Three-Point Shooting Strategy

[Optimist Prime 197]

After seeing Derrick Rose average 6 three point attempts per game at a 25 percent clip in the post season, I decided it's about time there was utilized a strategy by coaches on three-point shooting. I was thinking of a strategy on limiting three-point attempts for average three-point shooters, and here is what I came up with...

 

After the first attempt, one must have made at least fifty percent of their three-point shots in order to shoot the next one up to five shots. After that, the shooter must have made at least four shots in order to shoot up to seven shots. After that, the shooter must have made at least six shots to shoot up to nine shots, and then at least 8 to shoot their tenth shot. After this, if the shooter has shot one hundered percent from the field, he may shoot until he misses.

 

In other words:

 

First Shot: Shooter may take second shot regardless of outcome

Second Shot: Shooter may take third shot if AT LEAST one of two shots was made

 

(I was thinking of changing the 50% rule to after 2 shots, meaning the third shot may be taken even if the first two were missed)

 

Third Shot: Shooter may take fourth shot if AT LEAST two of three shots were made

Fourth Shot: Shooter may take fifth shot if AT LEAST two of four shots were made

Fifth Shot: Shooter may take sixth shot if AT LEAST four of five shots were made

Sixth Shot: Shooter may take seventh shot if AT LEAST four of six shots were made

Seventh Shot: Shooter may take eighth shot if AT LEAST six of seven shots were made

Eighth Shot: Shooter may take ninth shot if AT LEAST six of eight shots were made

Ninth Shot: Shooter may take tenth shot if AT LEAST eight of nine shots were made

Tenth Shot: Shooter may take eleventh shot if perfect from the field

Eleventh PLUS Shot: Shooter may take next shot if perfect from the field

 

This is more of a limiting strategy, since you can't necessarily control a player's shot selections. But, this will help to make the player aware of how many shots they are allowed to take, and thus be smarter about their looks. Also, it forces them to take the ball in to the basket or pass to the open man more often because they know they only have a limited amount of shots they can take from behind the arc.

 

Of course, situations can change the strategy, say the shot clock is down and they need to heave in order to not waste a possession, or in the final minute of a close game.

 

Be aware, I made this as more a chance to talk about something related to basketball without needing to mention the team down south or rehashing every possible trade we can find.

 

What do you guys think?

[BMP 424]

I think these professionals should know when they're wide open to shoot, when it's a good time to shoot, and when they should take advantage of it. . . a coach putting that much emphasis on it will only make a player hesitant and think way too much about whether to shoot or not when it should come as second nature. If the player is not taking good shots and chucking the coach needs to let him know, but not create a guideline that would most likely make things worse

[Captain Hi-Top 791]

Because what you want your guys thinking about while on the court is not "am I open, is this a good shot?", it's "How many have I made? Am I still within these arbitrary rules of shot selection? How many have I taken already? Did I make one of my first two?"

[Captain Hi-Top 791]

No to mention, according to your rules, if a guy shoots 2-4, he can only take one more three pointed regardless of outcome.

 

You do realize that shooting 50% for behind the arc is a huge plus right? Even if you are taking 10 shots.

 

What happens to a 3-point shooter like JJ that needs rythm, but gets into a slump? He can only take 2 shots from behind the arc, per game, until he gets out of his funk, only, he doesn't get a rythm going to help get out of the slump.

 

Plus, what happens when other teams see what is going on?

 

Oh, JJ has taken 3 shots from behind the arc, and missed them all, now I don't have to guard him to take away the three pointers, only the penetration.

 

This would be a great time out to have Stan mic'ed up

 

"Okay guys, we are down by three, there are 2 seconds left on the clock, so we can inbound the ball and get a good shot off. unfortunately, no one is allowed to take another 3 pointer for the rest of the game, so our only option is to try to get off a 2 point shot and hope we get fouled. *****. We might as well just give this game up."

[Captain Hi-Top 791]

Bad idea is bad.

[Optimist Prime 197]

Well, to be fair, I specified that this would just be for non-specialist shooters, like Derrick Rose. But BMP is right. No need to force those thoughts into a shooter's mind. I was just bored and trying to think of a way that someone like our MVP could learn how to shoot less of those shots.

 

For someone like JJ, he is not an average jump shooter, so the rule doesn't apply to him.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

You don't have in game shooting requirements. That's ridiculous.

 

Here's the age old way to decide who can shoot threes:

 

40%+ Encouraged to shoot threes as often as possible

35%+ Green Light to shoot threes that are within the flow of the offense

31-34.99% We don't really want you shooting threes but eh, if you're wide open...

31% and lower Don't shoot threes.

 

This is something you address in practice or during walk-throughs.

[Optimist Prime 197]

You don't have in game shooting requirements. That's ridiculous.

 

Here's the age old way to decide who can shoot threes:

 

40%+ Encouraged to shoot threes as often as possible

35%+ Green Light to shoot threes that are within the flow of the offense

31-34.99% We don't really want you shooting threes but eh, if you're wide open...

31% and lower Don't shoot threes.

 

This is something you address in practice or during walk-throughs.

 

Yeah, and the 31-34.9% guys is what I was trying to address. But it seems that there are some that don't bother with that rule.

 

I guess if you're the main ball handler and your team is struggling, the pressure might force a number more shots than you would normally take.

 

Deviating from the original post, what do you think about a volume shooter who has been in a slump (say, VC in Jan of 2010)? Should they cut back on their shooting or keep shooting until they find their rhythm again?

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Yeah, and the 31-34.9% guys is what I was trying to address. But it seems that there are some that don't bother with that rule.

 

I guess if you're the main ball handler and your team is struggling, the pressure might force a number more shots than you would normally take.

 

Deviating from the original post, what do you think about a volume shooter who has been in a slump (say, VC in Jan of 2010)? Should they cut back on their shooting or keep shooting until they find their rhythm again?

 

the 31-34.9 guys who shoot are going to keep shooting regardless of what you tell them. Rose, Lebron, Westbrook, Wade, etc know/think they are the best players on their teams so any shot is a good shot.

 

A volume shooter who is in a slump should continue shooting as normal until they get out of the slump or if a miss would hurt the teams chances at winning. If they dont shoot then there is no reason for them to be on the court. You don't pass up wide open shots just because you've missed a few. At the same time, your margin of error for quality of shot goes to 0. If you're going to take a shot it needs to be a good one. It's like the antithesis of the "heat check". If you make 4 threes in a row you can take any shot from any reasonable area on the court and it wont be considered a bad shot.

[My 6th Rebuild 6]

When you shoot, the last thing you should be doing is thinking about if you should shoot or not. If a player is struggling from the outside and they are wide open, they can just take a few dribbles in and shoot a long 2.

 

When you shoot, you can't think about it or you will miss.