RE: 3 Point Shot

[jmc@ptc.com (Jonathan McIntyre)]

Brandon Kern said:
> Since the Celtics don't have a big man that is a threat then they must
> start putting the ball on the floor and get more lay ups and dunks.  I
> think we will find if they do that then the 3 pt % will go up, because
> they will have many  more open looks.  

That's exactly right!  You should use the 3 point shot to maximize your 
chance of winning the game.  It hurts team hustle and morale on offense 
if you have people working to get open inside, or with a path to the 
basket, and the guy with the ball doesn't even try to get it inside to 
them, and just opts to haul up a 3-pointer under defensive pressure, or 
take it all the way himself.  The 3-pointer should be used as a way to 
make teams think twice about double-teaming your low-post players and 
leaving players open outside.  If your low-post player kicks out to an 
open shooter when doubled, you get a high percentage scoring opportunity, 
and eventually teams will be forced to double more carefully, giving your 
inside players better scoring opportunities. 

Right now on the Celtics, Walker is the only guy who commands a double 
team, and he rarely kicks the ball out to the open shooter.  The Celtics 
still take a lot of 3's, but it mainly seems to be when they can't figure 
out how to get the ball inside, as the defense is set and no one's
moving, or perhaps they're just afraid of taking it inside and getting
fouled and injured or bruised, or getting their shot blocked.  The
point is that they take the 3's not as a way to command to the other
team what to do on defense, but as a way of being commanded by the
other team what to do on offense.  On championship teams, the 3 is used 
as a weapon to open up opportunities and get defenses frustrated, rather 
than as a random bailout shot the way the C's have used it. 

Jon Mc