There is a path for Westbrook to be pretty efficient. The answer may be him shooting MORE 3's.

You beat me to it.

Yeah...cutting out the mid-range feels like low hanging fruit for him. Rockets and Harden will have to be patient, but Westbrook is going to have to try to adapt.

 

lmaoooooooo

 

I agree but never talk about it because I remember saying similar stuff when Josh Smith was on the Rockets and people just never understood. A bad 3 point shooter is still better off shooting 3s than 20 footers. A bad 3 point shot is sometimes the best shot available in half court when actions don't result in a better look.

The best thing for the Rockets of course is simply that Westbrook at least get slightly better at shooting 3s. He shot 34% in his MVP year and had some 31~33% seasons. To me that's good enough given all the other stuff he brings. And given the Rockets better floor spacing than OKC, hopefully a lot of his mid-rangers can turn into layups instead. It's possible, but depends a lot on how much athleticism he still has left.

 

i don't mind Russ taking 3's, but i do mind him taking a lot of mid-range shots. His 3 pt shooting isn't an issue if he shoots 34%. that's slightly above average as far as i'm concerned. But that needs to be balanced by attacking the rim more; cutting more; playing off the ball more. If Russ can avoid taking mid-range shots he'll be fine. If he's either driving/cutting to the basket or taking 3"s, we're okay.

This summer he needs to work on getting his free throws back up, work on his 3's, and work on cutting without the ball.

 

Crazy enough it just might work...

 

If Russ can get his 3 point percentage in the 33-35% range, while adhering mostly to the layups/3s/FTs model, I LOVE the Rockets chances this year.

James is gonna be more efficient overall playing with Russ b/c of more transition buckets and having a lessened load. Combine that with Westbrook integrating himself into the Morey basketball model, I truly believe this team can prove all the doubters wrong and hoist the chip.

 

He’s literally the least efficient high-volume three point shooter in NBA history: https://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/tiny.fcgi?id=suWgH

The answer is fewer threes, not more.

 

No

 

Any idea what the efg or ppp would be if he split the midrange shots up? Half the attempts at the basket and half 3pt? I think that’d be more realistic.....just split the difference between the two shots the system allows for.

 

Im not reading this and neither should you.

 

Russell needs to ignore those open looks from downtown and do the "getting ball in space with a step or two and taking it to the hoop for countless easy finishes/flushes off the wing," using that to pass to other players behind the arc. He's one of the best in the league at finding open 3 point shooters when driving to the basket. He led the league doing that last season. That's what he needs to be focused on, not taking open threes himself. He could be a nightmare for opposing teams, and we'll have guys like James behind the arc taking those open looks, and when they are trying to cover him, and trying to cover Westbrook, guys will be open in the corners and elsewhere.

That's what we need to do. Pick you poison. Russell's drive with the layup or flush, the drive and and dish, or flipping it to Capella inside. That, and James doing what we've seen him do for years now. Nightmare City for the opposing team.

 

Yes..if u suck equally from 3 n 2. I'd rather it be a 3. I'm all in on more 3s for everyone. I dont care how much we brick lol rt

 

Naw .. I don't want to see him chucking more 3's.

I want to see him push the pace and attack the rim early in the shot clock , find shooters in the process and if that doesn't result in a good shot , kick it to the trailer (Harden) at the top of the key where he has a defense already in disarray and can go to work.

This can work really well …. if everyone does their part and Westrick doesn't take low percentage shots. 99% of his shots should come at the rim this year.

 

We have pretty much the same vision of this offense.

 

MDA- Westbrick shoot more 3’s

Westbrick- hold my beer

 

Okay i’m feeling more optimistic. If indeed he cut out the midrange altogether and assuming 30% from 3 and a drop to 55% at the rim, his ppp would be 1.03. Hardens is 1.11 i believe. Way better than his current .76.

The only question is the effect WB has on Harden’s efficiency and the offense in general assuming opponents sag off of him at the 3pt line.

Edit: this is assuming 35% of shots from 3pt and 65% at the rim. That’s a ton of volume at the rim hence the reason for the drop in efficiency there.

 

I think that gets negated by an increase in transition buckets and shots earlier in the possession. We haven't had someone who will push the pace like him since … hell I cant remember that far back.

 

Sorry how do mean negated?

 

Of course, this is after implanting a higher iq brain. Shot selection is melo-ish.