Diagnose Griffin's shooting woe

great topic.

this is the big enigma. All I can say for certainty is what it isn't. It isn't 2, 3 or 4.

Funny thing is, I don't think it is 1, either. If it is 1, it is hard to detect, albeit the Dantley flatness of arc. It is like trying to decipher why one guy is a 75% FT shooter and one is 88%. They look the same, just not perfect every time.

He doesn't seem to be missing left or right, but more on distance. If it is a distance thing (which is often the difference between being 75% FTs versus 88%) then that is a consistency problem based on not consistent timing of release (jumping different heights can effect this) and inconsistent flick of the wrist, which can be as subtle as speed of flick, feel of the ball, or what last touches the ball. I can't detect a difference from watching his stroke or spin or arc, but only his result.

That 1-11 really bothered me. I'm beginning to suspect that Griffin needs to respect the difficulty of the art of shooting more and he needs to focus on reproducing the very same stroke everytime. My advice to Griffin would be to find a pet shot. Find a favorite shot and favorite spot. Shoot it for 2 hours every game day before shootaround. Learn that spot and its distance like a free throw...and from both sides of the court.

Use that shot to start the game, and don't shoot another type of shot until you've made that one. Return to that shot anytime you need to snap out of a funk.

 

I don't think it's number 4. Anyone who can make the percentage of NBA 3's that Eddie made last year, in game situations, definitely has a shooting touch.

Personally, I also think that his shooting form is pretty decent too. Although I didn't see the game last night, I saw plenty of his performances last season.

I have seen some poor shot selection from him, usually when he went up with a weak turnaround in the post area. Against NBA level competition, you've got to go up confident, and if you're going to fade, fade, not lean backwards slightly. He got blocked too often taking that shot last season.

"Lack of poise" is probably the way I would describe his problems. Rushing shots when he has more time than he thinks to get set on his shot, and hesitating when he needed to go up in rhythm, and release the ball quickly.

Anyone got any comments based on watching last night?

Whatever it is, I sincerely believe coaching, confidence and some more NBA court time will see the problems disappear in time.

 

That's my take on it too. When has time, or thinks he has time, he is consistent. He's probably looking too much for someone trying to block his shot, since he does it all the time.

 

I think he's afraid of getting blocked because of his flat trajectory. This makes him rush his moves and shots, preventing him from getting in a good rhythm.

 

Short to mid range, he likes to use the glass. He gets a lot of in and out missed shots. He seems like he's shooting them a little hard, which is a sign of rushing his shot. I think he'll be okay. He's getting his shot off okay, which is a good sign.

 

Shooting will come, but right now he only has one move when posted up. Has that Karl Malone right foot fadeaway. Problem is that he barely gets off the floor when shooting and opponents know exactly whats he going to do.

I have never seen him do anything else besides that move in the low post.

 

I disagree, but probably out of hope. I don't think he "rushes." There are a lot of shooters who shoot in one fluid motion. That seems to be his style. He doesn't size up a shot. He jumps and shoots in one smooth motion, almost without a thought or worry...just do it.

Maybe the fact he jumps and shoots with a quick release is effecting his consistency, and he'll have to slow it down more, and pick his moments, but I sure hope not. I wouldn't coach him to slow it down, except for maybe 3 pointers. But low or high post, no way. If he slows those down, he'll never be a superstar.

I'd rather him continue practicing a quick release no matter what the defense gave him. What I don't want is a player to shoot different releases when they are inconsistent....just learn one, and it might as well be a smooth, quick one.

 

You can sum it up in one word...confidence.

I think a lot of it also has to do with his role in the offense. When he got the ball, he seemed a llittle unsure as to whether or not he should be shooting or getting back to one of the guards. I think he needs to assert himself more and regain some of the cockiness he had at Seton Hall.

He needs to remind himself that as a package (offensively and defensively), he may be the best talent on the floor. Once he regains his confidence/cockiness, he will shine.

You may disagree with this but I mentioned that he needs to get the mindset he had at Seton Hall. What I'm saying is that if it means that Griff turns into a "bad boy" , a la Rasheed, so be it.

He has all of the talent in the world bottled up inside of him...once he unleashes it, watch out!

 

I think I know the answer.

Its none of the above. Its his inability to create his own shot is what killing him. Without any good offensive moves, his inability to separate between him and his defender really hurts. Hence the low field goal percentage.

 

That is rushing your shot. Until he can practice and develop the quicker release I feel he looks like he's rushing it. I agree too that he isn't as assertive at getting his own O going. He needs to be more confident in his ability, aka MT or KT.

 

My point is that backboard shooting requires a very soft touch and his shots seem a little too hard.

 

Maybe "rushes" isn't the right word. He sometimes seems to be forcing the shot up slightly ahead of his rhythm. I agree with you that he has quite a nice smooth and quick release, and I can't really explain why, but sometimes his shot looks ahead of itself. I certainly know how it feels to shoot the ball like that, because I do the same thing every weekend

I'm not being very articulate, maybe when I get the chance to get home and look at some tape, I'll be able to isolate what I think I'm seeing.

 

ChenZen, good point but he's missing a lot of wide open shots too.

 

I'm probably totally wrong but I disagree. I think that using the backboard helps if you don't have a soft touch.

However, a flat trajectory would, IMHO, make a bank shot tougher.

 

You are very right about the flat trajectory, it's not a good mix for a backboard shooter. It limits your options. You either hit or you don't, the ball will rim out more often. It's also a hell of a lot harder to kiss one off the glass over a defender. If you shoot it a little softer, a ball has a lot more of a chance to hang on the rim and fall in. My personal opinon is that Eddie's shot flattens out when he rushes it.

 

<blockQUOTE><hr>Originally posted by ricerocket
That is rushing your shot. Until he can practice and develop the quicker release I feel he looks like he's rushing it. <hr></blockQUOTE>

What I said was is if he fails to consistently reproduce the identical stroke, spin, arc, distance when using a quick release, then he's going to have to slow it down and likely never become a superstar.

in my experience, the only way to learn a quick release is to first do it religiously, all the time, within your range. Inside 18', I'd coach him to only shoot a quick release if he has it in him, and I think he does. At 3pt land, I'd coach him to slow it down like Cuttino did last year. It looks to me like he has been practicing and developing a midrange quick release for years. I can promise you that in shootarounds he, indeed, shoots quickly.

the logic that people use to say he needs to do this or that now to learn how to do it is the truth behind developing a quick release. You have to do it all the time.

GBRocketsFan,

Yeah, I hear you about he is just ahead of his shot. I think the problem is timing and inconsistent wrist flick..but that is largely a guess, based on shooting woes that I've experienced as well as others. I can't detect an obvious problem, but he certainly is inconsistent on something subtle in his mechanics.

 

The big problem Ive noticed about Griffin's offensive game is that he is still shooting from a lot of low percentage areas like last season. I expected him to be on the block a whole lot more this season and get much higher percentage looks with his height, wingspan and leaping ability. However, it appears that he is still settling way too much for the perimeter shot throughout preseason and the first game. Its obvious that he did work on his back to the basket game this summer, but Griffin still needs a lot of work in terms of getting consistent position on the block and being able to execute his back to the basket moves more efficiently. Griffin's value right now is the ability to rebound and block shots, but his offense is still a work in progress imo.

From the limited sample we received of Mo Taylor in the pre-season, it appeared that his game close to the basket has improved leaps and bounds over the last year. This may have been what he was referring to when he discussed his improvment before the torn achilles. Its not a traditional turnaround shooting game like Olajuwon or Malone back in the day, but its a more face the hoop and slash to the rim. Mo was attacking the rim with regularity as he appears to be a lot quicker this season. I think at this stage, Mo is going to have to be the scorer at the PF spot b/c Eddie still needs more time to gain consistency on that end.

 

Mo's got the game of a small forward in a power forwards body. When he hits, it looks pretty, when he doesn't you want to remind him he's a power forward. Myself I prefer the post up banger type over a jump shooting 250lb finger rolling player, especially on a team already full of outside shooters.

 

It's simpler than that, ya'll.

Eddie, while he's progressing nicely, is still very raw and limited offensively. He's basically a spot-up shooter who hasn't yet developed the necessry footwork and ball-handling ability to create easier, higer percentage shots.

And he's not quite strong enough to consistently finish around the basket, especially against a team with quality bigs like Indiana.

In time, Eddie will become a more efficient offensive player, he just needs more time. I'm more interested in his low post defense and rebounding, for now. His points are gravy.