in the future in terms of shooting.

 

But my whole point is asking:  How much are their current shooting percentages skewed by their bad shot selection.  They are making the game more difficult than it has to be by taking difficult or contested shots when they could be taking wide open shots.  If they improve their shot selection by taking the wide open opportunities when they present themselves, I am confident their percentages would go up.  Besides, for a guy like WP, he shot 41% on 3s all of last year, and even better in conference.  Did he forget how to shoot over the summer?  Law of averages says he is due to go on a run.  I would rather him catch and shoot the 3 when he is wide open than pump-faking no one and then have to try some sort of step back shot.  I am also confident that TS can hit a better percentage if he is open and shoots with confidence.

 

 

I would have to answer "not that much".  Walt for the most part is taking the same open 3 pointers he took and made last year.  He just can't throw it in the ocean for some reason this year.   And do you think Michigan didn't guard Tarin Smith from 15 feet because they thought he could make that shot?  That's exactly what Michigan wanted--we'll leave you wide open so you take that shot. 

 

I don't share your confidence that these guys can somehow get some mystical "confidence" and become good shooters.  Shooters can put the ball in the hole consistently.  Tai, Tarin, and this year Walt and Shavon (from outside) can't show that they can do that.  It's not shot selection, it's not a red light from coach, it's that they can't make shots.  The whole world knows we don't have shooters, and defends us accordingly.  Swarm TP, cut off driving lanes, play zone, force us to make shots from outside.

 

This game becomes incredibly difficult when you can't make shots.  Simple concept, right?   But a lot of over analysis goes on when the issue is a basic flaw, like "that guy can't shoot."  I like Tarin, his strength, athleticism, intangibles.  But there's a reason he was available in March.   I hope he can improve his shot, but I think guys who struggle shooting at this age improving significantly are the exception rather than the rule.

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But my whole point is asking:  How much are their current shooting percentages skewed by their bad shot selection.  They are making the game more difficult than it has to be by taking difficult or contested shots when they could be taking wide open shots.  If they improve their shot selection by taking the wide open opportunities when they present themselves, I am confident their percentages would go up.  Besides, for a guy like WP, he shot 41% on 3s all of last year, and even better in conference.  Did he forget how to shoot over the summer?  Law of averages says he is due to go on a run.  I would rather him catch and shoot the 3 when he is wide open than pump-faking no one and then have to try some sort of step back shot.  I am also confident that TS can hit a better percentage if he is open and shoots with confidence.

 

This might be selective bias, but I don't think anyone besides TP is taking contested 3pt shots these days.

 

Re: Walt - I've always felt that he's a guy where the last 35 minutes of his game is often dictated by the first 5 minutes. If he misses his opening shot(s) he just doesn't think he has it and stops shooting. I'd agree about being annoyed by all the pointless pump-fakes he puts on because rarely is it going to be used for driving. I did think the play he had vs Michigan where he was called for a charge on the dunk attempt was overall a positive sign though it probably crushed his offensive spirits for the game.

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I am seeing wide open looks missed, I am seeing contested, but very makeable lay ups missed, and I am seeing hesitation rather than flow during shots.  All of these mixed together results in low shooting percentages. 

 

I have heard this statement or something similar...shots are made in practice...if so, in-game low shooting percentages are not the result of bad selection, rather, they are the by-product of lack of focus/confidence or increased anxiety.

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Which is puzzling because he's flat out better than that.  Shavon is a good shooter.  He needs to remember that he's a good shooter and start hitting some of those shots. 

 

There's still time for us to get hot.  But margin for error has gotten razor thin.

Agreed, Norm. Shavon's problem is between his ears. Confidence and consistency kid!
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Which is puzzling because he's flat out better than that.  Shavon is a good shooter.  He needs to remember that he's a good shooter and start hitting some of those shots. 

 

There's still time for us to get hot.  But margin for error has gotten razor thin.

Agreed, Norm. Shavon's problem is between his ears. Confidence and consistency kid!

 

 

Is it though? He might be suffering through the same thing that Ubel went through that as his strength increased his 3 pt shot became worse.

3pt Shooting
Fr: 14-39 - 35.9%
So: 18-57 - 31.6%
Jr: 12-54 - 22.2%

On the flipside, both his 2pt % and FT % are so far a season best.

Good shooter? Yes. Range? Doesn't look like it. 

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Which is puzzling because he's flat out better than that.  Shavon is a good shooter.  He needs to remember that he's a good shooter and start hitting some of those shots. 

 

There's still time for us to get hot.  But margin for error has gotten razor thin.

Agreed, Norm. Shavon's problem is between his ears. Confidence and consistency kid!

 

 

Is it though? He might be suffering through the same thing that Ubel went through that as his strength increased his 3 pt shot became worse.

3pt Shooting
Fr: 14-39 - 35.9%
So: 18-57 - 31.6%
Jr: 12-54 - 22.2%

On the flipside, both his 2pt % and FT % are so far a season best.

Good shooter? Yes. Range? Doesn't look like it. 

 

Too small of a sample size from Ubel to attribute his declining shooting percentage to him getting stronger as he got older?

 

I know Ubel had kind of an ugly looking perimeter shot.  Shavon does not.  His alignment on his shooting is good; he has a compact stroke; he has good tempo and rhythm and a quick release because of his compact form.  In short, Shavon has good mechanics and a proven record of being a better shooter. 

 

Up until the Creighton game this year, Shavon was almost 44% from 3.  From and after that game, which was a very tough loss and kinda took the wind out of our sails, Shavon has shot 13% from three.  Almost 44% before Creighton; 13% since.

 

Shavon is a better shooter than that.  It's between his ears.  He's in a slump and he needs to shoot himself out of it.

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Which is puzzling because he's flat out better than that.  Shavon is a good shooter.  He needs to remember that he's a good shooter and start hitting some of those shots. 

 

There's still time for us to get hot.  But margin for error has gotten razor thin.

Agreed, Norm. Shavon's problem is between his ears. Confidence and consistency kid!

 

 

Is it though? He might be suffering through the same thing that Ubel went through that as his strength increased his 3 pt shot became worse.

3pt Shooting
Fr: 14-39 - 35.9%
So: 18-57 - 31.6%
Jr: 12-54 - 22.2%

On the flipside, both his 2pt % and FT % are so far a season best.

Good shooter? Yes. Range? Doesn't look like it. 

 

Too small of a sample size from Ubel to attribute his declining shooting percentage to him getting stronger as he got older?

 

I know Ubel had kind of an ugly looking perimeter shot.  Shavon does not.  His alignment on his shooting is good; he has a compact stroke; he has good tempo and rhythm and a quick release because of his compact form.  In short, Shavon has good mechanics and a proven record of being a better shooter. 

 

Up until the Creighton game this year, Shavon was almost 44% from 3.  From and after that game, which was a very tough loss and kinda took the wind out of our sails, Shavon has shot 13% from three.  Almost 44% before Creighton; 13% since.

 

Shavon is a better shooter than that.  It's between his ears.  He's in a slump and he needs to shoot himself out of it.

 

 

Similar to what I told my wife:  "I'm in a slump and I need to shoot my way out of it".    Practice, practice, practice....

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Shavon doesn't seem like a three-point shooter the way he launches the shot while typically flat-footed, which makes his 3-ball looks highly dependent on the launch point being repeatable. It doesn't appear that Shavon's shot ever looks quite the same from the standpoint of the launch. If he's "feeling" it a bit, then he might be more in a rhythm that particular night. Otherwise, he really doesn't take that many shots on a night-in & night-out basis to even establish a rhythm with his outside shot, and fatigue could also be a factor as well IMHO.

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Shavon doesn't seem like a three-point shooter the way he launches the shot while typically flat-footed, which makes his 3-ball looks highly dependent on the launch point being repeatable. It doesn't appear that Shavon's shot ever looks quite the same from the standpoint of the launch. If he's "feeling" it a bit, then he might be more in a rhythm that particular night. Otherwise, he really doesn't take that many shots on a night-in & night-out basis to even establish a rhythm with his outside shot, and fatigue could also be a factor as well IMHO.

True, he doesn't get a lot of "jump" into his jump shot.  BUT ...

 

His stroke is very compact and he has a quick release.  So, even though he's not getting the added elevation that a jump would give him, he still gets the ball off pretty high and quickly enough that he doesn't need a lot of space.

 

What I like about his stroke is that there's not a lot of wasted motion or movement.  At all.  Remember how you describe Walter as being "elbowtastic"?  With Shavon, it's just load and release.  It's the same every time.  It's the same basic stroke as when he shoots freethrows (and he should be better at that this year than he's been.)

 

Sometimes, it's not mechanics.  Sometimes it's mental.  It's like the golfer draining 3 foot putts with ease on the practice green but yipping a 3 footer to win the Open Championship or something.  Sometimes it's mental.

 

With Ubel, his stroke had other issues.  With Shavon, his mechanics are sound and we know from past experience that he has the ability to do it.  So, I think we can rule out that he's just not a good shooter.  We can rule out mechanics.  And that leaves us with ...

 

It's mental.

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Shavon doesn't seem like a three-point shooter the way he launches the shot while typically flat-footed, which makes his 3-ball looks highly dependent on the launch point being repeatable. It doesn't appear that Shavon's shot ever looks quite the same from the standpoint of the launch. If he's "feeling" it a bit, then he might be more in a rhythm that particular night. Otherwise, he really doesn't take that many shots on a night-in & night-out basis to even establish a rhythm with his outside shot, and fatigue could also be a factor as well IMHO.

True, he doesn't get a lot of "jump" into his jump shot.  BUT ...

 

His stroke is very compact and he has a quick release.  So, even though he's not getting the added elevation that a jump would give him, he still gets the ball off pretty high and quickly enough that he doesn't need a lot of space.

 

What I like about his stroke is that there's not a lot of wasted motion or movement.  At all.  Remember how you describe Walter as being "elbowtastic"?  With Shavon, it's just load and release.  It's the same every time.  It's the same basic stroke as when he shoots freethrows (and he should be better at that this year than he's been.)

 

Sometimes, it's not mechanics.  Sometimes it's mental.  It's like the golfer draining 3 foot putts with ease on the practice green but yipping a 3 footer to win the Open Championship or something.  Sometimes it's mental.

 

With Ubel, his stroke had other issues.  With Shavon, his mechanics are sound and we know from past experience that he has the ability to do it.  So, I think we can rule out that he's just not a good shooter.  We can rule out mechanics.  And that leaves us with ...

 

It's mental.

 

 

I think Cheech might have the solution...

 

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Shavon doesn't seem like a three-point shooter the way he launches the shot while typically flat-footed, which makes his 3-ball looks highly dependent on the launch point being repeatable. It doesn't appear that Shavon's shot ever looks quite the same from the standpoint of the launch. If he's "feeling" it a bit, then he might be more in a rhythm that particular night. Otherwise, he really doesn't take that many shots on a night-in & night-out basis to even establish a rhythm with his outside shot, and fatigue could also be a factor as well IMHO.

True, he doesn't get a lot of "jump" into his jump shot.  BUT ...

 

His stroke is very compact and he has a quick release.  So, even though he's not getting the added elevation that a jump would give him, he still gets the ball off pretty high and quickly enough that he doesn't need a lot of space.

 

What I like about his stroke is that there's not a lot of wasted motion or movement.  At all.  Remember how you describe Walter as being "elbowtastic"?  With Shavon, it's just load and release.  It's the same every time.  It's the same basic stroke as when he shoots freethrows (and he should be better at that this year than he's been.)

 

Sometimes, it's not mechanics.  Sometimes it's mental.  It's like the golfer draining 3 foot putts with ease on the practice green but yipping a 3 footer to win the Open Championship or something.  Sometimes it's mental.

 

With Ubel, his stroke had other issues.  With Shavon, his mechanics are sound and we know from past experience that he has the ability to do it.  So, I think we can rule out that he's just not a good shooter.  We can rule out mechanics.  And that leaves us with ...

 

It's mental.

 

 

Yep, Walt is elbowtastic. Good recollection, Normy.

 

I'm not sure if it's simply a mental thing with Shavon.  I think it's partly a mental block with that shot, confidence if you will. But, part of it is the nature of his motion is a launch of the ball away from his body instead of a shooting stroke with a high release (like Rey Gallegos). It's wildly inconsistent with Shavon. I'm just not sure he has the range for it yet.  Or, he's fatigued with heavy minutes that won't allow a 'perfect' launch. Either way, confidence or repeatable stroke, Shavon is not burying 'em with any regularity (but, then again, neither is Walt or Terran or, really, anyone).

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