90% Free Throw Shooting Would End Intentional Fouling

[Shanemansj13]

Players don't take time to shoot free throws, they don't think they are one of the important things in basketball. But you do really FTs take touch, most big guys don't have it.

They could shoot 10,000 FTs today and they wouldn't be anything close to 90%. Youcan't expect everyone to be great at FTs and I personally don't wanna see that. That is part of the strategy of the game. Some will be weak and they get benched for final 5 minutes or if they don't you try and foul em.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Players don't take time to shoot free throws, they don't think they are one of the important things in basketball. But you do really FTs take touch, most big guys don't have it.

They could shoot 10,000 FTs today and they wouldn't be anything close to 90%. Youcan't expect everyone to be great at FTs and I personally don't wanna see that. That is part of the strategy of the game. Some will be weak and they get benched for final 5 minutes or if they don't you try and foul em.

Thats the thing though - they are and we both know it. When you consider that even 85% instead of 75% is an extra 10% of your free throws which means that if you get 10 free throws, an extra 10% is 1 point.

NOT IMPORTANT?

Then I ask you how many games in the finals has been won by that one point - Answer pleanty

Then add a few rebounds which then takes away 2 to 4 more points

then forget about one assist and suddenly The Lakers in in 2004 lost by that six points or more that they gave up one by one

 

[tlance]

For Dwight Howard to work until he was an 85% FT shooter, it would take a ton of time. He needs to improve, yes, but at some point there are diminishing returns. Every minute he spends working on FTs is time that he can't be working on something else. Yes, raising a FT% by 10 is helpful, but not if it detracts from time spent working on post moves of strength training and other essentials that get a player through the season.

I agree that no NBA player should be under 60%, maybe even 70%, but 90% is overkill.

 

[tlance]

That is the point because when you are making all of those dollars, how can you be good at some things and not good at all things - you are getting paid because you're supposed to be the best.

Players who try to be "good at everything" usually don't end up being very good. The most efficient players know who they are and what their strengths are. These players don't try to do things that they can't do.

I work with a high school kid who is 6'9" and immensely talented. He is a great shot blocker, has a beautiful jump shot out to the 3 point line and sees the court exceptionally well. The problem is that he kind of sucks as a player because he wants to be Kevin Durant.

If he would just stick to his strengths of posting and playing the pick and pop game where he could drill stand still jumpers, he would be unbelievable. Instead, he wants to put the ball on the floor and create off the dribble on every touch. The end result is that he shoots around 40% from the field and turns the ball over as much as a bad PG. Trying to be good at everything is usually counterproductive.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

For Dwight Howard to work until he was an 85% FT shooter, it would take a ton of time. He needs to improve, yes, but at some point there are diminishing returns. Every minute he spends working on FTs is time that he can't be working on something else. Yes, raising a FT% by 10 is helpful, but not if it detracts from time spent working on post moves of strength training and other essentials that get a player through the season.

I agree that no NBA player should be under 60%, maybe even 70%, but 90% is overkill.

I have no problem with Howard working a ton of time on his free throws and getting it ATLEAST TO 80% from 50% - Thats the reason he was getting paid 20 million dollars a year - and that extra time spent should be in addition to the time needed to maintain his normal skills at the same level

That may sound demanding to those of you who don't work for a living, but for those of us who have worked for a living for 30 years - We can tell you from experience that is what was expected of us by our employers.

 

[piss-tons]

" Dwight Howard should try underhanded free throws. It would help him, it would work for him. He needs to make a change. He’s a bad free- throw shooter."

Shooting for perfection: Basketball legend Rick Barry was virtually flawless shooting the underhand free throw. Why won?t anyone give it a try? - SBNation.com

Full read on underhanded free throw shooting. Shaq once said he rather shoot 50% than shoot 80% underhanded, which Barry guaranteed he would if he could have an offseason teaching Shaq underhanded free throw shooting. If it could improve a players FT percentage by 20+, I don't understand why they wouldn't try it, especially players like Dwight, Jordan, Griffin.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

" Dwight Howard should try underhanded free throws. It would help him, it would work for him. He needs to make a change. He’s a bad free- throw shooter."

Shooting for perfection: Basketball legend Rick Barry was virtually flawless shooting the underhand free throw. Why won?t anyone give it a try? - SBNation.com

Full read on underhanded free throw shooting. Shaq once said he rather shoot 50% than shoot 80% underhanded, which Barry guaranteed he would if he could have an offseason teaching Shaq underhanded free throw shooting. If it could improve a players FT percentage by 20+, I don't understand why they wouldn't try it, especially players like Dwight, Jordan, Griffin.

ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT IT COULD HAVE GUARANTEED Shaq and the Lakers one more championship -

 

[MarkOU]

I think intentional fouling is part of the head game. Sure they might be 90% but are they 90% in elimination games? When the pressure is really on. Stats can only tell so much.