Dwight's free-throws are always hard to watch, especially clutch-time. You may say he is improving and shoots better than last two seasons. But that's just not enough. Dwight shoots like 9-10 free-throws a game and makes 5 of them as average (.536% this season). We should win similar games, and there will be no excuse in play-offs. Dwight always tired after beat up in the paint and it's not really surprising he is missing so many FT's, but my point is - take your ego and throw out of the window. Try to shoot like Rick Barry did (.893%, one of the best in NBA history). It's easier, and FT% SHOULD improve. Just take a shot and try. Sure, it's a big chance teammates and fans would make fun of it, but if FT% would improve up to .700% or more i won't see a point to do so. There is no player in the league who is shooting like that, as Rick Barry said - it's all about EGO. [youtube]V4eJSjwlD5o[/youtube] probably the last player to do so, because of chip fracture [youtube]j7e8P1qa8_I[/youtube] got answer to this <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/overrated_20">@overrated_20</a> I'd have NO problem with players shooting this way. In 4th quarter, when u r tired, it's easier to shoot this way</p>— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballSource) <a href="https://twitter.com/bballSource/statuses/422743790621704192">January 13, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Give it a try or EGO is just too high to try?
No one in the NBA will ever shoot this way again, in the Web 2.0&ESPN times you'll become a laughing stock. Plus, this is a mental thing, Dwight shoots a high percentage in practice. He's more than able to shoot FTs, but in-game is a whole different thing.
Thank you for the video's that was quite interesting, but like you said, or Rick Barry said, it's all about ego and nobody likes to be made fun off. And with that shot, they'll definitely get some burns around the league and even the media.
The topic's been talked about to death. A player in his 10th year in the NBA is NOT suddenly going to change the fundamental mechanics of his free throw shooting. Tweaks will be made, but it's been said again and again - the problem with Howard's free throw shooting is not his mechanics. The guy shoots well over 80% in practice. Free throw shooting is all about repetition, and asking a guy who's shot tens of thousands of FT shots in the same way to suddenly change his shot is not likely to produce optimal results. I mean, the team spends hundreds of thousands on shooting coaches a year - don't you think that they know that a guy called Rick Barry ever existed? Howard is currently shooting pretty much his career average on his free throws. I would expect it to remain that way for the forseeable future.
I think his mechanics freaking SUCK! He's too tense on his form. He is shooting with his body straight up and down like a STICK. He needs to lean his shoulder back a little more. He is causing too much constraint on his shoulders shooting with his body straight like a stick.
You know what's so odd about Howards freethrows? Sometimes I see him bending his knees and sometimes he doesn't. He isn't really consistent.
He doesn't need to shoot underhanded, all he needs to do is shoot the same way he does in practice in the real game. In the game he is a lot stiffer with his arms and his shot isn't a fluid motion like it is in practice.
I think its the mental aspect that needs to be looked at and not mechanics. Switching to this style would take balls and would be the equivalent of telling everybody I don't give a rats ass what you think. It might have more of a mental therapeutic affect then mechanical. Ultimately, if won't happen because of the reasons you mentioned. There is a catch 22 with the free throw styles. If he was willing to change to Rick Barry's style he wouldn't be worried of what others thought, and hence he probably wouldn't have issues when he shoots it the standard style because like you said, "he's mechanics are fine during practice." I think I have a solution, somebody (a close friend of his) should text him a new lewd message before every game. Every time he is at the free throw line he should think of the message as he is shooting.
i think is not about EGO really is more abut being embarrass or thinking about what other players and what other people might think or say. If anyone shoots free throws like that in an NBA nowadays, it would really show lots of confidence, cojones and that he doesn't care what anyone says. Maybe he will get mock if its not a regular way of shooting and or bad % even when using this method. But if he is consistence I don't think anyone would care or make a big deal like on that clip with Chris Andersen. You can see he got embarrassed even after getting the first ft thats why he miss the second one
if he makes half his free throws that makes us one of the most efficient offenses in the NBA... 1 point per possession in crunch time is actually really good. the problem is takes the team out of rhythm and forces us to slow down and play D... in the Lakers game you saw a great example of how Dwight just hitting half his free throws and us playing a little D can get us easy wins and embarrass the other team in the process.
