Free throw shooting

Discussing this with Marcus yesterday and I remembered a kid not far from where I live and a story.

http://www.orangehoops.org/Articles/Cohen598.htm

Hal Cohen went on to play at Syracuse University

beat

PS remember last nights game and the look on Rondos face when he finally made 1!!!! ONE stinking free throw!! Well gotta start somewhere!

AS reliable as Ray is with his technique, I'd think he could almost serve as an assistant coach or tutor to some of these guys that are having extreme difficulty in free throws and even the mid range jump shooting. I thought Rondo was supposed to have worked with Mark Price over the off season. Too often he is left PRICELESS at the charity stripe!-MD.

MD

He still holds the ball off to the side of his head and raises it up from there. No way Price showed him that form. Bad habits are hard to break I guess.

Can you imagine making 598 in a row taking, standing there for a couple hours.......swish.........swish..........swish every 7-8 seconds.

beat

Beat, I can tell you from personal experience that, when i get up around 950 in a row, and four digits are within reach, my arms start to feel a little heavy. I've always had to keep a bottle of water handy to keep from becoming dehydrated —especially when I get over 985. And those last 15, to get to 1,000, are pure torture for me. It almost makes me wish I had never started the whole thing. But it's always worth it in the end because it attracts women. I recommend it to Marcus.

Sam

Sam

When the weather allows we'll have a little contest to see how many we can make before missing 10. Of course talking (usually me) is allowed and waving ones arms (usually me) and coughing (me again) at the time of release are all allowed and recommended (by me). Marcus allows himself to be much more distrated than I.
But in actuallity it probably prepares him better for the real thing cause if he can put me out of his mind he can put most things in a game out of his mind.
Just hope when he's on the lane rebounding he doesn't do any of those things in a game.

My latest avatar was from the scrimage last eve. Just as he is to take and make his three.

He had very few offensive opportunities as the guard play on defense forced so many turnovers and fast breaks we rarely set up an offense.

That will change in tomorrows scrimage I am sure.

beat

I read on ESPN.com today that Ray is helping Rondo with his free throw shooting now:
Allen, one of the league's best career free throw shooters with an 89-percent success rate during his 13 seasons, said before the game that he recently offered to help struggling teammate Rondo. Rondo, just a 63 percent shooter in his career, was hitting at only a 25-percent rate coming into Wednesday. "He came to me," Allen said.

I wonder why Rondo didn't ask Allen for tips before now, but I'm glad he did, and I hope Ray can help him. In the pre-season games this year I thought I noticed Rondo keeping his elbow in a bit more, but it seems during the regular season he has reverted back to that ugly form he's always had. He's clearly frustrated by it, so maybe that will motivate him to get in the gym and practice more.

Kelly

I'm glad to hear that cause it can't hurt at all. Hope he listens and trys to change his form. Perhaps he was just to bull headed but maybe this recent "foul" up at the line made him realize that a change can't hurt.

You say Rondo came to him. Wonder why it wasn't the other way around.

beat

Beat I did wonder why Ray didn't offer to help Rondo. I wonder if maybe they don't have the best relationship. I never really see them talk to each other much on the bench. It could also be that Rondo is so stubborn and hard-headed that Ray figured he wouldn't be open to learning, or maybe Ray thought Rondo would be offended by it? Who knows. I'm just glad that Rondo figured out how to hit a large percentage of his layups. Do you remember his first season or two with the Celtics when he would do all that work to get to the rim and then heave up a brick? I sure do...I'm glad those days are behind him.

kelly

Not sure what this plays into it but if rondo were a 75-80% foul shooter as he could be with proper tech and practice he might not be so aprehensive of taking the ball to the hole which is his best move by far. He ccould draw a mess of fouls in addition he gets guys out of position to defend their own men giving us a huge advantage.

And to think this could all come down to a simple damn foul shot.

How many times has kids have we "gone" to the foul line facing making 2 to win the championship in our mind.

Maybe too that now he knows the Celtics have commited to him he now knows what a true weekness his shooting is and is more comfortable asking for help.

We shall see how good a student he is and perhaps how good a teacher RA is.

beat

It baffles me that he is so terrible at the line. Did he not play 21 growing up? I thought that game was a staple! Or maybe he did play 21 and that's how he got to be so good at rebounding!

I know we heard before the start of the season that Rondo was getting some help from Mark Price, but I think I read somewhere that he only went to see Price once or twice. Maybe the fact that he'll be around Ray nearly every day will have better effects than his session with Price.

Kelly,

The irony is that, at least the first couple of Rondo's years with the Celtics, Ray was the one guy who frequently took Rajon under his wing, helping him not only with playing tips but also in acclimating to the NBA. There were several articles written about it. Who knows what does on, including how receptive Rondo may be to offered assistance? I have no far Rondo's stubborness extends. But he's obviously frustrated (as his "eye roll" after finally making one would suggest) at his problems; and one has to believe the whole thing will come to a head sometime, somehow.

Sam

Thanks Sam, I don't remember reading anything about Rondo and Ray's relationship, so it's good to hear that at least at one point Ray was offering assistance to him. There was a point last year where Rondo hurt his elbow and was wearing a sleeve. During that stretch his outside jumper and his free throws were improved. I wonder why he doesn't try that again? From all accounts he's a pretty supersticious guy so I'd think that type of thing would be right up his alley.

I'm glad you remembered that Sam. When Ray was traded here, he started coming to the gym daily. He would meet Rondo there and they would work together. Then, when KG was traded here, they all met at Healthpoint and worked out before their trip to Rome. So, I do believe that there has been support for Rondo. It is interested to me that he would hire Mark Price during the off season, one does wonder about his acceptance of help from fellow teammates.

I just don't understand how free throws can be such a problem. When a kid decides to play basketball, and if they are as devoted as Rondo must have been to reach this level, they stand at the free throw line shooting balls all day and night. My son was a basketball player into high school, and there were nights he would bug is father to go for a ride to a court that had lights after dark. He would shoot and shoot, and his father would shag the ball. He became and excellent free throw shooter and a terrific three point shooter. This, I know is irrelevant to Rondo. But, I just don't get it!!

Hopefully he will pick up in his free throw shooting, and his frustration will
go away. All in all, he had a pretty good second half, and put some energy back into the starting and second units. Perk has got to continue doing what he is doing, they need him down under the basket as much as possible, especially with Dwight Howard coming to town. This should be a good test for the Celtics.

Sam wrote:Beat, I can tell you from personal experience that, when i get up around 950 in a row, and four digits are within reach, my arms start to feel a little heavy. I've always had to keep a bottle of water handy to keep from becoming dehydrated —especially when I get over 985. And those last 15, to get to 1,000, are pure torture for me. It almost makes me wish I had never started the whole thing. But it's always worth it in the end because it attracts women. I recommend it to Marcus.

Sam

I've made a note of it too!

beat wrote:MD

Can you imagine making 598 in a row taking, standing there for a couple hours.......swish.........swish..........swish every 7-8 seconds.

beat

I had heard that Rondo actually missed 598 in a row..... clank.... clank....clank every 7-8 seconds but then got insanely lucky on 599 when he closed his eyes in desperation... heaved... and nothing but net! Practice terminated on a high note.

(In all fairness, FT's #334 and #701 actually went half way down before they inexplicably jumped out.)

Sometimes with patience and practice, good form and good results just happen! Like spontaneous combustion maybe

CG

GA

You crack me up

But remember after a clank it takes longer to retrieve the ball!!

In all honesty I think that if you let me stand at the foul line get my feet set and then BLINDFOLD me I could make 1-2 out of 10.

beat