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Does anybody else think this way?  Right or wrong, I perceive poor free throw shooters as “dumb” players.  I associate reliable free throw shooting as an attribute of a smart player.  Not just lacking that “mentally tough” card (which would be a cousin of smart), but literally not smart.

You can be a total freak out there and get 30 and 15 in your sleep because you can dominate athletically.  But if you can’t knock down free throws, it disqualifies you from smart (as a player).  And if you’re not a smart player, it dampens the dominant physical skill in the end.  

I don’t care if your hands are gigantic.  If you can’t solve free throws, there’s something wrong mentally.  

It might not be fair, but that is how I instinctively think about free throw shooting.  

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1 hour ago, BobSaccamanno said:

Does anybody else think this way?  Right or wrong, I perceive poor free throw shooters as “dumb” players.  I associate reliable free throw shooting as an attribute of a smart player.  Not just lacking that “mentally tough” card (which would be a cousin of smart), but literally not smart.

You can be a total freak out there and get 30 and 15 in your sleep because you can dominate athletically.  But if you can’t knock down free throws, it disqualifies you from smart (as a player).  And if you’re not a smart player, it dampens the dominant physical skill in the end.  

I don’t care if your hands are gigantic.  If you can’t solve free throws, there’s something wrong mentally.  

It might not be fair, but that is how I instinctively think about free throw shooting.  

I understand you feeling that way, but I don't agree. Some really, really smart basketball players have been poor free throw shooters. 

Shaq was a very smart player, but obviously a poor free throw shooter. Rajon Rondo is considered one of the highest IQ players of thos generation and he is a career 60% free throw shooter. Ben Simmons is an incredibly smart player, despite being a bad shooter. 

You could put LeBron in the below average free throw shooting category and he's one of the smartest players of all time. 

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33 minutes ago, BGleas said:

I understand you feeling that way, but I don't agree. Some really, really smart basketball players have been poor free throw shooters. 

Shaq was a very smart player, but obviously a poor free throw shooter. Rajon Rondo is considered one of the highest IQ players of thos generation and he is a career 60% free throw shooter. Ben Simmons is an incredibly smart player, despite being a bad shooter. 

You could put LeBron in the below average free throw shooting category and he's one of the smartest players of all time. 

Dennis Rodman's basketball IQ was off the carts, another strong example.

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1 hour ago, BGleas said:

I understand you feeling that way, but I don't agree. Some really, really smart basketball players have been poor free throw shooters. 

Shaq was a very smart player, but obviously a poor free throw shooter. Rajon Rondo is considered one of the highest IQ players of thos generation and he is a career 60% free throw shooter. Ben Simmons is an incredibly smart player, despite being a bad shooter. 

You could put LeBron in the below average free throw shooting category and he's one of the smartest players of all time. 

Good thoughts. And you’re so even keeled even when you disagree. That’s a good reason why 4 out of 5 dentists say you’re their most favorite poster.   :) 

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2 hours ago, BobSaccamanno said:

Does anybody else think this way?  Right or wrong, I perceive poor free throw shooters as “dumb” players.  I associate reliable free throw shooting as an attribute of a smart player.  Not just lacking that “mentally tough” card (which would be a cousin of smart), but literally not smart.

You can be a total freak out there and get 30 and 15 in your sleep because you can dominate athletically.  But if you can’t knock down free throws, it disqualifies you from smart (as a player).  And if you’re not a smart player, it dampens the dominant physical skill in the end.  

I don’t care if your hands are gigantic.  If you can’t solve free throws, there’s something wrong mentally.  

It might not be fair, but that is how I instinctively think about free throw shooting.  

I wouldn't say that because Quinn Buckner was one of the smartest players but was career .56 percent free throw shooter at IU

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2 minutes ago, IU Scott said:

There are now 7 openings and the Pacers will have trouble getting one of the top candidates.  Here is how I would rank the job openings.

Boston.

Dallas.

Portland.

New Orleans.

Washington.

Indiana.

Orlando.

I'd flip Indiana and Washington. 

I think Milwaukee will have an opening, too. 

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Also watching the end of the Nets and Buck games when did it become unsportsmanlike to shoot when you have a lead late in the game.  Instead of shooting the Bucks let the shot clock run out.  I see this in both college and the NBA.  The other night I watched an old IU game that Galen Clavico just put out on YouTube.  IU was up comfortable but Damon shot a 3 at the buzzer and hit the shot.  No player or coach took exception to it and just shook hands.

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7 hours ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

Seems like he did ok 😁

First post in three months. Guessing you were just waiting for PG to finally have a dominant playoff game like he is capable of? :coffee:

Good to see you around, think about sticking around for a bit old friend. 

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4 minutes ago, IU Scott said:

There are now 7 openings and the Pacers will have trouble getting one of the top candidates.  Here is how I would rank the job openings.

Boston.

Dallas.

Portland.

New Orleans.

Washington.

Indiana.

Orlando.

I do not know.  I think after Boston, those are all fairly even.  I would have had Dallas as a strong #2, but there is some weird stuff going on over there lately.

 

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1 minute ago, IU Scott said:

Also watching the end of the Nets and Buck games when did it become unsportsmanlike to shoot when you have a lea late in the game.  Instead of shooting the Bucks let the shot clock run out.  I see this in both colle and the NBA.  The other night I watched an d IU game that Galen Clavico just put out in YouTube.  IU was up comfortable but Damon shot a 3 at the buzzer and hit the shot.  No player or coach took exception to it and just shooked hands.

I remember Coach K making a huge deal of Dillon Brooks hitting a deep, late in the shot clock three in the NCAAT when Oregon was handling Duke a few years back. Seems like ever since then teams running out the shot clock has become more prevalent. 

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3 minutes ago, KoB2011 said:

I remember Coach K making a huge deal of Dillon Brooks hitting a deep, late in the shot clock three in the NCAAT when Oregon was handling Duke a few years back. Seems like ever since then teams running out the shot clock has become more prevalent. 

People have to much of a thin skin attitude.  Especially if the bench players on in I have no problem seeing them keep playing the game until the final buzzer.  Also I remember the first game back in Indy for Lance Stephenson he stole the ball and went in for a dunk right before the buzzer.  It caused a huge fight because the other team was furious

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6 minutes ago, IU Scott said:

Milwaukee just forced a game 7.  Washington has Beal and Westbrook so they have star players which the Pacers don't have

I still think Milwaukee will have an opening if they don't reach the Finals. 

Washington is probably going to blow it up, or else they'd have brought back Brooks. 

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Washington has been a sad sack franchise that I’d be happy to see do well.  That is a great hoops town and, really, city.  I am old enough to remember the Bullets’ (what a cool name that was) title and it’s a pity what they’ve been.  They range between mediocre, bad, and putrid.  I wouldn’t mind seeing them put together an emerging team.  I just don’t see it for the foreseeable future.  

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6 minutes ago, KoB2011 said:

I still think Milwaukee will have an opening if they don't reach the Finals. 

Washington is probably going to blow it up, or else they'd have brought back Brooks. 

I couldn’t agree more.  Budenholzer is a very good regular season coach.  Very good.  His record is excellent.  But, at playoff time, he does weird—seemingly easily correctable—stuff.   I don’t think he’s wired for playoff basketball.  That’s a totally different animal than a game with Charlotte in January.   He should go somewhere where the team is average and he can make them up their win total in the regular season.  He can do that as well as anyone.  But make the right moves and push the right buttons in the playoffs?  Not his thing until proven otherwise.  

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6 minutes ago, BobSaccamanno said:

I couldn’t agree more.  Budenholzer is a very good regular season coach.  Very good.  His record is excellent.  But, at playoff time, he does weird—seemingly easily correctable—stuff.   I don’t think he’s wired for playoff basketball.  That’s a totally different animal than a game with Charlotte in January.   He should go somewhere where the team is average and he can make them up their win total in the regular season.  He can do that as well as anyone.  But make the right moves and push the right buttons in the playoffs?  Not his thing until proven otherwise.  

They said the same thing about Nate McMillan and now he is one game away from the conference finals.

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3 minutes ago, IU Scott said:

They said the same thing about Nate McMillan and now he is one game away from the conference finals.

Bud has time to prove it, no doubt.  Win that game seven, and the narrative could start to change.   But he’s done some head scratching stuff.  The national media I have seen since the playoffs started has been roasting him constantly.   

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7 hours ago, bluegrassIU said:

I do not know.  I think after Boston, those are all fairly even.  I would have had Dallas as a strong #2, but there is some weird stuff going on over there lately.

 

Luka alone puts the Mavs as a strong #2.

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1 hour ago, rico said:

Luka alone puts the Mavs as a strong #2.

Who wouldn't want to live in Texas...play for a multi billionaire who loves basketball and super passionate about his team. He lavishes the players/coaches etc with the locker rooms and services and has a superstar? 

As for the Bucks....they definitely haven't made great adjustments this series...mostly benefited from injuries. Why don't they go pick n roll with Holiday and Giannis and put Middleton in the short corner where they can't help off and just score a million points exploiting that? They make things so much more complicated then it needs to be.

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