Shooters are not that rare. I'm not talking about guys that can score 15 a game. I'm talking about roleplayers, the sort that most teams have one of two of, that will hit the open 3 when they've got it. We've got...ermm...one. And he's in his late 30's. If Jon Barry were not hurt, we'd be in considerably better shape. No, he's not a great player. But he does fill an essential role. He's That-Guy-Who-You-Can't-Double-Off-Of-Because-If-You-Do-He'll-Nail-the-Three. Alston, Anderson, and Wesley are all decent players and can score - but they're not shooters. It's not that shocking that he's hurt. He's in his late 30's. When a player is in his late 30's in the NBA, it's not a shock when they get injured. The Rockets have two players who demand a double team. They have a grand total of one three point shooter. Such criminal neglect by our coach should be a felony. My question is, why? Does JVG really care that little about defense? To neglect something so incredibly essential to punish modern soft-zone defenses? This is the thing that I completely don't understand about the Rockets management of the last two years (to me, it's almost as bizarre as the Texans' OL neglect). You've got 2 great players. The way to beat a great player is to double team him. The way to beat a double team is to have roleplayers who hit open 3's. So why don't we have more? As far as I can tell, the answers could be: (a) JVG is an idiot, (b) CD is an idiot, or (c) we've been incredibly unlucky in not managing to get one.
Because most shooters can't play defense so JVG won't touch them with a ten foot pole. Do you see JVG playing a guy like Kerr.
Our best two marksmen besides head and tracy are currently out injured. Jon barry is a heck of a shooter and anderson was starting to look pretty damn good before he got injured. But i do agree, i love to have a wesely person or a Giricek whom are all 3 point Specialists. i think for memory we did try to get simmons from the clippers, but he went the way of the bucks. When you consider our game plan Revolves around INSIDE-OUTSIDE game, it makeseven more sense to have couple of 3 point Specialists.
McGrady doesn't count. Why? Because he's one of the two people on whom we need to relieve the pressure. The guy we need isn't the superstar - it's the guy who punishes the double team on the superstar. Head is not a shooter. He's a guy who can hit the 3. Jon Barry is currently the only shooter on this team. That's insane. We should be able to find tons of guys who would love to get the opportunity to take 3,486 open 3's given that we have Yao and Tracy.
I totally agree, this team is in serious need of a couple of shooters. JVG underestimates the value of a guy who can hit open shots. He would rather have a Ryan Bowen than a Matt Bullard. He would rather have Rafer Alston than Mike James. Who can consistently hit an open jumper? Only T-Mac, who is doubled all the time, or Barry who is old and hurt. Maybe you add Wesley to that list, maybe. This is a huge difference between Rudy T. and JVG. Rudy would get a scrub who can shoot. JVG would rather get someone who can play good D and do other things (ie Rafer Alston or Derek Anderson). But they can't shoot!
I agree it has something to do with JVG. Maybe the practice the coach setup was bad or the plays on the court were not suitable for pure shooters. Or maybe the defense took too much energy for the soft shooters... JVG introduced quite some proven shooters since his arrival. But most of the shoorters shoot badly in Rocket uniforms.
Yep, exactly. Sad thing is that the NBA has changed so crappy shooters have even more value these days. Look at the influx of Euros and the style of the Phoenix Suns.
The damn problem is JVG. He continues to use scrubs like Wesley and Bowen even though they can't shoot or do anything right. The thing I don't get is people think they are great defenders but they are not, they are horrible defenders. I would have like to seen JVG give somebody else a chance like Josh Davis, John Lucas III, or Moochie.
Nah, I don't think any of the guys are really shooters, save Barry. Most of them are guys-that-can-shoot...different from a shooter. Some guys, like Barry, Kerr, Person, etc...are going to hit the 3 if you leave them open. Oh, they may miss one occasionally - but you're actually surprised when they miss an open three. We don't have a single player on our roster right now, other than Barry, whom you can say that about.
Like who? Rudy would have Matt Bullard, Sam Mack, Matt Maloney, Scotty Brooks, etc. on the bench. They all could hit the open 3. JVG brought in Mike James, but then traded him. He got Wesley, but it was more for D and got rid of JJ in the process. So that leaves just Barry! Rafer, Anderson, Bowen, and Sura are not very good shooters.
Piatkowski barely played and was soon traded. I'm not sure what your point on Boki is, he can't shoot either.
We have shooters. It's just that none of them are particularly flexible in the type of shots they can make. If it's straight spot up shooting, then our shooters are fine. Head, Wesley, Barry, etc. are all good spot up shooters. It's just that they're horrible when the defense forces them to take any other kind of perimeter shot. Lately defenses have been getting out on Wesley and Head and making them take shots off the dribble, and that's clearly something they're not comfortable with. Teams have figured out that our guards are not capable of doing anything but spot up behind the 3 point line. If you take a look at teams like the Pistons and Spurs, their shooters are all multitalented players that can do more than just spot up behind the 3-point line (Parkerm Ginobili, Finley, Van Exel, Billups, Hamilton, Prince). They are a threat to post up, penetrate, shoot-off-the-dribble, etc. If they get in a shooting slump (which happens to every shooter), they're capable of getting points in other ways. Our shooters are incapable of any of that. All you have to do is defend them at the 3-point line, because you know they can’t do anything inside the 3-point line. And if they get in a shooting slump, they're pretty much worthless on the court.
I completely disagree. Do you really feel as confident about Wesley or Head making a wide-open 3 as you do if Barry is taking the shot? I haven't personally taken the stats, but I'd bet that Barry makes well over 50% of his open 3's...and that Wesley and Head don't.
I said it then i'll say it now, Letting Padgett go was a mistake. he was a role player who could not only fill it up, but he could rebound and if needed was a solid post player.
Totally agreeeee Think last season, after we got jB and DW, we turn around. Sura also can hit 3s and he can pentration. I really don't understand we give up Padget and MJ. If DW can shoot like half of last season, we will not like right now even still have so many injury. Sad and I really blame JVG for his pick up of players, I feel he try to reward his old NY old players, what we got after he came to Houston : old one, older one, oldeeeer one.
I'm with New Jack. With JB and DA both out, of course our 3 point shooting will be weak. Question: Is our 3 point shooting (34.1%) that much below the league average? No. As compared to the other 29 teams in the league, are our 3 point shooters really that bad? We have JB, Tracy, Wesley, DA & Luther who've all shown they can hit open 3s. The scary GS Warriors, Phoenix Suns and Seattle Sonics only shoot 34-35% from beyond the arc. The difference is these teams take 24 of them per game. With our full roster, I don't think 3 point shooting is a big problem for us. We are middle of the pack. The 3 point shot is NOT always the best way to beat a double team. Attacking the basket with penetration or cutting to the basket and getting a pass for a jam or layup actually works better, but we don't do either enough.
[ If you take a look at teams like the Pistons and Spurs, their shooters are all multitalented players that can do more than just spot up behind the 3-point line (Parkerm Ginobili, Finley, Van Exel, Billups, Hamilton, Prince). They are a threat to post up, penetrate, shoot-off-the-dribble, etc. If they get in a shooting slump (which happens to every shooter), they're capable of getting points in other ways. Parker shoots @ A 23% clip from beyond the arc. Manu shoots @ A 33% CLIP FROM BEYOND THE ARC fINELY SHOOTS@ A 38% clip from beyond the arc Van Excel shoots@ abysimal 29% clip from beyond the arc Spurs best shooter is bruce bowen at a 49% clip from beyond the arc.
I think the reason why Barry tends to make more of his 3's is not necessarily because he's a better spot up shooter, but because he's a more versatile player that is more of a threat to do other things besides take spot up 3-pointers. He can handle the ball. He can drive to the basket and make some nice passes. He can hit medium range jumpers. And most importantly, he can make shots off the dribble, as he often does on the break. These are things Wesley and Head are incapable of doing, and it makes things so much more difficult for them. When they go on shooting slumps, they will look a lot worse than Barry because they can't do anything besides take spot up jumpers.
