NBA Summer League 2014

[johnson]

I love AG, but I don't think critics concerned about his FT shooting are necessarily being "negative naysayers." The dude shot under 50% all year and actually seemed to get worse as the year went on.

He's pretty much elite in every other area, but I'd say it's a valid concern at an NBA level!

 

[GumbySquad]

I love AG, but I don't think critics concerned about his FT shooting are necessarily being "negative naysayers." The dude shot under 50% all year and actually seemed to get worse as the year went on.

He's pretty much elite in every other area, but I'd say it's a valid concern at an NBA level!

Of course it is a valid concern at the NBA level... anything under 70% is bad at the NBA level... however, there is a big difference between a 10 year vet shooting under 50% and an 18 year old who was the youngest player taken in the draft.


Players can, and do improve their FT shooting with repetition. Some players even enter the league as FT liabilities and wind up improving enough to have it be one of their strengths. Karl Malone, for example, shot 48% as a rookie and improved enough to average 74% for his career.

Only time will tell with AG, but he is such a hard worker that I have no doubt he will get better at both FTs and mid-long range shots. His problem is that he is highly competitive, and is very hard on himself... so it' mostly mental. When he misses a few you can tell he gets down on himself and it snowballs. This type of mentality is common for an 18 year old kid who won't turn 19 until September. Easy to forget that he is very young for his class.

 

[CatsTopPac]

Of course it is a valid concern at the NBA level... anything under 70% is bad at the NBA level... however, there is a big difference between a 10 year vet shooting under 50% and an 18 year old who was the youngest player taken in the draft.


Players can, and do improve their FT shooting with repetition. Some players even enter the league as FT liabilities and wind up improving enough to have it be one of their strengths. Karl Malone, for example, shot 48% as a rookie and improved enough to average 74% for his career.

Only time will tell with AG, but he is such a hard worker that I have no doubt he will get better at both FTs and mid-long range shots. His problem is that he is highly competitive, and is very hard on himself... so it' mostly mental. When he misses a few you can tell he gets down on himself and it snowballs. This type of mentality is common for an 18 year old kid who won't turn 19 until September. Easy to forget that he is very young for his class.

This. Not worried. All between his ears. Not saying it's an easy fix, but it's not like trying to improve Charles Barkley's golf swing.

 

[GumbySquad]

This. Not worried. All between his ears. Not saying it's an easy fix, but it's not like trying to improve Charles Barkley's golf swing.

Yes, exactly. Gordon has a nice form, although his release points are erratic. It would be different if he had an unorthodox style (ala Sean Marrion)... but he just needs reps to build his confidence. I doubt he will ever get close to 80%, but I would not be surprised to see him eventually hover around 70.

 

[FORKWDEVIL]

Yes, exactly. Gordon has a nice form, although his release points are erratic. It would be different if he had an unorthodox style (ala Sean Marrion)... but he just needs reps to build his confidence. I doubt he will ever get close to 80%, but I would not be surprised to see him eventually hover around 70.

I hear bricks from the FT

 

[azchamps]

Okay, this is going to be my big rant on free throws.

I'm 54 years old , I played basketball one year in Jr High. I can shoot 70 out of 100 any day of the week.
I can't do anything else with a basketball but, it pisses me off to see guys make millions and miss free throws.
Any player, anywhere, on any team should have to make 70 out 100 before breakfast.

End of rant.

GO CATS! BEAR DOWN!

 

[GumbySquad]

Okay, this is going to be my big rant on free throws.

I'm 54 years old , I played basketball one year in Jr High. I can shoot 70 out of 100 any day of the week.
I can't do anything else with a basketball but, it pisses me off to see guys make millions and miss free throws.
Any player, anywhere, on any team should have to make 70 out 100 before breakfast.

End of rant.

GO CATS! BEAR DOWN!

Okay, this is me playing devils advocate... I'm in my late 30s, I played SG for 8 years and I could make 85-95 out of 100 any day of the week... in a park/gym... by myself.

His form isn't the issue, it's in his head. Have you ever tried to shoot 100 FTs in front of 10,000+ fans cheering for/against you knowing that millions of people are watching live on their televisions? I don't know about you, but that is not an experience that I'm familiar with... certainly not to that degree. We like to think of these young athletes as unflappable, but they aren't. Just go listen to Kaleb's take on what if felt like to shoot FTs for him as a Freshman in McKale. Some players just can't make them when the world is watching. Shaq, for example, shot 70-80% in practice, but was closer to 50% in games.

So... sure, it's easy to sit back and say "I can make 70% FTs, why can't he?", but saying that your 70/100 FTs by yourself is equivalent to him shooting 100 in pressure filled game situations is like saying that buying a $1 lottery ticket is equivalent to being a stockbroker on Wall Street.

 

[GumbySquad]

It's really too bad that Solo and Jerrett both got injured this week. Solomon Hill twisted his ankle the day before Summer League started, he was going to be the main focus of the Pacers team and with very few players under contract for next year, and with Lance Stephenson and Evan Turner both as Free Agents, Larry Bird wanted to get a good look at Solo to determine if he was ready to step in and be a 20+ mpg rotation player.

Jerrett has less of a chance to crack the roster in OKC, but still.. he was also going to be the featured player on this years SL team. Too bad that neither of them had a chance to play.

 

[azchamps]

Okay, this is me playing devils advocate... I'm in my late 30s, I played SG for 8 years and I could make 85-95 out of 100 any day of the week... in a park/gym... by myself.

His form isn't the issue, it's in his head. Have you ever tried to shoot 100 FTs in front of 10,000+ fans cheering for/against you knowing that millions of people are watching live on their televisions? I don't know about you, but that is not an experience that I'm familiar with... certainly not to that degree. We like to think of these young athletes as unflappable, but they aren't. Just go listen to Kaleb's take on what if felt like to shoot FTs for him as a Freshman in McKale. Some players just can't make them when the world is watching. Shaq, for example, shot 70-80% in practice, but was closer to 50% in games.

So... sure, it's easy to sit back and say "I can make 70% FTs, why can't he?", but saying that your 70/100 FTs by yourself is equivalent to him shooting 100 in pressure filled game situations is like saying that buying a $1 lottery ticket is equivalent to being a stockbroker on Wall Street.

Not trying to argue but.......They get paid Millions to make the ball in the basket. Pressure is why they get paid Millions. If one can not function under the pressure they are being paid to function under....maybe pay cuts are in order.

 

[GumbySquad]

Not trying to argue but.......They get paid Millions to make the ball in the basket. Pressure is why they get paid Millions. If one can not function under the pressure they are being paid to function under....maybe pay cuts are in order.

When did I say that they shouldn't make their Free Throws? Any NBA player who shoots less than 70% from the line is an embarrassment and is detrimental to their teams, obviously.

I'm merely pointing out that you, and people like you who use the old "I can make 70% of my FTs in my driveway, why can't they?" argument are short-sided and are not telling the whole story.

Have you ever done anything in your life with 10,000 people watching live and millions of people on television? Did you do it when you were 18 years old? Just curious... because me, I have not, so therefor I will not make some silly comparison of me shooting in a park to that experience.

 

[CatsTopPac]

Champs, GS is right. Fact is, AG is only 18, and playing in front of that many people surrounded by your team is one thing, but standing there in dead silence, with absolutely everyone looking at you, not to mention the millions at home, it'll definitely get in your head. That's havoc on what's happening between the ears. He makes upwards of 80% in the gym. Zeus did say it perfectly on the Jim Rome show this past year. He said that there were more people in McKale than in his entire home town, and it just took a year for him to wrap his mind around it when he was at the line. And he did. His FT% went from 63% to 76%. That's less than 2/3 to more than 3/4. Never got to see what AG would do, and now there is that much more pressure.

I could say that at 19 I was in the army, and felt a different kind of pressure being overseas. But regardless, I would rather take that pressure than having to hit crucial FTs while all of Wildcat Nation is depending on you. It's different, but just like war, it's difficult to understand it unless you are in it. Obviously, I'm not saying that I would rather have my life on the line rather than play a sport, but I never had to take a shot with my M-4 while tens of thousands of soldiers sat in silence and watched. THey were in the shit with me so it always made it easier for me to do my job. At least in the military I could rely more on instincts and always feeling like I was part of a team. Still, at 18-19, even that took time to normalized the ability to work under pressure. It just takes time and dedication. Hell, he might want to see a shrink. I'm sure that's obviously a common investment at that level.

 

[FORKWDEVIL]

Let me know when you guys crack this thesis

 

[gordontrue]

With Lin gone and the Beverly S&T rumors swirling... Nick could be in for some serious playing time his rookie season

 

[GumbySquad]

With Lin gone and the Beverly S&T rumors swirling... Nick could be in for some serious playing time his rookie season

I hope so. He sure was one of the best players in Orlando, without a doubt. Looks like his game will translate better to the NBA than it even did to college. He's that type of player who thrives on a bigger court, in a more wide open and fast paced game. If he doesn't get much PT this year, I expect him to be a big contributor into the future. He's always been able to do everything well, since his days in HS... he's just gotten better and better at it all over the past 3 years in Tucson.

These highlights from yesterday say it all. He scored in every possible fashion: Post up, catch and shoot, drive to the basket, mid range, floater, offensive putbacks, long range... and he had some nice assists and rebounds too.

 

[GumbySquad]

Orlando SL finished up with a triple double from Bunnies... right now I'm watching Andrew Wiggins vs Jabari Parker... later on this evening is Steve Kerr's coaching debut followed by Derrick Williams as one of the featured players for Sacramento.

I like the Summer League when there are so many former UofA players involved. I used to go to a lot of games in Vegas and SLC (when they had it there) when I was younger. Watching world-class players in a small gym is pretty amazing. It's like going down to a place like Udall and seeing 10-15 NBA players in a open run. Being on the court in an intimate setting like that (without 10,000+ fans and obnoxious neon advertising everywhere) is somehow a more pure version of the game IMO. Even if the quality of play isn't as high as even some college games, the sheer athleticism/skill of the individual players is off the charts.

 

[CatsTopPac]

Looks like NJ led Houston in PPG, RPG, and APG at 15.8, 6.2, and 5.

Not too shabby!!!!

 

[azchamps]

When did I say that they shouldn't make their Free Throws? Any NBA player who shoots less than 70% from the line is an embarrassment and is detrimental to their teams, obviously.

I'm merely pointing out that you, and people like you who use the old "I can make 70% of my FTs in my driveway, why can't they?" argument are short-sided and are not telling the whole story.

Have you ever done anything in your life with 10,000 people watching live and millions of people on television? Did you do it when you were 18 years old? Just curious... because me, I have not, so therefor I will not make some silly comparison of me shooting in a park to that experience.

Sorry to piss you off but I have done something in front of 10.000 people! Have you? I have!Gumby, a lot of people know you from espn.......but you are not a sports star........stick to your stats.....

GO CATS! BEAR DOWN!

 

[azchamps]

AG is 18.
If that is what you want to see in the NBA, go for it.
That is exactly why I don't watch NBA!

 

[CatsTopPac]

AG is 18.
If that is what you want to see in the NBA, go for it.
That is exactly why I don't watch NBA!

No argument there!!!