The Pelicans and Gentry want Anthony Davis to Develop into a 3 pt Shooter

[Boris Badenov]

If he manages to add this he could have an even better career than nerlens noel!

Lets not get carried away here ok Nerlens Abdul-Hakeem O'Noel is the best center of all time.

Better than Embiid? Surely you jest.

[Rondo9]

Just you wait, Embiid will destroy Davis in their head to head!

[LooseCannon]

I bet that Steve Kerr would approve and Mark Jackson would strongly disapprove.  Who do you think has a better coaching philosophy?

[danglertx]

If you have a great inside player, moving him away from the paint is terrible strategy.  I'd much rather have player X (random 1, 2, 3, or 4) shooting a 3 with a slightly less % and have Davis working for an offensive rebound or offensive position than have Davis shooting maybe one better out of ten and not having Davis near the basket for dump downs and offensive rebounds.

Davis would have to be so incredibly good at shooting threes to make up for the value you would lose by having him away from the paint as to make it hard to be beneficial.

[PhoSita]

If you have a great inside player, moving him away from the paint is terrible strategy. 

Thinking in this sort of binary (inside player or outside player) is terrible strategy.

[tarheelsxxiii]

Must be nice.

[img width= height=]http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/2014-07/11/10/enhanced/webdr04/anigif_enhanced-buzz-21215-1405089391-9.gif[/img]

[danglertx]

If you have a great inside player, moving him away from the paint is terrible strategy. 

Thinking in this sort of binary (inside player or outside player) is terrible strategy.

I guess, if evaluating player's skill sets and using them at what they are best at is a terrible strategy, then sure.  Shaq should have been shooting threes, terrible strategy with him.  I don't know how his teams lucked into all those championships. 

[knuckleballer]

If your big guy who is awesome at rebounding can shoot 40% from 3, great.  Otherwise, I want him closer to the rim so that he can... you know, rebound.  Am I crazy or is that basic basketball philosophy?

[PhoSita]

I guess, if evaluating player's skill sets and using them at what they are best at is a terrible strategy, then sure.  Shaq should have been shooting threes, terrible strategy with him.  I don't know how his teams lucked into all those championships. 

Shaq didn't shoot outside the paint because he couldn't.

If Anthony Davis can hit threes, or learn to hit threes, why not have him add that to his arsenal?

It's stupid to say, "He's a big man therefore he should live in the paint!"

He's a freak, a generational talent.  If he has the tools to be able to defend any position and score from anywhere on the floor, why wouldn't you let him learn do that?

[danglertx]

If your big guy who is awesome at rebounding can shoot 40% from 3, great.  Otherwise, I want him closer to the rim so that he can... you know, rebound.  Am I crazy or is that basic basketball philosophy?

Is it better to have your big guy who is awesome at rebounding shoot 40% from three and have your 2 guard who can't rebound at the basket, or have your 2 guard shot 33% from three and have your awesome rebounder at the basket.  Hmmm...

Let me do some math, if both players take 100 3s, awesome rebound dude would make 21 more points.  How many of the 77 rebounds from not so awesome 2 guard would he get.  Maybe 35?  Lets say 20.  If he scores on just half of those with put backs that would be 20 pts.  That leaves 10 possessions to get one basket.  Even the Celtic's Summer League team could do that.... maybe.

The thing is, Davis won't shoot 40% and they probably have someone else who can hit better than 33% anyway.  Especially when they are getting open looks because Davis is a beast around the paint. 

To me it is silly to move him outside, but what do I know about basketball strategy.

[GreenFaith1819]

Pffftt.....

Thank God that Wilt, Kareem, Russell, Shaq, Duncan, Hakeem, Chief, McHale, KG, Cowens, Moses, Mailman, Admiral  and other HOF-Caliber Bigs did not develop a Three Pointer, LOL.

SMH.

Just my two cents. The ramblings of an "Old Head" that yearns for more (and misses) Traditional play from our current crop of Bigs.

Don't get me wrong - I love watching Marc Gasol, Pau (especially CHI-Pau), Horford, Brooke, and DeAndre play. But I'm a bit disappointed that AD, whom I consider to be the future of Big Men in the NBA - is being sent out to the perimeter like this.

Some would argue "The Three-Point shot is "just" another weapon for current Bigs to use." But I just don't agree with this move with AD.

In the 90's some of these Bigs did develop mid-range and even "Deep Twos" as part of their arsenal. The game did seem to change somewhat as far as Bigs during that era. Arvydas Sabonis was a TRUE GEM - even the 80's during his prime. Man could hit from ANYWHERE, but could destroy opponents down low, too.

He destroyed our Olympic Team, and was the main reason the U.S. went with its best.

Shaq happened and not many Bigs wanted to rumble down there with him. Can't blame them too much. But then I look at Dikembe and how HE rumbled with Shaq, being almost rail-thin - but Mount Mutumbo did not develop a Three Point shot to not have to deal with Shaq.

Yao Ming had a great all-around game and gets HUGE respect from me, too - while healthy HE rumbled with Shaq. He could hit from deep and had a nice J, but he did a good amount of battling DOWN LOW.

Just getting tired of seeing these Bigs shooting J's like Guards. The game is changing.

[danglertx]

I guess, if evaluating player's skill sets and using them at what they are best at is a terrible strategy, then sure.  Shaq should have been shooting threes, terrible strategy with him.  I don't know how his teams lucked into all those championships. 

Shaq didn't shoot outside the paint because he couldn't.

If Anthony Davis can hit threes, or learn to hit threes, why not have him add that to his arsenal?

It's stupid to say, "He's a big man therefore he should live in the paint!"

He's a freak, a generational talent.  If he has the tools to be able to defend any position and score from anywhere on the floor, why wouldn't you let him learn do that?

It might be stupid to say he is a big man therefore he should live in the paint, but that isn't what I said.  What I said is that he is so good at being inside the paint, it is stupid to move him away from the paint.  And the amount of how good he would have to be behind the three point line would be so high because of how good he is closer to the basket as to make it strategically dumb.

Olynyk, big guy.  All for him being behind the three point line.  Why?  Because you gain almost nothing by having him closer to the basket.  If he were a beast inside and rebounding, then you wouldn't want him shooting threes.

It isn't about size, it is about ability.   Lots of people can shoot threes, very few can dominate down low.  Why take the biggest advantage you have and throw it away hoping he can be mediocre from the three point line.

[Rondo9]

I much rather have Anthony Davis dominate the paint (with the occasional mid range jumper.) I don't want to see his size, length and athleticism go to waste shooting jumpers.

[GreenFaith1819]

This is why I love Blake Griffin, and even without DJ the Clips could surprise if Blake steps up more.

Blake Griffin battles. He did not shy away from Zach Randolph. Those two have had MEMORABLE battles the last few years....and as ZBo saw that Blake wasn't backing down from him, he got ZBo's respect.

If/When AD meets ZBo in a 7 game series, he'll be popping J's in his grill like he did to Tyson. Randolph will be poking and prodding him for 48 min - like he did with Blake.

I hope NOH has a counter for this. But wait!

AD will be shooting THREES.

[tarheelsxxiii]

He would command a double in the post, bigs can't rotate off him of he's anywhere near the paint for fear of a lob, and he'd drag 5s out to 3? Can't think of anyone that has spaced the floor as well as he would be able to.