FG% is the most overrated stat on ISH..

[tgan3]

I thought I like to address this once and for all.

Look at the Thunders, with Westbrook the chucker gone they should be infinitely better. It is the shot selectionist' wet dream. Durant the efficient scorer making efficient shots, no more of that low bball iq monkey of a player.

Yet what happened? They loss 2 straight when they won 3 previously.

Look at the Lakers, with Kobe the chucker gone, Lakers should be infinitely better. Again a shot selectionist' wet dream. Just pound the ball to Howard and Gasol = Wins.

Yet again? Sweep.

So simple, yet is not. Basketball is not purely a maths game. Volume scorers with albeit lower FG% are much maligned. You can't base a player's greatness on STATS!

To explain this phenomenon, I like to think that as much as a chucker Westbrook is, he is a dangerous offensive threat. He makes team defenses focus on him so that it can open up offense for other players like Durant and Co.

Shot selection is one thing, but it is overrated. If someone passes the ball to say player A, and player A only makes open shots/easy shots otherwise he passes. The person guarding player A knows that he won't drive/shoot, so his job on defense becomes much easier. If a player is guarding Westbrook, he has to always be on guard because Westbrook might pull up even for a contested shot, drive pass him for a layup or pass if he sees someone open. So even though he makes "stupid" shots in a sense he changes the game dynamics totally.

These "game dynamics" i'm talking about do not show in a box score. Thus, a box score freak might just pull up a game, see that Westbrook is a 41% FG shooter and thinks his the worst player in the planet.

This just makes total sense to why Lakers/Thunder with their chucker gone they seemingly falter though FG% formula equates that they should succeed.

[secund2nun]

FG is very important. LA was garbage in the regular season with Kobe, in the 2011 and 2012 playoffs with Kobe as well.

As for OKC, they LOST a good PG and replaced him with a scrub. Of course they fell off. Poor logic. FG is for comparing players.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

FG is very important. LA was garbage in the regular season with Kobe, in the 2011 and 2012 playoffs with Kobe as well.

As for OKC, they LOST a good PG and replaced him with a scrub. Of course they fell off. Poor logic. FG is for comparing players.

Terrible logic.

[tgan3]

FG is very important. LA was garbage in the regular season with Kobe, in the 2011 and 2012 playoffs with Kobe as well.

As for OKC, they LOST a good PG and replaced him with a scrub. Of course they fell off. Poor logic. FG is for comparing players.

LA was garbage in the regular season with KOBE????? R U SERIOUS?
He was the one that willed the Lakers team to the playoffs. He was a top 10 MVP candidate mind you.

Now you call westbrook a good PG? You hypocrite? Weren't everyone saying he was an inefficient chucker low bball iq/monkey etc?

Fg% is important, but those two guys are chuckers (Not necessarily bad). but people underlook the importance they are to their team because they are chuckers..

[chazzy]

FG is very important. LA was garbage in the regular season with Kobe

Their offense was 6th-8th all year

[gman]

Thats because your replacing Kobe with that Goudelock guy and Westbrook with Reggie Jackson. Replace them with an exact clone and the only difference is a higher FG% and the team is better. It's simple.

[buddha]

is your name We Todd?

[cotdt]

FG% doesn't taken into account a players' impact on improving his teammates' FG% by breaking apart defenses. Players like Westbrook and Kobe Bryant get teammates good shots and make clutch shots when it really matters.

One can easily run up their own FG% at the expense of teammates' FG% by taking the best shots themselves after dribbling the ball around, but if the double team comes, pass it to a teammate at 2 seconds left for a bail out shot. You get your 55% FG while the rest of the team shoots 35%. Congrats.

[tgan3]

Their offense was 6th-8th all year

You said "their" offense, now you blaming on Kobe alone? Kobe was a chucker and wasn't the best fg% wise but he was the best player.

[Mr. I'm So Rad]

Goatbrook's shot selection is only sometimes an issue as it relates to game management. I like his style (I like scoring PGs) but it's not his FG% that's an issue. It's just taking shots at the right time so it doesn't come back to bite your team in the ass.

[tgan3]

FG% doesn't taken into account a players' impact on improving his teammates' FG% by breaking apart defenses. Players like Westbrook and Kobe Bryant get teammates good shots and make clutch shots when it really matters.

One can easily run up their own FG% at the expense of teammates' FG% by taking the best shots themselves after dribbling the ball around, but if the double team comes, pass it to a teammate at 2 seconds left for a bail out shot. You get your 55% FG while the rest of the team shoots 35%. Congrats.

That's what exactly im trying to say. Thats also what Iverson's critics dont understand. Yes the 2001 Sixers were a great defense/rebounding team much like Lebron and Cavs. But Lebron didnt win a chip with the Cavs, he won it with Heat with other scoring options in Wade/Bosh.

[plowking]

Russell Westbrook is a big reason why his teammates have good FG%. He opens the whole game up for his team with his penetration. Its not so much his FG%, but his teams that he helps.

[tgan3]

Thats because your replacing Kobe with that Goudelock guy and Westbrook with Reggie Jackson. Replace them with an exact clone and the only difference is a higher FG% and the team is better. It's simple.

Do you have any idea what you talking about???

[chazzy]

You said "their" offense, now you blaming on Kobe alone? Kobe was a chucker and wasn't the best fg% wise but he was the best player.

No, I'm saying their offense was the 6th to 8th offense for most of the season, which is good

[Leftimage]

The biggest ISH gaffe with respects to FG% is the ''XYZ won't score this much, he's too concerned with his %'' argument... I doubt very many players let that dictate their game. Being efficient is an objective, not a requirement in most players' eyes.