What are some of the common misconceptions in basketball today? I think one of the biggest is that NBA and it's superstars can't shoot the ball. Fact: the NBA 3pt shot is actually longer than the one used in international basketball. How is it that the NBA is inferior in shooting when they're the ones who make 3pt shooting easier? And can International shooters be as good if not better with the NBA 3pt line? Fact: if the NBA used the 3pt line that FIBA uses, every player would be jacking up 3s all day, players will average A LOT more PPG, and the game would suck due to everyone settling for 3. Arguable: NBA player shooting struggles in international basketball have a lot more to do with zone defenses throwing their rhythm off and the fact that the line is shorter than they've been accustomed to their entire careers (standing behind that line, their %s aren't very high, but when you put them behind an NBA 3PT line, they're %s are just as good if not better). When they get enough PT they will be able to dominate the shooting aspect, and if you don't believe me, then pick up any stat sheet in the games they've played and you'll see they shot higher 3PT%s and made more than their opponents.
Every athletic player coming into the draft has enormous potential and they will likely live up to it. Or something along the lines of that. I think you may be on to something Heat4Life. If you think about it during NBA games, coaches chagne to zone defense to take players off rhythm and force them to shoot or at least move the ball well. Usually this is a great tactic while momentarily protecting weak defenders.
^ My point exactly, the mental aspect of shooting is overlooked. Coaches go to Zone Defense alot to throw players off rhythm and it's usually effective. Offenses tend to go stagnant and shooters tend to feel akward when shooting, especially when the pressure is on them to make a basket. It's really a thing to see how teams start to unravel when they see a zone defense. And in FIBA, Zone is the only defense they use, especially against USA, which is something that players in the team are not used. The 3pt line in FIBA is also a big factor for two reasons: a) Since the NBA is farther, players prefer to take one step back for a 3pter rather than long 2pters which is why they don't practice it. The %s aren't much different but the reward is. Sometimes the player is more focused on their spacing from the line and it throws em off, instead of just shooting the ball. Obviously standing behind the FIBA 3 line is not our strength, but if they stand about a foot or two behind it, then they'd feel more comfortable because of the NBA 3pt line (although their concious might still be focused on the FIBA 3pt line)
Didn't we just have some insane FT shooting percentages this past season? I know the Suns shot over 80% from the line, I think 80.6%, and both the Raptors and Clippers shot 79%+. Also with the 3PT shooting one, I think that just came because of their last performance. The team had guys who shot like 31% or even lower during the NBA season as their outside threats. Iverson and Marbury, Jefferson who shot like 33-34% that season but took 100 three's the whole year, Odom who was under 30%, Lebron and Wade weren't as good shooters then, and Melo shot 32.2%, and didn't play anyways, so that doesn't matter.
Another misconception is that people really underrate professional athletes. They are good. Anyone and everyone can kick anyones butt that's not professional. If you watch them practice or train by themselves, they make almost all their shots. That's why they are able to hit 40%+ in actual games broadcasted nationally or regionally.
Players like Nash are short. My dad commented that Nash looked short on tv. I noted that Nash was actually 6'3, he just looks short next to people like Dirk Nowitzki. I agree with Asiandotkom that people underestimate the athleticsim of NBA players. In my highschool, we had a 6'6 center who was lackluster (IMO) but he was considered pretty good to a lot of people and friends. I told a friend that that guy was a joke, and he gave me a funny look. I then asked him how tall did he think Jordan is. He said 6' something? And I said, no the exact same height as that guy in high school, and he realized how SCARY it would be to play one on one with Jordan, given his insane athleticsm. This 6'6 guy in high school could barely dunk, to give you an idea. Painted a good picture for my friend right then and there.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting asiandotkom:</div><div class="quote_post">Another misconception is that people really underrate professional athletes. They are good. Anyone and everyone can kick anyones butt that's not professional. If you watch them practice or train by themselves, they make almost all their shots. That's why they are able to hit 40%+ in actual games broadcasted nationally or regionally.</div> This is so true, even the scrubbiest guys would destroy most people they played against. Even Milt Palacio. This happens a lot with younger kids, like this 14 year old kid I know was telling me he knew a guy that could make the NBA <u>and be good</u>. I started laughing at him, his reasoning was because the guy was like 5'9 ish and could dunk. Yea, wow, I also know a guy 5'7 who has like a 43 inch vertical, he dunked over another guy, and can shoot very well, but has 0 chance at making the NBA. Some people just don't understand how good these guys really are.
Also, many people don't realize that NBA players are just nasty. I mean, there are cats i know that were dropping 30 a game in high school with ease, and when they reached university/ college they struggled to be starters on the team. At the same time, the best players on the college team most likely won't even reach the NBA level. It's just so hard to fathom how damn good these players are..
