Cavs Free Throw Shooting

["Boobie" Gibson]

Not really. If we shot for shit from the free throw line, perhaps we score 5 less points, so we only have a 2 point lead going in to the 4th ... and then Memphis stomps us. The only thing that matters is being able to exert your will when it counts.

If both teams could do that equally and never coasted in stretches that the other team coasted and refs always made the right call ... then it wouldn't matter, but they're human so it does.

I'll continue to take the bait. Can't let this one go, lol.

If you don't make shots leading into the 4th quarter, there is no game. Assume a team is down 30 going into the 4th because they shot awful; no game. Now assume they go into the 4th only down 5, because they got a few bounces to go their way and also made a bunch of FTs; you have a game because you scored meaningful points in the first 3 quarters.

If you don't score points in the first 3 quarters, how much more important are those 4th quarter points? Not at all. You have no chance.

 

[Giambiwannabe7]

When you raise your FT shooting % from 65% your junior year to over 91% your senior year then you can lecture me about free throw shooting. Until then, I stand behind my original statement.

If you had any idea how hard I worked on this aspect of my game for the 8 months in between seasons then you'd understand the point I was trying to make. Every weekend... EVERY weekend I would shoot between 1000 and 1200 FTs. Three or four nights during the week I would work for 2 hours on it. I would shoot 25, do a round of suicides, then shoot 25 more. Rinse and repeat. That way I would develop consistency of shooting for when I was rested and when I was fatigued.

As somebody who most assuredly worked on this infinitely more than you did, I can tell you with 100% certainty that muscle memory is key. You can make jokes about it or belittle it all you want, but the fact remains that once I trained my muscles to go through a routine, it became almost second nature. It took guidance from my coach and a LOT of work on my part. So don't tell me that it can't be done, that one can't work and train to become a consistent 80% shooter, especially a professional player. Fact is, many don't become good FT shooters because they don't place a priority on it.

Get your panties unbunched. I already said muscle memory is a core piece to goof FT shooting. The point of all this is that there are a way more factors as you progress through your career. I never once said there aren't people out there who can't consistantly hit 80% because it's obviously been done more times than I really care to count. But, 80% is not 90%,and HS is not college, DLeague, Euro ball, or NBA. The other factors involved make it a much more difficult task as you get further along.

So, unless you played in the NBA, I'm not sure how you can really argue otherwise. Congrats to you for topping the 90% barrier, but the fact that NBA greats Mark Price and Steve Nash are the only players ever to hit the mark over their career, I'll stand by my point that there is much more involved in it than just hundreds of housands of reps that lead to muscle memory.

 

["Boobie" Gibson]

Get your panties unbunched. I already said muscle memory is a core piece to goof FT shooting. The point of all this is that there are a way more factors as you progress through your career. I never once said there aren't people out there who can't consistantly hit 80% because it's obviously been done more times than I really care to count. But, 80% is not 90%,and HS is not college, DLeague, Euro ball, or NBA. The other factors involved make it a much more difficult task as you get further along.

So, unless you played in the NBA, I'm not sure how you can really argue otherwise. Congrats to you for topping the 90% barrier, but the fact that NBA greats Mark Price and Steve Nash are the only players ever to hit the mark over their career, I'll stand by my point that there is much more involved in it than just hundreds of housands of reps that lead to muscle memory.

...or other players just don't spend time on it?

Like a previous poster mentioned, time is money, and they would rather work on other aspects of their game such as defense, shooting from the field, etc.

 

[Giambiwannabe7]

...or other players just don't spend time on it?

Like a previous poster mentioned, time is money, and they would rather work on other aspects of their game such as defense, shooting from the field, etc.

Ok. Sure. That's it. 2 guys out of thousands upon thousands of players. Only 2 guys in 60+ years. How many 82 game seasons are there in HS? How many times does a HS kid play in front of 25,000 people. How many HS games are broadcast all over the world? How many HS games have (4) 12 minute quarters?

I enjoy HS sports, but the stretch in reasoning here is beyond dillusional at this point.

 

["Boobie" Gibson]

Ok. Sure. That's it. 2 guys out of thousands upon thousands of players. Only 2 guys in 60+ years. How many 82 game seasons are there in HS? How many times does a HS kid play in front of 25,000 people. How many HS games are broadcast all over the world? How many HS games have (4) 12 minute quarters?

I enjoy HS sports, but the stretch in reasoning here is beyond dillusional at this point.

And you believe people simply watching you equates to pressure, because? Is it because you have played in the NBA? Or are you just saying it to strengthen your argument?

Either way, I don't buy it. I guess it was a rhetorical question.

 

[Giambiwannabe7]

And you believe people simply watching you equates to pressure, because? Is it because you have played in the NBA? Or are you just saying it to strengthen your argument?

Either way, I don't buy it. I guess it was a rhetorical question.

You don't buy it? Well, it must not be true then.

I played baseball at Kent State when numerous guys who were there under Danny Hall and eventually went on to pro ball. I stayed in contact with a couple of them. As a freshman and sophomore we used to laugh about how wildly different it was from HS. You get used to it a little more as you get older, but the bigger the game, the brighter the lights, the larger the crowd...all that stuff caught your attention for a bit. It made it harder to focus at first.

I talked to Dustin Hermanson a few times after he got drafted and he used to always comment about all the things besides throwing a baseball that were going on out there. And this dude was a man amongst boys in college.

And, yes, there is all kinds of pressure. Maybe you never played a meaningful game in your life. But, when all eyes are on you, when teammates are counting on you, when fans are hating on you on one end and saying prayers for your team on the other end, yes it makes a difference. I've seen people buckle under pressure, the best and worst of their sport. Muscle memory is what you turn to. You learn to focus and tune out the noise around you. But, it's still there and it can still take a big fat shit on muscle memory and thousands of reps. And when you are playing for eyes all around the world, people holding signs for and against you, cheering you and taunting you all at once, teammates who have made it their career counting on you...it makes a big difference.

I've seen Ray Allen short arm late game FT's. Is it because he didn't rep enough?:chuckles: And, really, one or two late game misses at the stripe are the difference for some guys going 90-100% and 70-80%.

 

[Dillinger]

21-22 from the foul line tonight.

Helped the Cavs stay in the game throughout, and eventually helped maintain a lead with under a minute to play.

How unimportant are free throws again?

 

["Boobie" Gibson]

You don't buy it? Well, it must not be true then.

I played baseball at Kent State when numerous guys who were there under Danny Hall and eventually went on to pro ball. I stayed in contact with a couple of them. As a freshman and sophomore we used to laugh about how wildly different it was from HS. You get used to it a little more as you get older, but the bigger the game, the brighter the lights, the larger the crowd...all that stuff caught your attention for a bit. It made it harder to focus at first.

I talked to Dustin Hermanson a few times after he got drafted and he used to always comment about all the things besides throwing a baseball that were going on out there. And this dude was a man amongst boys in college.

And, yes, there is all kinds of pressure. Maybe you never played a meaningful game in your life. But, when all eyes are on you, when teammates are counting on you, when fans are hating on you on one end and saying prayers for your team on the other end, yes it makes a difference. I've seen people buckle under pressure, the best and worst of their sport. Muscle memory is what you turn to. You learn to focus and tune out the noise around you. But, it's still there and it can still take a big fat shit on muscle memory and thousands of reps. And when you are playing for eyes all around the world, people holding signs for and against you, cheering you and taunting you all at once, teammates who have made it their career counting on you...it makes a big difference.

I've seen Ray Allen short arm late game FT's. Is it because he didn't rep enough?:chuckles: And, really, one or two late game misses at the stripe are the difference for some guys going 90-100% and 70-80%.

Skimmed. But I saw baseball and something about me not playing any meaningful games or something. I did play baseball and was in some high stakes games and I loved moments like that. Anything else was just sort of routine and boring. It's where I excelled; but that's a different sport and not everyone is the same.

21-22 from the foul line tonight.

Helped the Cavs stay in the game throughout, and eventually helped maintain a lead with under a minute to play.

How unimportant are free throws again?

All 21 of those FTs were extremely important tonight starting with number 1!

 

[Giambiwannabe7]

Gee just showed you the pressure part of shooting a FT "Boobie." If you can't acknowledge that then I don't know what to tell you.

 

["Boobie" Gibson]

Gee just showed you the pressure part of shooting a FT "Boobie." If you can't acknowledge that then I don't know what to tell you.

Lol nice... either that or he just missed. He was 1-3 today.

We were up by 1 at that point. Not sure there should be much pressure with 2 seconds left, but to each his own.

 

[Giambiwannabe7]

He short armed the hell out of that ball. I told my kids as soon as he shot it...before it even barely hit the rim.

And ya...no pressure there. If he hits both we're up by 3 and we put POR in a much more difficult situation.

But, if you want to continue to deny that there is such a thing as pressure when shooting FT's, please, by all means continue on in bliss.

 

["Boobie" Gibson]

He short armed the hell out of that ball. I told my kids as soon as he shot it...before it even barely hit the rim.

And ya...no pressure there. If he hits both we're up by 3 and we put POR in a much more difficult situation.

But, if you want to continue to deny that there is such a thing as pressure when shooting FT's, please, by all means continue on in bliss.

There is pressure in a lot of things in life. Of course there is pressure when shooting FTs.

The fact that 2 people have successfully shot over 90% for their career tells me that pressure doesn't affect FT shooting. If it did, I believe it would be an impossible task. 2 people have done it, not impossible, practice makes perfect kids

 

[Giambiwannabe7]

There is pressure in a lot of things in life. Of course there is pressure when shooting FTs.

The fact that 2 people have successfully shot over 90% for their career tells me that pressure doesn't affect FT shooting. If it did, I believe it would be an impossible task. 2 people have done it, not impossible, practice makes perfect kids

That is just some genuinely brilliant reasoning right there. In one breathe you finally admit there is pressure shooting FT's and in the next one you say it doesn't affect FT shooting.

Are you in politics? That's rhetorical, btw, as I'm convinced this convo has run it's course and left worthwhile behind a while back.

 

["Boobie" Gibson]

That is just some genuinely brilliant reasoning right there. In one breathe you finally admit there is pressure shooting FT's and in the next one you say it doesn't affect FT shooting.

Are you in politics? That's rhetorical, btw, as I'm convinced this convo has run it's course and left worthwhile behind a while back.

There can be pressure present that doesn't affect someone's performance. I figured that was obvious but I guess not.

 

[Homestar]

There is pressure in a lot of things in life. Of course there is pressure when shooting FTs.

The fact that 2 people have successfully shot over 90% for their career tells me that pressure doesn't affect FT shooting. If it did, I believe it would be an impossible task. 2 people have done it, not impossible, practice makes perfect kids

Just because it didn't affect it for two people, why can't it for others?