Austin Rivers said recently in an interview that if you want to play on this team, you have to be able to hit shots while not having touched the ball for multiple possessions (because of Harden ISOs). Sure we have below average career shooters but it's mixed with them not touching the ball because Harden is doing his 16 dribble ISOs.
Why would any team stop doubling off Westbrook? His shot is what it is. He's always been a poor outside shooter, always will be. Defensively, its also a personnel issue. Its not a matter of effort. We are undersized in every matchup. WE have guards pretending to be forwards, and forwards masquerading as Centers.
Did you really just ignore what set that up to begin with. Harden being doubled. That’s creates the whole advantage to begin with in numbers.
At this point you have to ask where the INVESTMENT in shooting is. Players come here and their shots don't improve. In a system that emphasises the three over everything we don't have shooting coaches? Austin Rivers form is awful, ditto Russ. How do we not the personnel on hand to help these players correct these things? An investment in shooting needs to be made. Only then will we see a difference on the court. I won't even get into the stupidity of having an offense so reliant on threes and not once targeting a 40% shooter.
You're probably asking the wrong person to begin with, pretty sure one of the reasons why Morey wasn't thrilled by this trade was because Westbrook can't shoot.
my point was it doesnt mater if wb cant shoot ....he can drive and score or assist if left open on perimeter easily
it does matter bc that action wouldn't be open without harden to begin with. those plays opened up bc of harden
Did you see the clip you yourself posted? Harden was HARD doubled off Westbrook. Thats not even remotely any sort of space creation. You HAVE to be able to shoot to create spacing. What Westbrook did and what he should do more often is drive to the rim if he's left open. Cuz that 3pt shot of his might as well be a turnover.
One of the best defensive teams in the league, Raptors coach Nick Nurse says, "if you don't play defense on the court, you don't play"
rivers is a good fit with harden and cp3 but not with russ. russ needs at least 3 knock down shooters to be effective.
Correcting shot form takes multiple offseason to perfect to the point of muscle memory. Guys like Rivers and Westbrook are too late in their career to make adjustments to their form in the middle of the season. Out of the entire squad the only 4 players who have really good looking shot forms are Harden, EG and maybe Clemons.
Great post and the bolded parts are questions everyone should be asking themselves! We are missing wide open threes and have been for years with Harden working hard all game long to generate those open ones, only to be air balled, clanked or passed up for a shot at the lane where they get stuck. If we are not going to make them, either get the guys who can or ones who can be good enough from mid-to-long range so it's not so many wasted possessions.
Because nobody that is somewhat high on himself will want to play alongside dudes that will not pass them the ball for multiple possesions unless they have to
You guys are talking more about open 3s being missed (its the same story every game--almost as if we don't have good shooters on the team) than the poor defense which is the reason why we've been losing these games.