Game Thread 2024-25 GAME #16 - NBA CUP - BLAZERS @ ROCKETS - NOV 22, 2024 - FRI - 5:00 PM - KATU, CHARGE, BV

While I don’t want him to be a high volume 3 pt shooter either, it’s a league predicated on keeping defenders honest. If he can drag out an interior defender because he has the ability to hit that shot, it can open things up in the lane for our guards.

 

that seems like an unproven theory; maybe even a disproved theory. The opposing C guarding Clingan is not going to track him all the way out to 20 feet from the rim. Not until Clingan can prove he can consistently hit 38-40% of the three's he takes. And the only way he can prove that is by shooting a bunch of them. Bigs didn't chase Meyers Leonard out to the arc even when he was making 40%. That's why he was almost always wide open out there. That's especially going to be the case if Clingan is shooting less than two three's a game and making o.5-0.8 a game. That will not change any opponent's defensive game plan. No chance

if fact, at this point I think opposing teams would consider it a big win whenever Clingan was parked around the arc on offense. After last night, Clingan's offensive rebounding rate is 19%. Daniel Gafford leads the NBA among qualified players at 15.9%. Clingan doesn't qualify yet because of minutes. Clingan is averaging 3.2 off rebounds in 17 minutes. His per36 projection is 6.7 off rebounds. That's going to hurt opposing teams a lot more than the extra point he might make from behind the arc

something else about that theory: teams don't chase Jokic or Embiid or Sabonis out to 20 feet from the hoop just because they might hit one or even two three's a game. They go out that far because they know they have to contest passing lanes from guys like that. Jokic is averaging 11 assists; Sabonis average 8 last season; Embiid aveaged 6. Those guys can pick a team apart if they aren't guarded closely. Clingan is averaging 0.3 assists; 0.6 per36. He's not a threat as a passer or as an initiator of offense. He'd just be a 7'2 spot-up shooter

I think you guys are reacting to assumptions of what I was arguing instead of the context of what I said

somebody posted that if Clingan could get "comfortable" shooting three's it would be a good thing. I simply said I wasn't a fan of that idea. There would be only one way Clingan can get comfortable shooting three's in games and that by shooting them often; for sure shooting a lot more often than he has so far. Practice three's aren't the same thing.

I said I'd rather have Clingan working on other things and that three's would be way down the list of priorities for a 20 year old 7'2 C. I don't have a problem with him averaging about 0.5 attempts right now. I wouldn't have much of one with him averaging 1 attempt if his minutes increase. I just don't want to see him shooting more than 2 a game; not at this point in his career. If he gets a little comfortable shooting three's by his 3rd or 4th season, fine. I still think it would be taking him away from what he does best

 

I think you're starting from a different point than I am.
I believe Clingan already is a good 3-point shooter if he's wide open.
He needs game attempts, not more practice shots.

I don't understand how taking 3-4 wide open three-point shots during a game prevents him from working on other aspects of his game. That better not be true.

 

3 or 4? seriously? He's averaging 17 minutes. That would be 6-8 attempts per36. Grant is averaging 6.6; Simons 7.2

in the previous couple of seasons, Saboins has averaged 1.1 attempts/game in 35 minutes; and he shot 37.5%

since Ayton has been out, Clingan has averaged 22.7 minutes. AND, he's averaged 6 FGA in that stretch. Say he gets up to 25 minutes and increases his FGA to 8 a game. You're suggesting he should take close to half of his shots from three? Think about that. He wouldn't receive the pass and jack up a shot every time he went out that far. How many times would he have to float out behind the arc to get of 3-4 shots? 15? 20? And how many of those times would that put him out of offensive rebounding range?

 

If the shots are wide open and he feels confident about the shots, he should take them, period. At this point the games are Practice But With Real Opponents. There are no stakes whatsoever this season. I’d love to see him work on a midrange jumper too. Let him explore the space. It’s not a big deal.