Poll: Who is worried about Smart's shot.

[jaketwice]

Smart was a huge mistake.

[zerophase]

I kinda of see Smart like this:

Best case? Deron Williams, Wade
Worst case? Tony Allen, Rodney Stuckey

[GreenWarrior]

wow jumping the gun here. while his shot isn't falling, it looks better than Rondo's. 2 games into summer league is a lil too early to call someone a bust and give up on them though...not sure how or why that needs to be explained though.

[Fafnir]

Rondo and Avery developed their shots

There has been no material improvement in Rondo and Bradley's shooting over the course of their careers so far (at least where the long ball is concerned). It's a nice tall tale, though.

I thought Bradley's 3 pt FG% improved a lot last season?  Am I wrong?

You're not.  He is wrong.

Also wrong about Rondo, who hasn't improved his shooting as broadly but has become a legitimately good shooter from the elbow area.

Rondo shot ~45% on 2-pointers outside 10 feet in his second year, and is yet to beat this mark. 

Bradley has been a .400 shooter on shots outside 16 feet for most of his career. He shot .407 from three in his second season, so I'm not sure how last year was any sort of improvement.

The "improvement" story is largely anecdotal. Sure, it may happen, but it's nowhere close to a foregone conclusion that shooting ability is bound to improve over a player's career.

Where and when you shoot is as important as percentages.

The idea that Rondo hasn't improved because he shot 45% in 07-08 by taking mostly baseline 15 footers with set feet (on the right side as part of the C's pet plays for KG) is just refusing to look beyond FG%.

[Fafnir]

I'm concerned, but not very much. Every player has flaws.

[DarkAzcura]

Rondo and Avery developed their shots

There has been no material improvement in Rondo and Bradley's shooting over the course of their careers so far (at least where the long ball is concerned). It's a nice tall tale, though.

Yes, Rondo shooting ~49-50% from 16-23 feet a couple seasons ago (12-13) and Bradley improving at the 3PT line is no material improvement. 

[CeltsAcumen]

I have got to believe an organization like the Celtics will tear that shot up and rebuild it, but that type of change takes time and remember...

shooting is like archery or shooting a gun, its a repetitive skill based on mechanics and keeping motion in your shot to a minimum.  Muscle memory is a big deal with shooting.  These are traits and skills that can be learned only through repetition.  Smart needs more reps and someone to "fix" the issues.  That takes time.  Really desire is all that is needed and Smart looks to have the right attitude.

Shooting is not like swinging a baseball bat, which is more of an art.

[erisred]

How about none of the above?

I'm not worried because I knew he wasn't a great shooter. So, par for the course.  He should get better with practice, but that's going to take time. If say bring this back up if he's still a brick layer come November.

[CFAN38]

I am not concerned but this will not be fixed by mid season. I expect Smart to gradually improve as a shooter like many PGs have in the past (Kidd, Parker, Rondo [thought RR still not average]) by the end of his rookie deal I can see him as an average shooter.

[Chief Macho]

He can't shoot.  He'll never be a true point.   He'll be more of a scorer,  and his main advantage will be his physical defense on multiple positions and toughness.   

[Csfan1984]

He has good form so I think its a feel thing. I expect he has to build up more muscle memory or figure out his pre-game routine.

[kozlodoev]

The idea that Rondo hasn't improved because he shot 45% in 07-08 by taking mostly baseline 15 footers with set feet (on the right side as part of the C's pet plays for KG) is just refusing to look beyond FG%.

Except this is not true.

Rajon Rondo, 2007-08
10-16 ft: 91 shots total, 41% FG.
16-23 ft: 249 shots total, 46% FG.

And yes, even conceding that most of these were the result of a pretty well functioning pet play (I never understood why they threw it out of the playbook after the championship season) -- with the exception of an outlier in 2012-2013, Rondo's shooting has remained largely unchanged in terms of shooting percentage and number of assisted shots.

[kozlodoev]

Yes, Rondo shooting ~49-50% from 16-23 feet a couple seasons ago (12-13) and Bradley improving at the 3PT line is no material improvement.

Yep, it's the one season where he shot ~.500 and not the 5 seasons where he shot in the high .300s / low .400s that matter.

[Celtics4ever]

He has good form so I think its a feel thing.

I don't argee, he has good form.  His shooting stroke is forced and mechanical.   I think he holds the ball awkwardly due to his hand positioning.  He needs to get his arm a little higher and not cock the ball back so far back.  He also tends to turn his body in the air slightly.

This highlights of his jumpers but you can see the faults even here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GWHNw5JMkE

Now here is proper form

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veEm8zRxROc

Notice how he doesn't turn his shoulders and keeps his body square.   He also does not overcock.

Rondo's forced mechanical form should be better but he still has issues with the turning in the air slightly of his shoulders and I don't like his arm shoulder positioning with the over cock.

Now Bird cocked his shots to the right of his head often.   But he usually squared up when it mattered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx6OeoT4vkw

That being said, the man should shoot from angle or falling down.  But if you watch the great shooters you will see that even when they look off balance that at times while his feet may not line up his shoulders still do.  Bob Knight said Bird had the best hand eye coordination he had ever seen.

[DarkAzcura]

Yes, Rondo shooting ~49-50% from 16-23 feet a couple seasons ago (12-13) and Bradley improving at the 3PT line is no material improvement.

Yep, it's the one season where he shot ~.500 and not the 5 seasons where he shot in the high .300s / low .400s that matter.

You said that where was no material improvement. Don't change your point. '12-13 was Rondo's last healthy season, and he was one of the best pull-up, off the dribble mid-range jump shooters in the league that year. That's a far cry from shooting baseline jumpers off broken plays from Pierce or Garnett in 2008. That's the definition of improvement. Rondo was better in his most recent healthy season. It's a fact.

I hope you know that low 40s is not even bad for a shooter in this league. You must not know how poorly the league generally shoots it then.