There are many, many parts of Stefon Jackson's game that I appreciated. He had a great mid-range game, could finish inside, had a knack for getting to the line, and was a great free throw shooter, for example. Another very important part of his game is that he had great shot selection. While DJ could "drain jumpers" all day from mid-range, he was not a great three point shooter, and hence didn't take many shots beyond the arc. When he did shoot, whether it was an outside, mid-range, or close in shot, it was almost always a good decision. He was a very smart player who understood his strengths, knew his weaknesses, understood the offense, and knew how to maximize his production.
I know that I'm looking at a small sample size, but the art of shot selection seems to have gone out of the window, at least with our last two coaches. Why? Are analytics to blame? I know that the current belief is that, other than a layup, you get the most expected points per shot from a 3 pointer. But this is only true if you shoot a reasonable percentage from beyond the arc. If a player isn't shooting somewhere around the mid 30s are better from 3 point range, they are not producing more points per shot from beyond the arc. It really is a simple concept.
Looking at the stats so far these are the only players that should consider taking a 3: Boum, Bienemy, Sibley, and Saterfield. That's it. Agnew hasn't taken too many, he shouldn't take any more unless it's to beat a ahot clock. Maring and Tydus should never think about a 3 pointer (except maybe for the shot clock thing). And, of course, Kennedy, who is currently second on the team in 3 point attempts, desperately needs to stop shooting them.
It would be nice if all of our players were as smart and as self aware as DJ was. Unfortunately it's obvious that they don't have a clue. This is okay, it's the reason why we hire a coach. Golding needs to teach these guys about shot selection. I know that Kennedy gets a lot of criticism, but he does a lot if good things on the court. He is tough, athletic, hard nosed, a good defender, and a great rebounder for a guard. He should be an asset on the court. But he often isn't because he takes WAY too many shots that he has no business taking. Why is it that we've had two coaches who have not emphasized this obvious fact to him? Why didn't Tydus sit down next to Golding for a few minutes after he started the 2nd half of the UC Riverside game by taking two consecutive threes? Why, in two years under two different coaches, have we not encouraged our athletic wings to drive aggressively and create easier opportunities or free throw attempts, rather than jacking up outside shots that they are not qualified to take?
I don't get it. Do they believe in the principles of what the analytics say without understanding the details? Are they worried about destroying their players' confidence by pointing out that they can't throw it in the ocean? Do they believe that by letting a poor shooter jack up 3s they will magically transform into Stephen Curry? Coach Golding, please, I beg of you, teach your players shot selection. Please!
Another offensive note: not only did we take bad shots last night, we also played really sloppy on offense. I understand that we have a new coach with some new players, but we need to get that under control. We don't shoot well enough as it is, we can't afford as many possessions as we had last night without getting a shot up.
To try to stem some of the criticism this post will generate, I still support Coach Golding, and have hopes that he will turn this thing around. I just hope that he places more focus on teaching his players better decision making. Not every player is a DJ or an OT.
I know that I'm looking at a small sample size, but the art of shot selection seems to have gone out of the window, at least with our last two coaches. Why? Are analytics to blame? I know that the current belief is that, other than a layup, you get the most expected points per shot from a 3 pointer. But this is only true if you shoot a reasonable percentage from beyond the arc. If a player isn't shooting somewhere around the mid 30s are better from 3 point range, they are not producing more points per shot from beyond the arc. It really is a simple concept.
Looking at the stats so far these are the only players that should consider taking a 3: Boum, Bienemy, Sibley, and Saterfield. That's it. Agnew hasn't taken too many, he shouldn't take any more unless it's to beat a ahot clock. Maring and Tydus should never think about a 3 pointer (except maybe for the shot clock thing). And, of course, Kennedy, who is currently second on the team in 3 point attempts, desperately needs to stop shooting them.
It would be nice if all of our players were as smart and as self aware as DJ was. Unfortunately it's obvious that they don't have a clue. This is okay, it's the reason why we hire a coach. Golding needs to teach these guys about shot selection. I know that Kennedy gets a lot of criticism, but he does a lot if good things on the court. He is tough, athletic, hard nosed, a good defender, and a great rebounder for a guard. He should be an asset on the court. But he often isn't because he takes WAY too many shots that he has no business taking. Why is it that we've had two coaches who have not emphasized this obvious fact to him? Why didn't Tydus sit down next to Golding for a few minutes after he started the 2nd half of the UC Riverside game by taking two consecutive threes? Why, in two years under two different coaches, have we not encouraged our athletic wings to drive aggressively and create easier opportunities or free throw attempts, rather than jacking up outside shots that they are not qualified to take?
I don't get it. Do they believe in the principles of what the analytics say without understanding the details? Are they worried about destroying their players' confidence by pointing out that they can't throw it in the ocean? Do they believe that by letting a poor shooter jack up 3s they will magically transform into Stephen Curry? Coach Golding, please, I beg of you, teach your players shot selection. Please!
Another offensive note: not only did we take bad shots last night, we also played really sloppy on offense. I understand that we have a new coach with some new players, but we need to get that under control. We don't shoot well enough as it is, we can't afford as many possessions as we had last night without getting a shot up.
To try to stem some of the criticism this post will generate, I still support Coach Golding, and have hopes that he will turn this thing around. I just hope that he places more focus on teaching his players better decision making. Not every player is a DJ or an OT.
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