Shooting and Marcus Smart

This guy gives clear indication that he has the physical talent, game IQ and energy to be a top level NBA player for many years to come.

He already knows how to play at full throttle and is a high level defender as well.

He has improved his overall offensive performance from his rookie season so we know that he is certainly not afraid to work hard.

Now, his shooting.  "Ouch" is about the best one word definition I can come up with every time he starts to take a jump shot
from just about any distance.  Of course, this is not the first time that you fellow posters have read anything on this forum relating
to Smart's poor shooting issues.

Here is why I am posting today.  I cannot believe that this guy has not yet been helped to successfully improve his shooting.  Either he or his coaches
have to be missing something.  And, that some thing is probably something that is very much correctable once found.

First thing I would do is have Smart go to three different eye specialists (the Cs can afford it) to check his vision out from three different profession perspectives.
Especially important, for me, would be to find if he has a depth perception problem.

Next, I would have the team's video department put together a tape of all of his shots since he joined the team and maybe even some from
his college days.  A second tape breakdown could be done with all of his successful jump shots and a third tape for all of his missed shots.
I just have to think that there is something that is being missed.

If nothing shows in these three breakdowns to indicate that perhaps an elbow is moving away from the body, release point varies, head moving or something similar it may be time to video just his head from an almost front view while shooting just to see if his eyes are moving off of his target when he is shooting.

All marksmen (archer or gunner) works to keep his eyes from moving off his target.  It, then, only makes sense for a basketball shooter to keep his eyes
similarly glued to his target.  Anyone who has ever played basketball has seen shooters lift their eyes too soon to follow the flight of the ball, and this movement
has to be a problem relating to accuracy when it occurs.

If the eyes are moving, the shot will not be as accurate. Sounds almost too simple, but still very true.

Wideclyde,
Agree about your "ouch" comment in regards to Smart's shooting.
I think it will improve, thou. Remember, in summer league he was shooting lights out then he got injured and many here and other forums noted that it will affect his shooting - it did. Then he got sidelined again and his improvement in shooting department got pushed back.
I don't know if he can do it in the course of the season but I'm sure he will get during the summer - he's done it before.

AK

Are there many examples of pros who significantly improved their shooting? I know we all hoped Rondo would, but he never did. Jason Kidd comes to mind, but I can't think of many others. Anyone who has made the nba has practiced basketball a lot. Might be that some folks just aren't good at shooting. Fortunately Marcus (and Rondo) excel in other areas.

Put this on another threat......

I can live with his shooting for now and hope it gets better, he is so damn young and few players have the moxie he brings.

Remember Dennis Johnson

he was a career .172 shooter from 3 granted threes were not looked at the same then but...

DJ's second yr in the league he shot .417 from the field (all 2's)
third year he raised it to .434 (still no threes in the league yet.)
Discounting his rookie season when he shot very few times per game he did not get his field goal % above .45% till his 6th year in the league.

And for his hallmark defense only averaged over 1.5 steals per game 2 seasons.

And DJ is a HOF'er..... He brought so much more to the game than stats. (like Smart)

Smart has played about 1 seasons of games due to injury he is just legal drinking age in most all states, is shooting .310 from 3 in his career something DJ never came close too.

Per 36 minutes DJ's career average is 1.5 steals per game, Smarts is slightly over 2 per 36 minutes. Rebounding per 36 MPG DJ 4.2 Smart 4.8. Assist DJ leads 5.5 per 36 minutes vs 4.2 for Smart. DJ is also a ways in front in foul shooting % .79 to .68.

Again we are speaking of a 21 soon to be 22 YR old, DJ was still bouncing the ball at Pepperdine at that age.

Personally I think too much is made of his shooting right now. Perhaps he needs to be a bit more selective as to when to shoot but I have no reason to believe he won't get somewhat better but even if it's only marginal I can live with it.

beat