Do you agree with how Stevens is using Sully?

[kozlodoev]

You haven't been looking hard enough, then.

Or he hasn't been here long enough. I will absolutely stipulate that trading Garnett and Pierce has made me grumpy in my old age

[BudweiserCeltic]

Enough time? I don't think so, particularly for 22 year old who just began incorporating that into his game last year, shot selection is still something very correctable that comes with experience. He hasn't had enough of that yet.

That's something he should have been doing at 16. It's a bit of a luxury using NBA games as a skills academy.

You're a funny man.

[kozlodoev]

You're a funny man.

I may just be dumb here, but how many examples do you have for NBA players that learned skills from scratch during their NBA careers -- something that they never really did before, and didn't show any natural aptitude for. The closest I can think of is Kidd, but even he had 200+ college three pointers, shot 33% in his sophomore NBA year, and never looked back.

[mgent]

Enough time? I don't think so, particularly for 22 year old who just began incorporating that into his game last year, shot selection is still something very correctable that comes with experience. He hasn't had enough of that yet.

That's something he should have been doing at 16. It's a bit of a luxury using NBA games as a skills academy.

Hate to break it to you, but Sullinger has been shooting 3s since middle school.

[LooseCannon]

You're a funny man.

I may just be dumb here, but how many examples do you have for NBA players that learned skills from scratch during their NBA careers -- something that they never really did before, and didn't show any natural aptitude for. The closest I can think of is Kidd, but even he had 200+ college three pointers, shot 33% in his sophomore NBA year, and never looked back.

Spencer Hawes went 1-3 on threes in college, although he was known to have a solid mid-range game.  Channing Frye was 6-23 in four college seasons, then shot 28.6% in 70 shots over his first four NBA seasons, before exploding for 43.9% in 392 attempts in his fifth season.

[BudweiserCeltic]

You're a funny man.

I may just be dumb here, but how many examples do you have for NBA players that learned skills from scratch during their NBA careers -- something that they never really did before, and didn't show any natural aptitude for. The closest I can think of is Kidd, but even he had 200+ college three pointers, shot 33% in his sophomore NBA year, and never looked back.

This isn't a skills from scratch though, but something he had yet to fully implement into his game as an NBA player until recently (you know in a season after a back operation and then suffering an hand injury during the season).

But what you seemed to be alluding to was the shot selection bit, and sorry to tell you, but practically none of the NBA players are particularly good at that aspect when they arrive, so the "since 16 years old bit" is a bit absurd.

[krumeto]

You're a funny man.

I may just be dumb here, but how many examples do you have for NBA players that learned skills from scratch during their NBA careers -- something that they never really did before, and didn't show any natural aptitude for. The closest I can think of is Kidd, but even he had 200+ college three pointers, shot 33% in his sophomore NBA year, and never looked back.

Chris Bosh comes immediately to mind. Last season he shot and made more 3s than his first 8 seasons combined.

[guava_wrench]

You're a funny man.

I may just be dumb here, but how many examples do you have for NBA players that learned skills from scratch during their NBA careers -- something that they never really did before, and didn't show any natural aptitude for. The closest I can think of is Kidd, but even he had 200+ college three pointers, shot 33% in his sophomore NBA year, and never looked back.

There are tons of guys who learned to hit 3's in the NBA. Look at all the D and 3 guys who were irrelevant until they learned to hit the 3.

And what does it even mean to learn from scratch? Guys who can hit midrange shots extend their range all the time.

[hwangjini_1]

I don't mind Sully shooting a three , he is not bad for a big....

Just out of curiousity, do you think Zach Randolph is "not bad" shooting the three, too? Because over his career, he's just .004 worse than Sullinger.

You know, the guy who did this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A13PKLR-HyY

and this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh2fn01cngg

kozzy, absolutely love the clips. tp for posting them.

next, i understand your points on 3 pointers and largely agree, but as a small footnote, zach randolph is a stupid human being. sully is a smart human being. i hate seeing them compared.

[D.o.s.]

next, i understand your points on 3 pointers and largely agree, but as a small footnote, zach randolph is a stupid human being. sully is a smart human being. i hate seeing them compared.

You know this as a close friend of both, I assume?

[kozlodoev]

You're a funny man.

I may just be dumb here, but how many examples do you have for NBA players that learned skills from scratch during their NBA careers -- something that they never really did before, and didn't show any natural aptitude for. The closest I can think of is Kidd, but even he had 200+ college three pointers, shot 33% in his sophomore NBA year, and never looked back.

There are tons of guys who learned to hit 3's in the NBA. Look at all the D and 3 guys who were irrelevant until they learned to hit the 3.

And what does it even mean to learn from scratch? Guys who can hit midrange shots extend their range all the time.

Not sure which three and D guys you're referring to. James Posey shot .370 on 220 threes in his rookie season. Bruce Bowen shot .330 or better in all but one of his seasons.  Raja Bell, ~.340 over his firs ~100 shots.

If there are examples that illustrate your point, I either can't think of them, or they're an exception rather than the rule. Sure, players can improve marginally. Sullinger  needs way more than that.

[LooseCannon]

Not sure which three and D guys you're referring to. James Posey shot .370 on 220 threes in his rookie season. Bruce Bowen shot .330 or better in all but one of his seasons.  Raja Bell, ~.340 over his firs ~100 shots.

Possibly guys like Matt Barnes and Trevor Ariza.