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It's interesting how many NBA players were legendary for their shooting ability in high school but enjoy no such reputation in the pros. In college, guys from the Bay Area would talk about seeing Jason Kidd at local gyms and how he would never miss. I've also heard stories of Raymond Felton going hours without missing a shot in pickup hoop games. I think being guarded by quicker, more athletic players can make seemingly great shooters into mediocre shooters. I mean, is J.J. Redick doing anything close to what he was doing at Duke?
You make a good point here.
Steve Kerr himself mentioned that he had to totally change his shot when he got into the pros because otherwise he'd have gotten blocked all the time. Faster release, higher arc because that guy closing in on you at the perimeter is inches taller\longer with another couple inches of vert than the guys they played against at the previous level.
Steve Kerr himself mentioned that he had to totally change his shot when he got into the pros because otherwise he'd have gotten blocked all the time. Faster release, higher arc because that guy closing in on you at the perimeter is inches taller\longer with another couple inches of vert than the guys they played against at the previous level.
This is basically what I said. The pro's are slightly quicker and more athletic. What did I say that wasn't true. Most division 1 players are pretty decent shooters. At least the perimeter shooters. The ones who make it to the pro's now have to have some driving ability, ball control and quickness. Most likely Steve Kerr is an anomaly. He probably shouldn't have made it in the league. All he could do is shoot. But when he played with MJ and Pippen that is all they needed him to do. He filled in the holes. Look at the Knicks last year. Novak was lights out. However, in the playoffs he couldn't score nothing. Why? Because they closed in on him and didn't allow himself to get into a "shooters rhythm." At the end of the season they dropped him. He is one of the purest shooters in the league, yet got dropped because he couldn't create for others or to get his own shot. He was not gifted athletically enough. It mainly comes down to natural athletic ability. Ask any college recruiter about prospects. The number one thing that they look for as far as the upside is athleticism.
This is basically what I said. The pro's are slightly quicker and more athletic. What did I say that wasn't true. Most division 1 players are pretty decent shooters. At least the perimeter shooters. The ones who make it to the pro's now have to have some driving ability, ball control and quickness. Most likely Steve Kerr is an anomaly. He probably shouldn't have made it in the league. All he could do is shoot. But when he played with MJ and Pippen that is all they needed him to do. He filled in the holes. Look at the Knicks last year. Novak was lights out. However, in the playoffs he couldn't score nothing. Why? Because they closed in on him and didn't allow himself to get into a "shooters rhythm." At the end of the season they dropped him. He is one of the purest shooters in the league, yet got dropped because he couldn't create for others or to get his own shot. He was not gifted athletically enough. It mainly comes down to natural athletic ability. Ask any college recruiter about prospects. The number one thing that they look for as far as the upside is athleticism.
Well, Kerr didn't play 14-15 seasons in the league by accident.
He also finished with a career 45% 3-pt FG rate which is nothing short of insane. (#1 in NBA history)
I don't know about the whole "create your own shot" thing because was Kerr wasn't going to blow past you and kill somebody 1on1....but his basketball IQ was so high that he was always getting to the right place, the open spot, making the extra pass etc.
Athleticism is great, you'll never get on an all-NBA team without it....but for bench\role players you can have a great, long carreer if you have skills. There are other guys that have had similar careers to Kerr, again we are talking bench players not all-stars.
P.S. They barely played Novak in the playoffs but he shot >50%. He was part of the Bargnani trade with Toronto. The Knicks (stupidly, well that's redundant as most everything the Knicks does is stupid) signed Novak to a 4 yr. 15mil contract so they were grossly overpaying for a bench shooter.
Well, Kerr didn't play 14-15 seasons in the league by accident.
He also finished with a career 45% 3-pt FG rate which is nothing short of insane. (#1 in NBA history)
I don't know about the whole "create your own shot" thing because was Kerr wasn't going to blow past you and kill somebody 1on1....but his basketball IQ was so high that he was always getting to the right place, the open spot, making the extra pass etc.
Athleticism is great, you'll never get on an all-NBA team without it....but for bench\role players you can have a great, long carreer if you have skills. There are other guys that have had similar careers to Kerr, again we are talking bench players not all-stars.
P.S. They barely played Novak in the playoffs but he shot >50%. He was part of the Bargnani trade with Toronto. The Knicks (stupidly, well that's redundant as most everything the Knicks does is stupid) signed Novak to a 4 yr. 15mil contract so they were grossly overpaying for a bench shooter.
So basically Novak is making over 3 mil a year through 2016.
Sorry Mathguy, but this whole post really wasn't directed at you. You are right Kerr played 15 seasons. But let's face it with his skill set it is most likely he would ride the bench in today's NBA.
And personally I liked Novack, but he really can't create for himself. How do you make it to the NBA, yet can't even create for others or yourself as a pg/ sg? It is hard to understand.
They barely played him in the playoffs because guys were guarding him like the plaque at the three point line. That's all that's needed with guys who are just pure shooters. They bring nothing else to the game. So, when they did that to him, they had to bench him, unless they are hoping for some easy fast break points in which they can pass him the ball when he's wide open. But then he's not in rhythm plus he would have lacked the attempts to get in rhythm.
Sorry Mathguy, but this whole post really wasn't directed at you. You are right Kerr played 15 seasons. But let's face it with his skill set it is most likely he would ride the bench in today's NBA.
And personally I liked Novack, but he really can't create for himself. How do you make it to the NBA, yet can't even create for others or yourself as a pg/ sg? It is hard to understand.
They barely played him in the playoffs because guys were guarding him like the plaque at the three point line. That's all that's needed with guys who are just pure shooters. They bring nothing else to the game. So, when they did that to him, they had to bench him, unless they are hoping for some easy fast break points in which they can pass him the ball when he's wide open. But then he's not in rhythm plus he would have lacked the attempts to get in rhythm.
It depends what is around him. On a team like Miami, Novak would be worth a lot....just not 3-4mil a year. On a more mediocre team (like the Knicks) he's easier to guard without paying the price.
Novak shot >44% in those playoffs from 3-pt range. He was effective in the limited minutes he played.
IMO he's paid a crap-ton of $$$ for his skill set which made him easy to trade.
Sorry Mathguy, but this whole post really wasn't directed at you. You are right Kerr played 15 seasons. But let's face it with his skill set it is most likely he would ride the bench in today's NBA.
He rode the bench in his era too, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't have made the league or didn't deserve to be there. He was great at what he did. You can't have 12 SF slashers on one team, regardless of what era.
Double team Jordan and Steve Kerr and John Paxson makes you pay the ultimate price!
Yeah, it gets a little irritating when people start picking white guys and dismissing them as unable to play in the modern era because the couldn't jump out of the gym.
The D-leagues are FULL of athletes that are only so-so at basketball.
Yeah, it gets a little irritating when people start picking white guys and dismissing them as unable to play in the modern era because the couldn't jump out of the gym.
The D-leagues are FULL of athletes that are only so-so at basketball.
Hey, I'm a white guy with no hops...lol. I'm not trying to discredit any white guys or role players. Teams need role players. I just think in this modern day and age if you are going to pay these players a lot of money, at least let them be able to create a shot for themselves or others. Let them have more than just a shot. Possibly up their dribbling/ hand skills. It's just pathetic to be watching from my couch at home and thinking that I could take half of these bums to the rim. I mean, if all you can do is shoot, then you shouldn't be in the league. You become a liability both offensively and defensively. You should be in the D-league. The D-league's a joke anyway. The D-league in my opinion is about slashers/ athletic abilitiy without a shot/ brains. They're too stupid to understand how to play the game the right way. As Larry Brown would say. They don't know how to make the game easier for others. The fundamentals in basketball are gone now. I'm almost forty. I played a 2o year old kid. One year removed from highschool ball and beat him basically five to 1 on the first game. I was winded and was out of shape so during the second game while I was up 3-0, I called it quits and said he won. I was just winded and out of shape. My ball control was still very much there even after all these years and I was taking him to the hole with my left hand. He acted like it was a big deal. You can drive either hand. I was like, those are fundamentals that you should have since you played high school basketball. He was like we only used our left hands in lay up drills. I personally would use my left all the time growing up. I was a lot like Isiah Thomas. Always had the ball in my hand. So my left was almost as good as my right. I had/ still have sick ball control.
These NBA players today can hardly shoot from the free throw line. Look at Dwight Howard. Everyone thinks that he is so good. I personally think he's a bum. Give me that kind of natural athletic ability and I would be a great center. Because I would live in the gym and work on all my weaknesses. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like we only hear about guys like Kobe and Lebron working hard all the time.
It's sad that today we get this pathetic watered down version of basketball. Now, good players join other good players. How many teams realistically have a chance to win it all next year? Be honest with yourself. Two-three. It's bull sh t. Maybe I'm a bit bitter, because I had speed, quickness, hands but no natural athletic ability. I mean like things you can't work on like jumping. I couldn't jump for nothing. Could just touch the rim and I'm 6"1. But I have heart, drive and passion which seems like that's missing in so many players. So yeah, I guess I get frustrated when I see all these bums in the league today getting severely over paid and not even working on their shortcomings. It's like they are just content to just get a paycheck and the hel l with getting better once that happens.
Put it this way. The rules today are geared more towards scoring, yet in all actuality there is less scoring. Go figure. MJ would average fifty with todays breathe on someone and go to the foul line. Plus, all the flopping. I'm aware that they are trying to clean that up, but my god, it went on long enough.
Last edited by supermanpansy; 09-19-2013 at 05:54 PM..
He rode the bench in his era too, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't have made the league or didn't deserve to be there. He was great at what he did. You can't have 12 SF slashers on one team, regardless of what era.
I totally get that. And I agree with you. But damn, with the money these players make, you would think that they could look to improve things that they can work on like handle/ ball control/ passing ability. Why should you be in the league if all you can do is shoot when you are wide open?
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