1) Murphy had 4 yrs to "learn" the long range shots. Two of those yrs he was 2nd leading scorer, 1 yr he scored 20 pts/ game so u can't say he was not in top form. How long should Calvin have? EG played 2 yrs and some people'd already given up on him! 2) No matter how u look at it, if you can't make the shots, u can't make the shots. That is just a fact. Anything else are excuses. Rick Barry only played 1 yr with the 3pt shot and he launched them plenty enough. 3) Maybe so, but at least he was a great 3pt shooter at one time. Calvin was a great 3pt shooter only in your mind! and you counted him plenty! 4) A 3pt shooter is closer to the definition of a pure shooter than a 2 pt shooter who does not have range. You go to the gym, claim to be a shooter, someone challenge you to a 3pt contest. How does it sound if you say, I am a darn good shooter but I only shoot 2 pointers?!! 5) You can learn a lot of things. You can be ok to good at things you learned. Does not mean you can be the best. You assume Murphy can be a great 3pt shooter if he'd learned. You had nothing to back that up. I don't know if you remember Murphy's shooting form. It was a quick little jump and a quick release on the way up. I truly believe Calvin had not the strength to shoot the 3s with regularity. Picture Glen Rice shooting the 3s in your mind, it takes a very strong player to shoot them. Murphy's stats showed that he did not shoot the 3s. If you want to argue that he might be able to, you can do that all day long but you won't be able to take it to the bank!
rF, I agree that Murphy had never mastered the 3-pt shot. But I also think that you put too much stock in the 3 as a criterion of being a great shooter. I play with a guy who can shoot the 3 better than a lot of people. But that's all he does, standing outside the line waiting for the ball. When he gets closer to the basket, he can't shoot squat. Why is he such a good 3-pt shooter? Practice, practice, practice. And he is not even close to being a decent shooter. (BTW, is Bruce Bowen a great shooter?) I believe Calvin simply didn't give a damn about the 3. (Look at how few 3-pt attempts he took compared to the other guys in your stats.) That's just his style. I just can't believe given enough attention to practice it, Calvin Murphy couldn't beat my 3-pt shooting friend at his game.
Thanks, been wondering about that. Still can't say that I every heard any of the Rox announcers refer to him as the Jet although I could just be forgetting (long time ago!)
Calvin Murphy....hands down. Now if we can only get rid of those suits....but then again, Calvin wouldn't be the same
Wait, so you are saying that Glen Rice is the best pure shooter that never shot well for the Rockets, but for another team? Ok...that's nice. Glen Rice was the best pure shooter that was past his prime. So, he ever did it with the Rockets. You might as well say that Glen Rice was the best pure shooter for Miami/Charlotte. Not the Rox. And show me where I said that Murphy was a "great 3 point shooter?" Huh? He did NOT shoot the 3 because he shot from everywhere on the court. There was NO LINE. After 80 he was still more effective scoring three 2's. Than a single 3. He was not a specialist. He was a shooter! Plain and simple. Why is this so hard for you to understand? You are infatuated with the 3 point specialist. Imagine if the 3 point line was implemented in 1965. Then, it would have been a priority for players to come in early and learn that skill. "2 pt shooter who does not have range" Oh, please! Spare me. No range? That's your definition. You are the one that came up with magical 20ft line. "You can learn a lot of things. You can be ok to good at things you learned. Does not mean you can be the best. " I never said, "best" at 3 point shooting. But very competent. Add that to his already compete FG% and you have one hell of a package. " You assume Murphy can be a great 3pt shooter if he'd learned. You had nothing to back that up." I put stock in Murphy's ability to work hard to what he puts his mind to. He had an incredible toughness to improve his game. And given enough time (early in his career) he could have. As far as "nothing to back that up" well, my evidence is his already incredible shooting skill. You are assuming that he couldn't do it. So it goes both ways. But at least I have his current shooting stats to use as a baseline. "Maybe so, but at least Rice was a great 3pt shooter at one time." "At one time" not with the Rockets. Read the thread title. Oh, and by the way. I dare you to find out if Murphy can shoot the 3 today. I'd think you'd be surprised. Ask any player if they will challenge Murphy at a 3 point shooting contest today. Go ahead. Ask...
I'd pay to see Murph, Rick Barry, Mike Newlin, and Rudy T play a game of HORSE today. Hell, put 'em on the new court with Yao Ming and see if they don't win 50 games next year!
Did anyone else get this joke? Otis Thorpe? You must be kidding. I remember when I saw this guy AIRBALL a FREE-throw! LOL, but seriously, Calvin Murphy could shoot.
They might win a few games ... if they can score 200 pt/ game ..cause the opp will score 198, at least !
