Identity crisis?

[Guest84]

If Finch is retained going into next season, there needs to be an emphasis on not communicating/complaining with the officials unless it's during a TO/break. Absolutely NO WHINING next season and I would even consider implementing team fines or something that could be positive reinforcement to deter the behavior.

This is part of our current identity crisis and needs to be removed from our reputation. We know we don't get a good whistle consistently, so the focus needs to be elsewhere.

Also, there needs to be more attention paid to defensive fundamentals. Way too many ticky-tack fouls called on us. A lot of it is self-inflicted by a lack of discipline for the fundamentals but I believe it's because it's not reinforced enough.

I've seen quite a few interviews from current players saying they barely ever practice anymore due to the schedule. If true, this would definitely factor into not being able to consistently instill these values.

[TimberKat]

If Finch is retained going into next season, there needs to be an emphasis on not communicating/complaining with the officials unless it's during a TO/break. Absolutely NO WHINING next season and I would even consider implementing team fines or something that could be positive reinforcement to deter the behavior.

This is part of our current identity crisis and needs to be removed from our reputation. We know we don't get a good whistle consistently, so the focus needs to be elsewhere.

Also, there needs to be more attention paid to defensive fundamentals. Way too many ticky-tack fouls called on us. A lot of it is self-inflicted by a lack of discipline for the fundamentals but I believe it's because it's not reinforced enough.

I've seen quite a few interviews from current players saying they barely ever practice anymore due to the schedule. If true, this would definitely factor into not being able to consistently instill these values.

Agree, also shoot 1 hr of FT every day. 2 hrs for Gobert

[shrink]

Ok, maybe somebody out there can clear up a story I heard from a basketball coach years ago.

For the majority of the NBA history (some exceptions exist), big men usually have a lower free throw percentage than smaller players. The coach believed that the reason is that it’s harder for a big guy because his hands are bigger, and bigger hands makes it harder to shoot mechanically?

That seems ridiculous to me, but is there any truth in that?

My theory would be that guards usually get their jobs because they are better long-ranged shooters, and that correlates to better free throw shooting. If you’re a small and a bad shooter, you get replaced by the many smalls out there looking for NBA jobs. If you’re a big, then it’s harder to find another big guy to replace you, and still get the impact in other big man areas. Maybe that will change with the new crop of bigs that all learn how to shoot three’s as kids. But I have no evidence either way.

Is “big hands” a thing?

[TimberKat]

Ok, maybe somebody out there can clear up a story I heard from a basketball coach years ago.

For the majority of the NBA history (some exceptions exist), big men usually have a lower free throw percentage than smaller players. The coach believed that the reason is that it’s harder for a big guy because his hands are bigger, and bigger hands makes it harder to shoot mechanically?

That seems ridiculous to me, but is there any truth in that?

My theory would be that guards usually get their jobs because they are better long-ranged shooters, and that correlates to better free throw shooting. If you’re a small and a bad shooter, you get replaced by the many smalls out there looking for NBA jobs. If you’re a big, then it’s harder to find another big guy to replace you, and still get the impact in other big man areas. Maybe that will change with the new crop of bigs that all learn how to shoot three’s as kids. But I have no evidence either way.

Is “big hands” a thing?

I heard the same thing and I have small hands. Maybe try to shoot free throws with mini basketball and see? The old time bigs shoot dunks, hooks, fades or don't shoot at all. I think you are on to something, it's just a matter of they don't do the "regular" shots. The ones do, shots FT well - Embiid, Yao Ming, Jokic, Jack Sikma

[Guest84]

Ok, maybe somebody out there can clear up a story I heard from a basketball coach years ago.

For the majority of the NBA history (some exceptions exist), big men usually have a lower free throw percentage than smaller players. The coach believed that the reason is that it’s harder for a big guy because his hands are bigger, and bigger hands makes it harder to shoot mechanically?

That seems ridiculous to me, but is there any truth in that?

My theory would be that guards usually get their jobs because they are better long-ranged shooters, and that correlates to better free throw shooting. If you’re a small and a bad shooter, you get replaced by the many smalls out there looking for NBA jobs. If you’re a big, then it’s harder to find another big guy to replace you, and still get the impact in other big man areas. Maybe that will change with the new crop of bigs that all learn how to shoot three’s as kids. But I have no evidence either way.

Is “big hands” a thing?

I heard the same thing and I have small hands. Maybe try to shoot free throws with mini basketball and see? The old time bigs shoot dunks, hooks, fades or don't shoot at all. I think you are on to something, it's just a matter of they don't do the "regular" shots. The ones do, shots FT well - Embiid, Yao Ming, Jokic, Jack Sikma

Same…I also think it has to do with the angle from which they shoot. Forwards and guards typically have to shoot with more arc thus making it more accurate, softer shot. While bigs tend to shoot line drives or with less arc.

Outside of exceptions like Dirk, Towns, etc. I just read that bigs on average tend to shoot 75% or lower. I don’t expect guys like Rudy to go 80% or higher from the line. But our guards and wings definitely need to make up the difference.

[Kineto]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/west/2014/03/09/footers-percent-chance-playing-nba/fNnbP8zybYfXZtsw0eYPDK/story.html

In a 2011 Sports Illustrated article, author Pablo S. Torre, drawing from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, surmised that “no more than 70 American men are between the ages of 20 and 40 and at least 7 feet tall.”

From this, he further deduced that “while the probability of, say, an American between 6-6 and 6-8 being an NBA player today stands at a mere .07 percent, it is a staggering 17 percent for someone 7 feet or taller.”

There are probably millions of basketball players in the world around 6 feet, for them the competition is huge and they have to be technically perfect.

There is much less competition for the very tall ones, the average technical level is necessarily affected.

[frankenwolf]

Ok, maybe somebody out there can clear up a story I heard from a basketball coach years ago.

For the majority of the NBA history (some exceptions exist), big men usually have a lower free throw percentage than smaller players. The coach believed that the reason is that it’s harder for a big guy because his hands are bigger, and bigger hands makes it harder to shoot mechanically?

That seems ridiculous to me, but is there any truth in that?

My theory would be that guards usually get their jobs because they are better long-ranged shooters, and that correlates to better free throw shooting. If you’re a small and a bad shooter, you get replaced by the many smalls out there looking for NBA jobs. If you’re a big, then it’s harder to find another big guy to replace you, and still get the impact in other big man areas. Maybe that will change with the new crop of bigs that all learn how to shoot three’s as kids. But I have no evidence either way.

Is “big hands” a thing?

I have big hands and I can tell you that it is not a big hands thing. All it takes is practice, finding a consistent routine and practice. I went from a 50% my freshman year to 80% my senior year. It does require touch, which, if all you've ever shot are dunks and putbacks, maybe a frustrating thing to attempt, but it can be done.

[Klomp]

Ok, maybe somebody out there can clear up a story I heard from a basketball coach years ago.

For the majority of the NBA history (some exceptions exist), big men usually have a lower free throw percentage than smaller players. The coach believed that the reason is that it’s harder for a big guy because his hands are bigger, and bigger hands makes it harder to shoot mechanically?

That seems ridiculous to me, but is there any truth in that?

My theory would be that guards usually get their jobs because they are better long-ranged shooters, and that correlates to better free throw shooting. If you’re a small and a bad shooter, you get replaced by the many smalls out there looking for NBA jobs. If you’re a big, then it’s harder to find another big guy to replace you, and still get the impact in other big man areas. Maybe that will change with the new crop of bigs that all learn how to shoot three’s as kids. But I have no evidence either way.

Is “big hands” a thing?

I have big hands and I can tell you that it is not a big hands thing. All it takes is practice, finding a consistent routine and practice. I went from a 50% my freshman year to 80% my senior year. It does require touch, which, if all you've ever shot are dunks and putbacks, maybe a frustrating thing to attempt, but it can be done.

It could just be tall guys not putting in the work on the fundamentals on as consistent a basis. Think about it, if you're 7-foot tall (or let's say 6-foot-5 or taller in high school), you likely never have to worry about just making the varsity team. You're going to make it because you're the tall kid. Unless you have someone drilling in the fundamentals, they won't be developed.

[shrink]

Ok, maybe somebody out there can clear up a story I heard from a basketball coach years ago.

For the majority of the NBA history (some exceptions exist), big men usually have a lower free throw percentage than smaller players. The coach believed that the reason is that it’s harder for a big guy because his hands are bigger, and bigger hands makes it harder to shoot mechanically?

That seems ridiculous to me, but is there any truth in that?

My theory would be that guards usually get their jobs because they are better long-ranged shooters, and that correlates to better free throw shooting. If you’re a small and a bad shooter, you get replaced by the many smalls out there looking for NBA jobs. If you’re a big, then it’s harder to find another big guy to replace you, and still get the impact in other big man areas. Maybe that will change with the new crop of bigs that all learn how to shoot three’s as kids. But I have no evidence either way.

Is “big hands” a thing?

I have big hands and I can tell you that it is not a big hands thing. All it takes is practice, finding a consistent routine and practice. I went from a 50% my freshman year to 80% my senior year. It does require touch, which, if all you've ever shot are dunks and putbacks, maybe a frustrating thing to attempt, but it can be done.

It could just be tall guys not putting in the work on the fundamentals on as consistent a basis. Think about it, if you're 7-foot tall (or let's say 6-foot-5 or taller in high school), you likely never have to worry about just making the varsity team. You're going to make it because you're the tall kid. Unless you have someone drilling in the fundamentals, they won't be developed.

I also wonder if even in a normal practice, the smalls get more free throw work. For example, suppose both the bigs and small take 30 minutes of free throw shooting. However, in the other two hours, the bigs are working on rebounding, or defense, or blocking, and the smalls work more on driving .. and shooting. Three point shots. Floaters. I wonder if the other shooting practice helps make them better shooters?

[Klomp]

It could just be tall guys not putting in the work on the fundamentals on as consistent a basis. Think about it, if you're 7-foot tall (or let's say 6-foot-5 or taller in high school), you likely never have to worry about just making the varsity team. You're going to make it because you're the tall kid. Unless you have someone drilling in the fundamentals, they won't be developed.

I should point out that this is mostly an American thing. That's probably why most of the top bigs in the league are not American. There are exceptions of course, but international programs seem to still put their big men through the same drills as the guards.

[shrink]

It could just be tall guys not putting in the work on the fundamentals on as consistent a basis. Think about it, if you're 7-foot tall (or let's say 6-foot-5 or taller in high school), you likely never have to worry about just making the varsity team. You're going to make it because you're the tall kid. Unless you have someone drilling in the fundamentals, they won't be developed.

I should point out that this is mostly an American thing. That's probably why most of the top bigs in the league are not American. There are exceptions of course, but international programs seem to still put their big men through the same drills as the guards.

That’s a great way to test it.

If international bigs and American bigs both have big hands, and the international guys have a significantly higher free throw percentage, that would probably disprove the “big hands” hypothesis.

Put Dirk in charge of the test!

[TimberKat]

It could just be tall guys not putting in the work on the fundamentals on as consistent a basis. Think about it, if you're 7-foot tall (or let's say 6-foot-5 or taller in high school), you likely never have to worry about just making the varsity team. You're going to make it because you're the tall kid. Unless you have someone drilling in the fundamentals, they won't be developed.

I should point out that this is mostly an American thing. That's probably why most of the top bigs in the league are not American. There are exceptions of course, but international programs seem to still put their big men through the same drills as the guards.

That’s a great way to test it.

If international bigs and American bigs both have big hands, and the international guys have a significantly higher free throw percentage, that would probably disprove the “big hands” hypothesis.

Put Dirk in charge of the test!

But you need to put Gobert in as the French Ambassador.

[frankenwolf]

I have big hands and I can tell you that it is not a big hands thing. All it takes is practice, finding a consistent routine and practice. I went from a 50% my freshman year to 80% my senior year. It does require touch, which, if all you've ever shot are dunks and putbacks, maybe a frustrating thing to attempt, but it can be done.

It could just be tall guys not putting in the work on the fundamentals on as consistent a basis. Think about it, if you're 7-foot tall (or let's say 6-foot-5 or taller in high school), you likely never have to worry about just making the varsity team. You're going to make it because you're the tall kid. Unless you have someone drilling in the fundamentals, they won't be developed.

I also wonder if even in a normal practice, the smalls get more free throw work. For example, suppose both the bigs and small take 30 minutes of free throw shooting. However, in the other two hours, the bigs are working on rebounding, or defense, or blocking, and the smalls work more on driving .. and shooting. Three point shots. Floaters. I wonder if the other shooting practice helps make them better shooters?

I think some bigs get caught up in trying to shoot like the guards. How many tall guys can actually do what KAT does, which is drive and shoot and knock down those threes? How many can shoot like Steph?
Also, if the european model of treating bigs like guards (which we did in high school. . .everybody did the same drills) then I would think The Stifle Tower would be able to shoot better at the line.
Of course, we may all be assuming that guards shoot well, but do they? Maybe its an eye/hand coordination issue... or not

[minimus]

Read on Twitter

What's smallball?

Smallball is dead, baby. Smallball is dead.

[minimus]

One day in MIN:

Gobert - 12 pts, 12 rbs
Towns - 22 pts, 4 rbs, 3 ast
Reid - 26 pts, 8 rbs
+
Garza - 29 pts, 8 rbs, 7 ast

Four (!!!) bigs who are productive. Four!

Watch on YouTube

[Note30]

I should point out that this is mostly an American thing. That's probably why most of the top bigs in the league are not American. There are exceptions of course, but international programs seem to still put their big men through the same drills as the guards.

That’s a great way to test it.

If international bigs and American bigs both have big hands, and the international guys have a significantly higher free throw percentage, that would probably disprove the “big hands” hypothesis.

Put Dirk in charge of the test!

But you need to put Gobert in as the French Ambassador.

So France can suffer another defeat? Guess they are used to losing.

[Klomp]

Read on Twitter

What's smallball?

Smallball is dead, baby. Smallball is dead.

This was actually kind of genius on Finch's part. Why? Because look at the options who Trae Young was forced to choose to cover.

Kyle Anderson? This honestly might have been the option that would make the most sense, but it would have forced Trae to be on the ball where I don't think they want him.
Taurean Prince? The guy who just went 8-for-8 on 3-pointers in New York and can attack off the dribble too. (this was where Young spent most of his time, fwiw)
Jaden McDaniels? Jaden roasted him a week ago in Atlanta to start the game, and was playing well last night too.
Naz Reid? Now you're just getting crazy.
Rudy Gobert? I think Quin knows better than that.

I don't think this lineup would work every night, but in that situation, you could say it was a Quiet Storm...

[TimberKat]

That’s a great way to test it.

If international bigs and American bigs both have big hands, and the international guys have a significantly higher free throw percentage, that would probably disprove the “big hands” hypothesis.

Put Dirk in charge of the test!

But you need to put Gobert in as the French Ambassador.

So France can suffer another defeat? Guess they are used to losing.

Once again, the Americans comes to the rescue. Towns hit clutch FTs.

[TimberKat]

I don't think this lineup would work every night, but in that situation, you could say it was a Quiet Storm...

Quiet Storm is right, I think this line up needed JMac to be able to guard Tre Young at the other end. For Finch, it's good to play with an "almost" full deck. Just one Ace short.

[Klomp]

This team's identity is it's defense, and that's exactly what it was meant to be constructed as.

Look at all of the moves Tim Connelly has made this season

Draft Walker Kessler
Draft Wendell Moore Jr
Draft Josh Minott
Sign Kyle Anderson
Trade for Rudy Gobert
Draft Matteo Spagnolo
Extend Taurean Prince
Sign Bryn Forbes
Sign Austin Rivers
Trade for Conley and Alexander-Walker

I think the only two guys who don't necessarily have a defensive identity or leaning are Forbes and Spagnolo.