Puffdad wrote: ↑December 10th, 2019, 10:18 am
Puffdad wrote: ↑December 9th, 2019, 12:50 pm
Concerning Cartier... why do others think he is shooting 21% this year vs. being a 38% career shooter???
a. He’s forcing it because he knows he has to?
b. Because he is playing point guard instead of shooting guard?
c. He’s just in a slump?
d. Because the other team is concentrating on guarding him harder? or
e. Because he doesn’t have Dean or Barry or Kam taking pressure off him and assisting him on easier more wide open shots?
Food for thought and discussion!!
I probably should have moved this to a new thread. But I’ll try again for those who recognize somethings different with Cartier and would like to see him get it fixed. My own thoughts it is mostly answer e with a little bit of a and d affecting him right now.
Good food for discussion, puffdad. We know that Cartier is a decent shooter. Even last year, he was one of our best shooters. Xavier is, also, a decent shooter. I believe Sloan is a decent shooter along with D. and A. Gordon. Mak is a decent shooter when he's facing the basket. Mike is a decent shooter. Weber says this is a good shooting team and I agree from what I saw before the year began and based on history.
I agree with your answers. There is no doubt that added pressure was placed upon X and Cartier with the loss of three of the better scorers in program history. They now feel they have to step up their scoring.
At any rate, pun intended, the shooting has to improve. They are overthinking this shooting thing. They're not the first to do so. It seems, every year, our teams, especially early in the season, can hardly throw it in the barn. Every year, our teams miss layups, bunnies and shoot dismal from the free throw line and 3 point line.
It's mind games and why it happens, every year, I cannot explain. As xtrawildcat pointed out, it generally gets better as the season proceeds.
At the free throw line, against Marquette, our players were taking way too long to shoot a free throw. The more you think, the more you're going to miss. One time, Cartier took so long, I thought the refs were going to blow a whistle. What happened? He almost missed the whole rim. It went way off to the left. After shooting and barely missing a 3, I saw Cartier repeating his form before proceeding back on defense.
Sometimes, I believe our players, or others who report to the players, read forums and see all the comments we fans make about poor shooting and then our guys begin to over think shooting. So, players, if you're reading, DON'T OVERTHINK THIS. You're good shooters. Let it fly. If you miss, the next one is going in! Step up to the darned free throw line. Get the ball from the official. Take two bounces at the most, pull up and shoot. Do not think about form.
The game of basketball is a game of rhythm. Have you ever seen someone, who does not have rhythm, try to dance? If you have rhythm, you don't need to think about it. It comes natural. Motion, rhythm.......you can't have one without the other. That's why teams are more accurate on 3's, as a general rule, when balls are kicked out to them. They step in to it and a natural rhythm is produced. Even a pure shooter who can shoot off the dribble...creating his or her own shot......it's a thing of rhythm. That ball is pounding the floor....it pops up into the hand, and when the shooter feels the rhythm is flowin, he springs to the air and releases....swish.
Think about what DJ did to begin making free throws. He developed a rhythm. He would bounce the ball a couple of times and then he would backspin the ball on the last bounce, catch it and shoot.
The time to think about form, etc., is at practice. During scrimmages, and games, you better be in the zone....not thinking....but feeling it.