People forget that the corner 3 is just as efficient as a layup. The league average 3pt% difference from the corner to the arc is 7%. We run the efficiency strategy of 3s and layups, but we've regressed from taking the corner 3 shot. Couple that with the fact that we're below average on 3 pt %, it's down right alarming. The Rockets have taken 23% of their 3s from the corner 3 this year as opposed to 30% last year. I've broken it down to some individual players. -Lin doesn't take many corner 3s, despite camping the corner 3 spot all the time. Instead, he comes out to take a pass at the arc for a triple threat position. Note, the arc is the worst 3 pt% position. -Parsons used to take more catch and shoots from the corner, but is now running more triple threats from the arc as well. -Harden rarely touches the corner 3 spot, this year and last year. -Garcia is the only consistent corner 3 shooter, but we haven't seen a lot of him this year. -Casspi takes a good amount of 3s, but not from the corner. Compare this to last year, where we had Delfino (29%) and Patterson who takes (78%). We need more corner 3 shooters to make up for their absence. It's all on coaching. Garcia, Delfino and Patterson are all veterans. We need to instill the importance of the corner 3 on our developing players.
Good observation, Now that I think of it, its usually the arc 3 pointers that they take. Parsons was DEADLY last year form the corner, I think around 50%, he needs to get back to that.
Bingo. There have been several games this season when it seemed like everyone lost confidence in their shot, and as a result they pump faked good open looks -- Terrence Jones is the poster boy for this.
I have never been a fan of 3 point shooting teams... especially when it come to playoff time when the rim seems to shrink for players... maybe its just my failed eye test... but it would be great if someone could post up how..... good past 3 point shooting teams... shot in the regular seasons vs playoffs in the past to me its the playoffs that matter the most
Nice analysis, though I disagree with your concluding paragraph. Since Casspi is much more of a veteran than Patterson was last year, I would assume that the developing players you are referring to are Beverley, Motiejunas, and Jones. You didn't analyze them, but it seems to me that Beverley takes a lot of corner threes (though he really doesn't shoot very much.) Motiejunas takes the corner three, he just doesn't make it. Jones, well, he takes 1.5 three pointers per game and I think they're mostly from the arc, but I don't know. Your entire post is fact-filled and well reasoned, but then in the last sentences you suddenly conclude "it's all on coaching . . . We need to instill the importance of the corner 3 on our developing players." Can I take that to mean that, if you were coach, we'd see a lot of three point shooting from the corner from Jones and Motiejunas? Because I don't think that that's a winning idea. Patterson was asked, by the coaching staff that you malign, to develop the corner three and he did a superlative job. If the corner three is vital to your offense you a) don't trade Patterson and Morris b) sign some free agents who shoot the corner three, such as Garcia, the player we signed from Charlotte (sorry, forgot his name), Brewer, and to a lesser extent Casspi c) focus Jones's and DMo's game to the perimeter d) turn Lin into a corner three specialist e) get Beverley to shoot corner 3's and >ahem< start him, freeing up Lin run the second unit attacking from the triple threat location while Garcia and Casspi are in the game to provide firepower from the three point line in general and give you corner threes in particular. f) pursue a longer term strategy involving players like Covington and Canaan, your entire D-League affiliate, and unnamed players you will someday sign. None of these options are going to be universally popular, but I just think that c and d are the only bad answers here. But of course, maybe there's something else. I mean, I was astounded when they made Patrick Patterson a corner three threat, never saw that coming. Howard IS shooting 40% from three point range for the year and every shot he made was from the corner. Guess we could trot him out there a little more . . .
This was a quick stats check to back up my "feeling" that we weren't shooting many corner 3s. Feel free to add to it. I only included guys who I thought shot the most amount of 3s. I consider Lin and Parsons to be developing players. I think Harden to some extent is one as well, because there's still things he needs to learn to lead a team instead of being 6th man under Durant and Westbrook. I thought Casspi came from the European league, I didn't know his history, so my mistake. As for the coaching problem. One would think the coaches would dictate the basic concept and position even in a R&R system. There's some excuse for Lin and Harden to be taking 3s from the arc, because they excel from the triple threat. However, 15% and 9.4% from the corner is too low. Lin especially by camping the corner 3. He's supposed to be spacing the floor, but not when he's only taking 15% of those shots. Defenders can give him a lot of slack knowing he won't catch and shoot. Harden also just "hangs out" on the arcs sometimes. He can increase the floor spacing and his own efficiency by just moving to the corner instead. I can't complain too much on Parsons, because he's learning to play with the ball and that's difficult to do in the corner. However, the team would be better if Parsons becomes the dedicated corner 3 shooter, because there's no one else better. Casspi really shouldn't be on the arc at all as a back up 4. I feel with these minor adjustments, we could solve this problem and I look to the coaches to do that.
Garcia played < 20 games with us last year. Not sure if you should count him. maybe. And I wouldn't say the arc 3 is the worst percentage. It's more about that it is easier to get wide open at the corner. The arc is most likely the easiest to make when wide open. Certainly is for me, because it's just a longer FT and has better depth perception, sight-lines So, maybe defenses are taking away the corner 3 from us more?? And less about player choice.
Corner threes are very efficient but mostly achieved through very good and crisp ball movement on the perimeter by swinging the ball to the open man. We mostly seem to drive and dish the ball back out to the top/arc if my eye test is not completely wrong instead of the corner. Our guys parking in the corner seem to cut inside the paint or run out towards the top of the perimeter. (Ofc i have no evidence for all this but thts my impression from the games i watched)
I put Garcia in there just, because there's data for him last year and this year for comparison. The 3 from the arc is statistically the worst % shot among 3s. There's data for it if you want to look it up. Here's a simple graph of PPS for the entire NBA. The corner and the top of the key are the hot zones. The corner 3 does take more effort to get an open shot. You need a driver who can draw a double from a wing defender. (We have Lin and Harden) You can also get off ball running screens ala Reddick/Ray Allen. However, just because it's harder doesn't mean we shouldn't be running plays for it
Very good point. We are not swinging the ball into the corner. Know why? It's very simple. Jones spots up at the arc most of the time because he is a driver and a cutter. Spotting up at the arc gives him more options with the dribble over spotting up in the corner. That leaves the small forward and a guard in the corners. Now who is the defense going to play tight? Jones at the arc shooting a 29% 3-ball who wants to drive the ball or the corner spot up shooters? Quick.....make a decision here. Guys, any quality defense that plays us takes away two of our shooters and plays off Jones. He can't swing the ball to the corner because that guy has a defender in his jock. Jones is forced to reverse the ball back to the top and then they try to go to the opposite corner and low and behold that guy is covered too. By this time Harden or Lin has to make a play with what is left of the shot clock, so they penetrate and Jones collapses in to the basket because his defender is already in the paint helping on the drive. We won't be efficient on corner 3's until we get a third shooter on the floor and take Jones out.
We definitely need more corner threes. I know defenses are really trying to shut down the corner three but still, great team get the shots they want. I think Morey said that Cassip shoots around 50% from the corner three as well as Parsons. We need to get them more shots for them especially in the corner. And I wish Harden would take more corner threes or even set threes. He takes so many ISO threes or threes where he is off balance. No wonder his three point % is low this year.
Great thread. I've also noticed this trend. Parsons is really the only one I see out there a lot... And I'd say his declining percentage is a scouting issue... Which he's counteracted with a sweet pump fake. He'll find a happy medium. Threes should be done from top of key or corners. There's two corners. So the %s should be reversed. I'd like to see a LOT more corner threes. A lot. And that includes Harden. Principally because he can be deadly along those baselines... See first half of season last year wih baseline cuts. But everyone can be more efficient with more corner threes being taken.... Because when you're able to stretch the floor on that corner the read react offense seems to work really well if you dribble penetrate or swing the ball from that spot.
Excellent observation, OP! I love it when someone comes up with a truly overlooked and pertinent topic, and one that sparks good conversation. I think that's what you've done here. Here's one thought. My inclination would be to say that our ball movement isn't as good as it should be, the passes not always as crisp as we want, the extra pass is often not taken, and that it's impacting our corner treys, reducing their number this season. I thought we had better ball movement while James was out. Did we take more corner threes? Anyone know? Very tiny sample size, of course. I still have the games on my DVR, so I could look, but I assume there's an easier way.
This post cracked me up, given your username and the fact that the Rockets led the NBA in 3PA in both of the championship years
