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Why do the Rockets let Dwight flick his free throws?

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Tuk88, Jan 22, 2014.

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  1. Tuk88

    Tuk88 Contributing Member

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    It's been bothering me all year, and lock this thread if this has been discussed, but anyone can see if you flick, rather than guide, your free throws, the odds of it going in are drastically less. It's like he's throwing darts out there. I mean, maybe he should practice throwing water balloons or eggs or something, or anything that breaks if you shoot it too fast, it's driving me crazy. My real question is how can they let him continue to shoot free throws like that?
     
  2. Rox11

    Rox11 Member

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    Too much muscle bra
     
  3. cheke64

    cheke64 Member

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    It's all in the wrist
     
  4. Patience

    Patience Contributing Member

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    "The Rockets" can't shoot free throws for him. I'm pretty sure Dwight has had all manner of shooting coaches try to help him. At the end of the day, Dwight is the one who has to go shoot.
     
  5. LosPollosHermanos

    LosPollosHermanos Houston only fan
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    Too much strength, he would probably make the ball bursting he held onto it and guided it.
     
  6. AFS

    AFS Member

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    Pretty much this. Besides, Dwight hits 85% of his FTs in practice. The problem isn't in his mechanics (even though his mechanics could be better/more orthodox, they obviously get the job done in practice). It's a mental thing.
     
  7. Tuk88

    Tuk88 Contributing Member

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    It's all in the wrist, yes, but a little less flicking in the wrist, and a lot more pushing with the wrist would go a long way. I mean, you can just see there's very little chance of the ball going in the way he's shooting it.
     
  8. Aleron

    Aleron Contributing Member

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    copycat league, seems a lot of teams decided several years ago that since yao was a great ft shooting big man, he must have the right technique for big men.
     
  9. Tuk88

    Tuk88 Contributing Member

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    YouTube it, Yao has great form, he pushes the ball into the basket, he doesn't even come close to flicking it. It's like Dwight's swatting flies or playing hot potato the way he looks like he's just getting rid of the ball.
     
  10. Rox11

    Rox11 Member

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    Bro, yao didnt have two heads for shoulders the way dh does.
     
  11. Tuk88

    Tuk88 Contributing Member

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    He shoots free throws like you'd bowl if you had to start with the bowling ball two feet in front of you and you had to flick it. There's no guidance.
     
  12. DreamEarlNolan

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    While Dwight's free throw motion is unorthodox in my opinion that isn't the reason for his misses. When his motion is slow and smooth his free throws go in. When he misses his motion is faster as if he's rushing the shot.
     
  13. Tuk88

    Tuk88 Contributing Member

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    I would agree completely. Instead of shooting, if he's rushing it, it turns into flicking, and like in pool or shuffleboard, you're not going to be very accurate. It's like punching or slapping a ball versus pushing or guiding it, you can't compare the accuracy between the two.
     
  14. Aleron

    Aleron Contributing Member

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    there's no consistent muscle memory going on, he's one of the few people who you can watch shoot free throws and noticably have a different shot between shots.
     
  15. beastlyball

    beastlyball Member

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    When I see him shoot free throws, I think to myself, why not just try and bank it in? I don't think the % can be any worse. The reality is, there is no way the rox can fix it for him. He needs to do that on his own.
     
  16. Tuk88

    Tuk88 Contributing Member

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    As Morey said, players can learn to be good shooters (Lowry) with the right instruction (ie killing mosquitos to shoot free throws won't work). Free throws are not an exception, and neither is Dwight. I can clearly see, many of us can, what's wrong with his free throw shooting. It's not like we're analyzing a zone defense, these are fricken free throws. It's maddening. Like watching someone walk right off a cliff - "Nooooooo!" That is honestly the frustration I feel watching.
     
    #16 Tuk88, Jan 23, 2014
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2014
  17. Tuk88

    Tuk88 Contributing Member

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    Here's another analogy, watching Dwight is like watching someone shoot an arrow trying to shoot it and pull the arrow back at the same time. He's shooting his free throws like bullets, but the human body isn't a gun, and a gun has a barrel to guide the bullet. There is no such thing with Dwight's shots. In fact, it's like shooting a gun with no barrel.
     
  18. Panda23

    Panda23 Member

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    yeah he just had two oak trees for legs.
     
  19. Tuk88

    Tuk88 Contributing Member

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    He needs to shoot bowling balls to get a feel for slowing down his wrist movement. A basketball for him is like a balloon for us, we flick balloons back and forth, not throw them, and of course, the result of where the balloon goes and where Dwight's free throws go is about the same.
     
  20. NewRoxFan

    NewRoxFan Contributing Member

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    Karl Malone had a pretty similar build. And after a shaky year or two, he developed into a solid FT shooter (75% for career). And usually better in Q4.

    David Robinson was also pretty chiseled. He shot 74% for his career.

    Maurice Lucas was also similarly built. 76% FT shooter for his career.

    I don't buy the "too many muscles" excuse. Chamberlain used to use the "my hands were too big" excuse. Which sounded reasonable, until you saw the size of Connie Hawkins hands. made Wilt's look like girl hands. Hawkins was a 78% shooter.

    Poor/inconsistent form coupled with lack of confidence bra...
     

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