Basketball: Can it be taught?

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SLYFOXX1968

Well-known member
2022 $upporter
Marillac2 said:
Shooting is a skill — which by definition can be learned.

Coordination I would classify as a talent which can only be improved slightly.
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Disagree. Which is my opinion Shooting is easily the most practiced activity of every BB Player. Yet , despite the overwhelming amount of practice devoted to Shooting drills , Practice , Scrimmages , only a limited few are elite shooters .
They draw our attention above all others . If Larry Bird , Mullin or Reggie Miller couldn’t shoot , would they be HOF players ?
Bird might be because he did everything at a Elite level . Both , Mullin and Reggie were exceptional shooters but , would they be in the HOF for their defense, rebounding , passing ability , blocking shots ?
Doubtful .

If shooting can be learned , why are there so few at the highest levels ?
 
SLYFOXX1968 said:
Disagree. Which is my opinion Shooting is easily the most practiced activity of every BB Player. Yet , despite the overwhelming amount of practice devoted to Shooting drills , Practice , Scrimmages , only a limited few are elite shooters .
They draw our attention above all others . If Larry Bird , Mullin or Reggie Miller couldn’t shoot , would they be HOF players ?
Bird might be because he did everything at a Elite level . Both , Mullin and Reggie were exceptional shooters but , would they be in the HOF for their defense, rebounding , passing ability , blocking shots ?
Doubtful .

If shooting can be learned , why are there so few at the highest levels ?
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Jenkins shot 25% from 3 until he was a senior (the first time).

Jaedon Ledee of San Diego State was 0-16 from 3 his first 4 seasons in college and made 20 of 45 his 5th year for 44.4%.

There are countless big men who have drastically improved as shooters in their careers. Obviously that doesn’t mean everyone does.

Mitchell has a good chance to improve there.
 
Marillac2 said:
Jenkins shot 25% from 3 until he was a senior (the first time).

Jaedon Ledee of San Diego State was 0-16 from 3 his first 4 seasons in college and made 20 of 45 his 5th year for 44.4%.

There are countless big men who have drastically improved as shooters in their careers. Obviously that doesn’t mean everyone does.

Mitchell has a good chance to improve there.
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Best example that comes to mind although not a big man is Bruce Bowen who was a key starter (three and D guy) on some excellent Spur teams. Shot 28% from three in four years in college but became an excellent corner three shooter in the pros shooting over 40% from three in 6 of his last 10 years and averaged 39% from three throughout his NBA career. Having said that, I'd agree that kind of improvement is more the exception than the rule.
 
Marillac2 said:
Jenkins shot 25% from 3 until he was a senior (the first time).

Jaedon Ledee of San Diego State was 0-16 from 3 his first 4 seasons in college and made 20 of 45 his 5th year for 44.4%.

There are countless big men who have drastically improved as shooters in their careers. Obviously that doesn’t mean everyone does.

Mitchell has a good chance to improve there.
Click to expand...
Good examples of Players who will never be Elite Shooters
I’m not going to look at the Stats because stats sometimes don’t tell the story accurately .

In my mind and I think many posters here , not you , believe that Jenkins was a very decent 2 point shooter for a good portion of the BE Schedule .
Dingle also saw better results when he looked for his more natural mid range jumper than a forced 3 . He also started going to the basket more for his floater .
 
NCJohnnie said:
Best example that comes to mind although not a big man is Bruce Bowen who was a key starter (three and D guy) on some excellent Spur teams. Shot 28% from three in four years in college but became an excellent corner three shooter in the pros shooting over 40% from three in 6 of his last 10 years and averaged 39% from three throughout his NBA career. Having said that, I'd agree that kind of improvement is more the exception than the rule.
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I don't think Bowen went anywhere on offense other than those corners. The defense thought they were playing 5-4 until that ball got kicked to the corner. How they left him open at all was insane.
 
SLYFOXX1968 said:
Good examples of Players who will never be Elite Shooters
I’m not going to look at the Stats because stats sometimes don’t tell the story accurately .

In my mind and I think many posters here , not you , believe that Jenkins was a very decent 2 point shooter for a good portion of the BE Schedule .
Dingle also saw better results when he looked for his more natural mid range jumper than a forced 3 . He also started going to the basket more for his floater .
Click to expand...
I’ve said numerous times that I think Jenkins has great pull up and could shoot just as well as Taylor from three if he was spotting up. My issues with him on the offensive side of the ball are solely over-dribbling, fit/chemistry with other perimeter players, and not drawing any contact.

None of those guys will be elite shooters, you are right. You need to be born with world class coordination for that. But if Mitchell can hit 33-37% from 3, he’s playing in the NBA.
 
Marillac2 said:
I’ve said numerous times that I think Jenkins has great pull up and could shoot just as well as Taylor from three if he was spotting up. My issues with him on the offensive side of the ball are solely over-dribbling, fit/chemistry with other perimeter players, and not drawing any contact.

None of those guys will be elite shooters, you are right. You need to be born with world class coordination for that. But if Mitchell can hit 33-37% from 3, he’s playing in the NBA.
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lol if Mitchell can shoot 36% from three, he's getting a 200 million dollar NBA contract.
 
bucketshardy said:
with Mitchell being the hottness at the moment.... Having only seen his highlight video posted- where he shot 100%.... here are his Totals from his first two years:

View attachment 2875

For those that are saying (im sure its true) he Can't shoot... is this 60% from 2 - just pure putbacks? I'm personally encouraged by his 20% jump in FT shooting... albiet it should be pretty easy for a D1 player to improve from 40% lol.... but hey... he improved...
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I have a new word I would like to have incinerated into ash heap and never appear in this forum again:“hottness.”
 
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John Starks could shot, just not when it counted the most. Game 7 Championship He'd finish 2-for-18 from the field and 0-for-11 from three, still among the worst performances in a game that would decide an NBA championship.
 
I recall Looie bringing a shooting coach into pre season practices to teach players how to improve their shooting technique. Maybe someone can recall his name. All I can remember is was an ex Columbia coach who was considered a shooting expert.
 
GardenCity62 said:
I recall Looie bringing a shooting coach into pre season practices to teach players how to improve their shooting technique. Maybe someone can recall his name. All I can remember is was an ex Columbia coach who was considered a shooting expert.
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Any chance it was Lou Rossini?
 
Shooting, like hitting a baseball, is difficult, certainly not impossible, but just as certainly difficult, to improve on “later” because of the difficulty in changing the bodies muscle memory built up over years. That is obviously the basis for the mantra about establishing good mechanics early so one is not practicing “bad habits”.
 
I would add, I coached both shooting and hitting privately, the ironic thing being I knew HOW to hit and how to teach it but couldn’t hit a lick myself once I reached HS, could not touch a breaking pitch. Basketball, a different game when I played as a point guard, I could shoot but my job was not to look for my own, so I almost never played with a shooter’s mentality.
But both hitting especially, but shooting also, require a mental understanding and acceptance that you are going to fail more than you succeed, traditional big men in basketball being the notable exception. Both require you have that best of attributes great cornerbacks have, a very short to no memory. I knew many players that could shoot with the best of them until they maybe missed a few or the lights got too bright.
Fans often will suggest, opine, whatever that shooters should stop shooting and I would offer that EVERY great shooter KNOWS the next one is going in so they don’t and never should stop shooting. What they do have to know is what is a good shot for them, and look for those.
 
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Of course basketball can be taught!

In fact, everything I know about basketball I've learned here from the great teachers on redmen.com:

-Who to target in the portal
-How to distribute NIL money
-When to pass on a portal player
-How to decipher cryptic social posts
-What the lock meme means
-How to deal with chaotic handlers
-How Repole should spend his money
-Why Zagoria is a wet blanket
-When should a thread be derailed
-Who is lawmanfan
-Where is uscongress
-How is Sherman, Sherman and Grant
-Why is Silly Donovan
 
SLYFOXX1968 said:
Disagree. Which is my opinion Shooting is easily the most practiced activity of every BB Player. Yet , despite the overwhelming amount of practice devoted to Shooting drills , Practice , Scrimmages , only a limited few are elite shooters .
They draw our attention above all others . If Larry Bird , Mullin or Reggie Miller couldn’t shoot , would they be HOF players ?
Bird might be because he did everything at a Elite level . Both , Mullin and Reggie were exceptional shooters but , would they be in the HOF for their defense, rebounding , passing ability , blocking shots ?
Doubtful .

If shooting can be learned , why are there so few at the highest levels ?
Click to expand...
I have to disagree with you here. Problem #1 is “No one is “born” a good shooter”. Guys like Mullin or Bird etcetera were taught how to shoot. My guess is they had good teachers (coaches) who didn’t accept bad habits. They perfected their skill by practice and repetition. Yes some guys didn’t get it others learned and became better. Guys like Mullin, Miller and Bird, by all accounts, drilled for hours. The stories are never of these guys hoisting up shots without purpose. Wasn’t the story that Mo wouldn’t leave the building until he “hit” x amount of shots in a row? Something like that but I don’t want to embellish.
 
sjc88 said:
I have to disagree with you here. Problem #1 is “No one is “born” a good shooter”. Guys like Mullin or Bird etcetera were taught how to shoot. My guess is they had good teachers (coaches) who didn’t accept bad habits. They perfected their skill by practice and repetition. Yes some guys didn’t get it others learned and became better. Guys like Mullin, Miller and Bird, by all accounts, drilled for hours. The stories are never of these guys hoisting up shots without purpose. Wasn’t the story that Mo wouldn’t leave the building until he “hit” x amount of shots in a row? Something like that but I don’t want to embellish.
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Practice and good teaching only go so far .
It took more than honing their Craft to make Miller, Mullin and Bird the Pure shooters they were .
They had a natural ability to excel in shooting the basketball . Any kid can take singing lessons and practice but , will never be Pavorotti .
 
sjc88 said:
I have to disagree with you here. Problem #1 is “No one is “born” a good shooter”. Guys like Mullin or Bird etcetera were taught how to shoot. My guess is they had good teachers (coaches) who didn’t accept bad habits. They perfected their skill by practice and repetition. Yes some guys didn’t get it others learned and became better. Guys like Mullin, Miller and Bird, by all accounts, drilled for hours. The stories are never of these guys hoisting up shots without purpose. Wasn’t the story that Mo wouldn’t leave the building until he “hit” x amount of shots in a row? Something like that but I don’t want to embellish.
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Agree 100%, players can improve a great deal.
My son has never been a great shooter or scorer and has always been a pass first pg.
He has been surrounded by great players, 2 teammates play in the NBA, and at 5 8 did not look to score.
After last season I told him your team looks lousy for next year as there is no proven offensive player, get in the gym and hoist up 500 3 pointers a day. He shot until his arm was killing for months and lo and behold he finished in the top 10 3 point shooters, points scored all while still leading the league in assists. Is he Reggie Miller, Larry Bird, Chris Mullin, absolutely not, those are amongst the greatest 3 point shooters ever, but in 1 off season he became a much better shooter and scorer by putting in the proper work.
Practice, focus, repetition, a new coach who had a stint in the NBA ( a Syracuse Grad ) made a world of difference.
 
redmannorth said:
Agree 100%, players can improve a great deal.
My son has never been a great shooter or scorer and has always been a pass first pg.
He has been surrounded by great players, 2 teammates play in the NBA, and at 5 8 did not look to score.
After last season I told him your team looks lousy for next year as there is no proven offensive player, get in the gym and hoist up 500 3 pointers a day. He shot until his arm was killing for months and lo and behold he finished in the top 10 3 point shooters, points scored all while still leading the league in assists. Is he Reggie Miller, Larry Bird, Chris Mullin, absolutely not, those are amongst the greatest 3 point shooters ever, but in 1 off season he became a much better shooter and scorer by putting in the proper work.
Practice, focus, repetition, a new coach who had a stint in the NBA ( a Syracuse Grad ) made a world of difference.
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Great example close to home RMN. I suspect part of the problem is none of us like to practice things we’re not good at, much more fun to get even better at stuff we’re naturally good at. Probably why I enjoy practicing raising a beer.
 
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