Maybe he's looking to see if all the Mavs have gone into the lockers since he has yet to hug all of them.
i feel like he needs to develop more and get on track. I thought his numbers were good, but these last few games he is just not doing all that well. I hope he can turn it around. EIther way, this kid has got a bright future.
I think the question now is whether or not he is a legitimate two, one who can help lead a team to the elite level. It is early, but the Boston game was not a good data point. Easy shots for top NBA players at that position were missed in the third quarter. Charges which are turnovers and lost opportunities continued. And at the end of the game, a relative bunny was missed. It is one game. But Stuckey needs to prove he has the skill set to take on that position before Joe signs him to a long deal.
Looking at the replay I disagree, I think it was a great game in terms of him having a great game tape to learn from. Rodney is a tough guy to figure out, he starts off great more often than not, when Q sits him (down the stretch) people say, "why wasn't Rodney in, he was having a great game" but he has yet to show that he can deliver down the stretch of a close ball game and rarely has he been productive in the later stages of ball games, BUT that was a PG (whose job it was to watch Rip and Tay play Keep-Away and GIMME THE BALL) as the Scoring Guard he's had mixed results. But if he can continue to play this well off the ball in the first 3 1/2 qtrs, then it's really a perfect scenario as it would set up Ben Gordon to be our closer, a position I believe he's very well suited for.
This is something I worry about with Stuckey. Can he learn anything? Can he adapt his game? Can he improve his weaknesses (shooting, decision-making, etc.)?
It is really hard to significantly improve shooting at this stage. I would assume that it won't happen and that any offense that involves him has to adapt to his strengths and weaknesses.
No, but he will give you his current average. This puts him out of the top ten and close to the mid-15-18.
Is there some sort of statistical measure to prove this? I'm sure there are guys that improved their jumper later in their careers, especially guys who relied on their quickness and athleticism to be effective. Kidd is a guy to me that when he came to the league he couldn't shoot at all, but he eventually developed a respectable three point shot. It actually surprises me how high up Kidd ranks on the all time three pointers made list.
After their first couple of seasons in the NBA, Jordan and Magic both improved their outside shots, mostly by tons of work during the summer. Grant Hill did the same thing. He even hired his own personal shooting coach. It's not too late for Stuckey to improve his jumper.
Hill's shooting coach was Chip Engelland, a former Duke player who played professionally for a while. He was also the shooting coach for Steve Kerr and Shane Battier. Now, he is an assistant coach with the Spurs.
It's tough to measure statistically because what tends to happen is that guys shoot poorly when they enter the league for a variety of reasons that don't have to do with their shooting ability-- lack of consistent minutes for rhythm or conditioning, nervousness (the game hasn't slowed down yet), lack of confidence from role not being cemented, inability to get open looks, being a secondary option where plays aren't called for you... etc. Kidd and Grant Hill really are 2 examples where there was a true improvement I'd say. Rip Hamilton improved his range through practice and training. It's not that it can't be done, it's just that it is rare. You know that almost every poor FT shooting big man has a dedicated coach or gets a lot of attention in practice, but they just can't seem to improve. FT's are probably the best stat to test this theory because all of the variables that I mention as skewing stats don't apply. It's just the player and the rim... and the ball and the crowd... and a jerk yelling "ball don't lie". Here are Duncan's career FT % stats. it jumps around a bit, but no distinct upward trend. He started off low, so there was room for improvement. He's one of the hardest working guys in bball with a terrific coaching staff. If he can't improve his shooting on this wide open uncontested shot, then it must be hard to retrain muscle memory and coordination for many players, no matter how hard they try. Tim Duncan NBA & ABA Statistics | Basketball-Reference.com Shaq's shows the same thing, but worse. Who works harder than Ben Wallace? He FT% is worse than it was in 1997.
Stuck's biggest problem right now is trying to draw fouls. He does not have the reputation of Lebron, DWade and other superstars in the league. He probably draws as much or more contact then other guys in the league but doesn't get the call. It is how all the big time scorers in the league accumulate a lot of their points. His mindset is right when you think that he is strong enough to finish after the contact and the fouls he can draw. It is the part of the NBA that drives me nuts. Lebron and Wade can lower their shoulder and crash through the paint to shoot 30 free throws a night getting the call every time. Stuck cannot. Is he drawing TOO MUCH contact?? What is the difference between his drives to the paint with a moving defender and a jump shooter that pump fakes and jumps into the blocker in the air to draw the file?? This is just as forced as the contact that Rodney gets every night. Somewhere in the middle is where he needs to be. Would spending the rest of the season attempting to avoid contact and just finish his shots earn him the respect of the officials so that when he does get fouled; they call it?? At this point I think he has gained the reputation of being out of control and the officials are more likely to call the charge if the play is close. How does he go about changing the perception of the officials on his playing style so that he can get these calls in the future??
lol the reputation? Lebron and wade are the leagues darlings.. and therefore and GIVEN the calls. see the nba finals the year the heat played the mavs... totally rigged..
Yeah, the refs did their part to keep the Mavs in the race for a bit longer. It was pathetic to see how obvious it was the league wanted the Mavs to win. It was like they didn't even try to hide it. Wasn't even Stern sitting in the crowd with a Mavs jersey during one of the games? Amazing stuff.
