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Z for Three?
- Thread starter GaryBriggs
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Zog
Formerly Northstar. The Block, The Shot, The Stop
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If Z is comfortable shooting 3's, he might as well shoot them more often if he's making a high enough percentage of them as compared to the long 2 pointers. I don't want him to only shoot three's, but if his percentage drop is minimal, obviously it makes sense to shoot it from a couple feet farther.
Except he hasn't. He's shooting 3's and everything else at pretty much the same rate, and if anything he's taking more in December than he did in November.
He is getting more dunks.
Mdog1
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Hmm. Well maybe I just haven't noticed it lately. I did however notice last night that he did a three about 5 seconds in to the clock. That bothers me. Like he couldn;t have tried to get a better shot for him self or a team mate. Oh well hard to fault a guy that has been shooting over 50% the last few games.
NaySmith
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Yeah, it's only heat checks when he misses them. Being a streak shooter, he'll string a few and by now we now that he will try to string them together. Yesterday he hit two crazy ones, clanged the next one, and on the next play he gave it up to Mo.
camakazee
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That's the best part about it. It shocks the hell out of the opponent's fans that still see Z as a big stiff. I have a lot of friends that are fans of other teams and when I try to tell them how essential Z is to the offense, outside of offensive rebounding and tips, and in terms of stretching the floor and hitting that deep j they tend to brush it off. When he stretches it all the way out to the 3 and nets it, they don't give me that same crazy look :chuckles:
GaryBriggs
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Z definitely gets very little love outside of cavs fans who are into it enough to post on message boards!
I have not always thought that he was the best fit for this team, but he has consistently been one of the best centers in the East for quite some time.
I like the addition of the three ball the more I see it and think it through. It reminds me a bit of Laimbeer. The rest of their game is not very similar, but laimbeer used to step out and shoot that set shot, which helped open up the offense for the rest of the Pistons.
I think that we are seeing what can happen when a team functions as a team. Clearly everything goes through Lebron, as it should, but the rest of the pieces of the team are just doing what they can do (BW defense, AV harrassing people, Z shooting and rebounds, Mo shooting and initiating, Brother Redbush shooting, playing defense, etc etc).
Z can shoot the jumper and get some boards, and doesn't need to be banging down low with the other team's 4 and 5's. BW can focus on D and hustle from the 4, and doesn't need to worry about being the team's primary low post scoring option (thankfully!). Delonte doesn't need to initiate the offense, he can focus on team defense and scoring. Mo can initiate and make some baskets.
I would say of the entire team the only guy that is not really playing to his strengths is Wally. He is not really a PF. He is doing his best, and is getting a ton of high-fives, but is out of position and not doing what he does best, which, to me, is spot-up shooting and then hiding on defense.
Z's ability to step out and hit the threeball, to me, is definitely a new wrinkle to his game. I have seen some mention "it's just a few steps back," which is true, but those are significant steps. His ability to do that stretches the defense even further, which is good. I think the problem with this is if he starts missing a ton, it could screw with him on the shorter shots, and he could lose his rhythm.
I have not always thought that he was the best fit for this team, but he has consistently been one of the best centers in the East for quite some time.
I like the addition of the three ball the more I see it and think it through. It reminds me a bit of Laimbeer. The rest of their game is not very similar, but laimbeer used to step out and shoot that set shot, which helped open up the offense for the rest of the Pistons.
I think that we are seeing what can happen when a team functions as a team. Clearly everything goes through Lebron, as it should, but the rest of the pieces of the team are just doing what they can do (BW defense, AV harrassing people, Z shooting and rebounds, Mo shooting and initiating, Brother Redbush shooting, playing defense, etc etc).
Z can shoot the jumper and get some boards, and doesn't need to be banging down low with the other team's 4 and 5's. BW can focus on D and hustle from the 4, and doesn't need to worry about being the team's primary low post scoring option (thankfully!). Delonte doesn't need to initiate the offense, he can focus on team defense and scoring. Mo can initiate and make some baskets.
I would say of the entire team the only guy that is not really playing to his strengths is Wally. He is not really a PF. He is doing his best, and is getting a ton of high-fives, but is out of position and not doing what he does best, which, to me, is spot-up shooting and then hiding on defense.
Z's ability to step out and hit the threeball, to me, is definitely a new wrinkle to his game. I have seen some mention "it's just a few steps back," which is true, but those are significant steps. His ability to do that stretches the defense even further, which is good. I think the problem with this is if he starts missing a ton, it could screw with him on the shorter shots, and he could lose his rhythm.
I seem to be making this point a lot, but the reason Z has been having so much success with his shooting is that no one wants to cover him 18ft away from the basket let alone 22ft.
Once the league gets the memo, things may change, and perhaps some teams will clear out the middle but that's akin to suicide with James on the floor.
Once the league gets the memo, things may change, and perhaps some teams will clear out the middle but that's akin to suicide with James on the floor.
GaryBriggs
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yep, that's a pick your poison situation jon.
i am glad i don't have to coach against the cavs this year
i am glad i don't have to coach against the cavs this year
Lee
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Agree, but want to add if they open up the middle, not only will lebron have a field day, Mo has proved more than capable of taking the ball to the hole. Not as good as Lebron, but then again who is as good at taking it to the hole as lebron.
OnTheReg
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yep, that's a pick your poison situation jon.
i am glad i don't have to coach against the cavs this year
Ain't that the truth. You'd have to execute pretty flawlessly to get past our efficient offense AND defense this year. Only 4 teams have done it thus far and, frankly, I don't even count losses 1 and 2 as legit.
Cavatt
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Closing out on Delonte has allowed Lebron to get to the hole easier lately, so the same should be true of Z once people realize. I am worried about players jumping out there to block him and landing on his feet. Since he is so tall they would really have to run out there fast or they just have zero chance of contesting it.