Dillinger
Cemented in the rotation
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2009
- Messages
- 314
- Reaction score
- 406
- Points
- 63
I haven't seen this discussed much, but the Cavs have been painfully bad at shooting free throws. And not just this season, but for the past eight years now...
2005/2006 - 72.9% - 22nd
2006/2007 - 69.5% - 29th
2007/2008 - 71.7% - 28th
2008/2009 - 75.7% - 21st
2009/2010 - 72.0% - 30th
2010/2011 - 74.5% - 24th
2011/2012 - 71.6% - 28th
2012/2013 - 70.6% - 27th
Which equals a 72.31% average over an 8-year span. Not good.
It's disheartening for me, because often times one or two more made free throws can be the difference between winning and losing.
Free throws are one of the strangest instances in all of professional team sports. It's literally the easiest attempt at attaining points within a team concept. In any other team sport, an attempt at garnering points is always met with some sort of resistance. For every touchdown or field goal attempt in football, there's 11 members of the opposition trying to stop you. In baseball, scoring any run must be done against the will of your opponent. There are plenty of other examples, but you get the idea.
It is both the easiest and most difficult shot to make in basketball. It's one of those conundrums that reveals how important psychology is in athletics. Even for a small moment in time, the free throw takes the team aspect out of the equation and turns it into an individual sport. It's just you and the basket with no one defending your shot or defending the goal.
The roster makeup from 6, 7, or 8 years ago is completely different than it is now, so we can't blame that. We've had different coaches, assistant coaches, and players yet we remain near the bottom of the league each and every season.
I don't know. Maybe I'm making too much of this. It's just one of those things that gets under my skin.
2005/2006 - 72.9% - 22nd
2006/2007 - 69.5% - 29th
2007/2008 - 71.7% - 28th
2008/2009 - 75.7% - 21st
2009/2010 - 72.0% - 30th
2010/2011 - 74.5% - 24th
2011/2012 - 71.6% - 28th
2012/2013 - 70.6% - 27th
Which equals a 72.31% average over an 8-year span. Not good.
It's disheartening for me, because often times one or two more made free throws can be the difference between winning and losing.
Free throws are one of the strangest instances in all of professional team sports. It's literally the easiest attempt at attaining points within a team concept. In any other team sport, an attempt at garnering points is always met with some sort of resistance. For every touchdown or field goal attempt in football, there's 11 members of the opposition trying to stop you. In baseball, scoring any run must be done against the will of your opponent. There are plenty of other examples, but you get the idea.
It is both the easiest and most difficult shot to make in basketball. It's one of those conundrums that reveals how important psychology is in athletics. Even for a small moment in time, the free throw takes the team aspect out of the equation and turns it into an individual sport. It's just you and the basket with no one defending your shot or defending the goal.
The roster makeup from 6, 7, or 8 years ago is completely different than it is now, so we can't blame that. We've had different coaches, assistant coaches, and players yet we remain near the bottom of the league each and every season.
I don't know. Maybe I'm making too much of this. It's just one of those things that gets under my skin.