KEY POINT. "Shot selection is the biggest killer of offense...and nobody wants to hear that."
Rule 1. "When you're open, you have to shoot it.*" *If it's the shot you work on.
Rule 2. "If you ever shoot the ball and you're not open and somebody else is, that's the last shot you get that game."
At practice, I stood at half court and asked, "who wants me to take this shot when the game is on the line?" Nobody. But what's the difference between me taking this and you taking a seventeen footer? <crickets>
KEY POINT. "It's not your shot, it's our shot," writes Jay Bilas in Toughness. Economics studies the allocation of scarce resources. What happens if EVERYONE decides it's "their shot?" The best shooters get less, the worse shooters get more, and the team suffers.
KEY POINT. Superior shot selection aligns with controlling what we can control, decision-making, and unselfishness.
KEY POINT. Understanding shot selection is vital to understanding your craft. Shot selection informs your basketball IQ. Situationally inappropriate, low percentage, forced shots tell your teammates, coach, and fans who you are.
From PGC Shot selection. No shot comes with a 100% guarantee, but a "9" means at least 90 percent probability. 5 (50-50 resembles the words "So So."
Key Point. Fall in love with easy. This returns us to Pete Newell's "get more and better shots than the opposition."
Everyone needs to know what is a good shot for herself and teammates. The fastest path to offensive improvement runs through better shot selection. Dean Smith wrote about having occasional scrimmages where shot quality determined the scoring, layups counting most, then open jump shots, contested jump shots (neutral), and turnovers.
Roy Williams insists that players demonstrate 60 percent three point proficiency to have the green light for treys.
Range testing. Kevin Sivils suggests "range testing" players to determine their range objectively.
Lagniappe:
Iversen elevator, via Xavier Men's Basketball newsletter. Iversen cut by 2, with elevator screen for 3.
