Not being able to shoot threes versus not being asked to. Or even discouraged.

[Kblaze8855]

do you even factor it in or do you go straight to bottom line? I feel there’s a pretty big misconception, which is obviously exacerbated by this era against that era trolling battles. NBA players could always shoot. Even the NBA players who can’t shoot can shoot. In a league where coaches getting mad at you for taking a three you’re going to take fewer. Here was someone no more than five of you have ever seen play discussing it




But even people who could make them consistently and had the trust of their teammates as Hodges clearly can/does










(Mike knew that shit was going in)


Didn’t have it encouraged. Even forward thinking experimental guys like Don Nelson and Paul Westhead were looked at like mad scientist when a guy who could shoot would take four and make 2-3.


if you were ever around in the casual pregames of that era when you could go down damn near to the floor, you see all kinds of players who probably didn’t take a three in their entire career, making them just ****ing around. George Gervin make like 100 s in 10 years but before games and missing around, he was wet. You could watch the old timers games from the 80s where they bring out 50-year-olds from the 60s and they would be making modern threes. Funny looking. But they would make some.

The skill level of NBA players is poorly grasped even now when all we do is talk about them being the most skilled ever. Some of those those old guys had “kung fu”



The literal translation I was happy to learn from the underrated Marco Polo on Netflix. I thought it might be a creation for the sake of that scene, but no. The phrase kung fu does literally mean great skill from putting a lot of time in.

But those coaches just weren’t convinced. And I somewhat understand. There’s no disadvantage when nobody does it. It’s only a disadvantage of everyone does it and you don’t. They were trying to win the same way. Everybody else was trying. Which is the same thing people do now.

You play the ball everyone else plays for the most part.

I do wish I could go back with like five hours of footage and explain where basketball was going to some of those really old guys and see who would buy in and risk their jobs leaning on some of those shooters they kept on the bench because “A jump shooting team can’t win”.

[tpols]

We done with you Zesty cornball old heads. DONE.

[SouBeachTalents]

Just look at the big men of the modern era. Guys like Lopez, Horford & Marc Gasol were barely even averaging a made 3 per year the first 7-8 years of their careers. Then once the 3 point strategy became implemented league wide, they all became reliable, floor spacing bigs. So I have no doubt many guys from previous eras where 3 point shooting was considered taboo would develop 3 point shots as well.

[Kblaze8855]

We done with you Zesty cornball old heads. DONE.

Im not talking about the 90s. These dudes from the 60s:







That’s Connie Hawkins(left college in 1962) and Spencer Haywood(1969).

They were the people of my old heads out there hitting spot up nba range threes in their 40-50s back to back no cuts.

You ever stood on an NBA court? That shit feels like a quarter mile standing out there. Retirement age 60s players wet them comfortably.

I saw a thing on a camp Rick Barry and Jerry West where at where they just didn’t miss. Those guys are freaks. All of them. I bet Hasheem Thabeet wins the all ISH three point shootout.

[90sgoat]

Basketball players are generally a lot more talented than they're allowed to showcase at the highest level.

Haven't we seen Shaq run the point whenever he got the chance? Did D-Wade not have a post game better than most big men?

Shooting catch and shoots 3s is not difficult. It's a fairly easy shot, because, wait for it, the shot is always the same distance, the position of the feet and the motion is always the same.

Most players can learn to be competent 3 point shooters with a summer of practise.

[Kblaze8855]

Wish they would go back to letting the summer league be a chaotic free-for-all where guys like bo outlaw bring a bunch of their friends and put up 40 point triple doubles just to show how much better he is than even borderline NBA players and rookies.

[Baller234]

I used to know a guy who played with Rod Strickland. He swore up and down that Strickland would shoot around in practice and hit like 15 threes in a row.

I know this proves nothing but if what he's saying is true then chances are Strickland wasn't the only one.

The philosophy was just different back then.

[Kblaze8855]

I have absolutely no doubt that Strickland could shoot. He just couldn’t shoot relative to other NBA players.

[90sgoat]

Wish they would go back to letting the summer league be a chaotic free-for-all where guys like bo outlaw bring a bunch of their friends and put up 40 point triple doubles just to show how much better he is than even borderline NBA players and rookies.

I mean, someone like Brian Scalabrine, I'm not so sure he'd be fun to watch.

Some NBA players seem to be in the league mostly because they're tall, strong and coordinated and they can shoot. That's an underrated aspect I feel. NBA players are elite athletes, even the slouch looking ones. They're strong and can jump. Scalabrine doesn't seem as if he really has a big back of tricks, but he could get shots off because of size, strength and speed.

[Kblaze8855]

No, I wouldn’t figure he’d have a bag of tricks. He would just be really efficient with his movements and competent and consistent beyond belief. That’s the difference. Ita like the difference between a good golfer and a pro. They both hit the same good shots, but the pro is consistently what the regular guy is at his best.