Brad Stevens' Aim: Cure Celtics' Shooting Pains

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2014/10/brad_stevens_aim_cure_celtics_shooting_pains




Brad Stevens’ aim: Cure Celtics shooting pains




Photo by: Staff graphic
TARGETING THE BASKET: In an effort to improve shooting accuracy, Celtics coach Brad Stevens has given his players some pointed directions to help find the basket.


Sunday, October 26, 2014
By:  Mark Murphy



Brad Stevens, whose reading habits mirror those of Oprah, asked members of his staff this season to read “Now You See It,” a book by Cathy Davidson that deals with the art of changing focus to better understand a problem.

Stevens has asked his players to think differently on a number of levels, especially when it comes to the not-so-simple challenge of shooting a basketball. Some old-school coaches believe in clinging to a player’s strength, but not Stevens. The Celtics coach wants his players to offensively expand, not just with their shooting range, but their thinking.

“I don’t think you can be overhauled as a shooter and go through that mental drain of thinking, ‘Did I catch it exactly right? Were my feet exactly right?’ ” he said. “You have to have confidence that you’ve put in the reps to make the shot. The right reps take care of it.”

We asked Stevens for his view of five Celtics in the process of changing their shooting habits. Here is Stevens’ breakdown:


MARCUS SMART

The Celtics rookie often had teammates and opponents alike ducking for cover under the rim when he launched from deep during the preseason. His .317 percentage marked a dip from the much-lamented .422 he shot as an Oklahoma State sophomore. But never mind these early blemishes. Stevens likes what he sees.

•    What works: “He’s got great lift on his shot, he usually catches with his knees bent. He has a decent base, he shoots the ball up in the air and it looks like it has a chance every time he lets it go. Part of his shooting woes last year in college were either because he was forced to shoot, or because he sometimes took very difficult shots. That dropped his percentages. I think he’s a better shooter than he’s shot. I’ve seen it in practice, and you’ve seen it in streaks in games.”

•    His assignment: “I really believe it’s just reps. The interesting thing about reps is that if you don’t have great technique and you keep repping it, you still won’t make shots, because that’s the point. You have to change what you’re doing. He has pretty good technique. He just has to make sure he reps that consistently.”


JARED SULLINGER

Sullinger shot .500 from 3-point range (15-for-30) in the preseason while taking the fourth-most attempts on the team. Get used to it. The big man’s offensive future will hinge on his ability to balance his polished post game with the deep ball.

•    What works: “Phenomenal touch; first and foremost he’s got phenomenal touch. When that ball hits the net it’s supposed to hit the net, you see it on his little floaters around the basket. You see it in his 16-, 17-foot range. I was probably sold on Sully as a shooter when he was in high school and I went to see him in an open gym. When I took this job I thought of him as a skilled player, more so than just a post player. I’ve always thought he’s way more skilled than people realize.”

•    His assignment: “If Sully is going to get to the level where he wants to go, then he’s going to have to (both shoot and score in the post). But I don’t think it’s as easy as saying you’re going to have to do 60 percent of this one night and 40 percent of the other. You take what the defense gives you, and you’re such a good player that you figure it out. People go out on you, and now you have to be able to put the ball on the floor.”


BRANDON BASS

Bass hit the first two 3-pointers of his eight-year career last season, and both were forced by an expiring shot clock. No more accidents. Bass hit two beautiful looking 3’s over the last two preseason games, and they were by design. After a career of mid-range jumpers, Bass wants to step out.

•    What Works: “Brandon is a very good midrange shooter and everybody knows that. His opportunity to enhance what he already does well by stepping behind the corner three doesn’t take a lot to get used to other than from the court geography standpoint. Spacing well. The corner three for him is a little different from the footwork aspect, because he really steps into his shot. But it’s not out of the realm for him so it really makes sense to add (the 3-pointer).”

•    His assignment: “It has to start in the corners. He has a lot of lift on his shot, which makes (shots beyond the arc) more difficult. In the adrenaline of a game he can hit those. He’s got great touch as well. He’s worked to be a great midrange shooter, so he knows what it takes. The thing Brandon has that a lot of these young players have to learn as young players is he knows what to work on, and he just does that. He doesn’t mess around with his practice. He deliberately practices what he’s going to apply to a game.”


RAJON RONDO

Mr. Pass First’s jump shot has been a project since he was a rookie, though he showed signs of a better perimeter shot last season. According to Stevens, the challenge lies in Rondo’s mentality.

•    What works: “I really believe Rondo is, like Marcus, a better shooter than he has shot percentage-wise. The reason I believe that is because I watch him make shot after shot after shot when it’s just he and I and a rebounder in the gym. We’ve talked about the fact that he sees the floor so well — sees what’s happening so well — that sometimes he hesitates when he catches it, because he sees the next pass instead of the open shot.”

•    His assignment: “The challenge I give to him is (to) shoot that thing without hesitation. When you shoot it without hesitation, it’s going to go in.”


EVAN TURNER

He’s a slasher who’s been asked to spot up in the past with poor results. But the C’s staff has taken on the challenge of extending the swingman’s game.

•    What works: “Evan has really improved his shot in the brief amount of time he’s been here. He had a good year percentage-wise. He’s never been a high volume 3-point shooter. He has good arc on his shot.”

•      His assignment: “He’s really working hard on his hand and his off-arm from a guide standpoint. The other big thing is the base, being constantly in a consistent base.”



This week’s

C’s timeline

Wednesday vs. Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m. — The Celtics carry a 5-3 exhibition record into their season opener vs. the Nets, whom they beat twice over the last month. But this time they face a full complement of Nets stars, excluding the oft-injured Brook Lopez and including Kevin Garnett in the first game of what is most likely his retirement tour. The Celtics have morphed into a floor-spreading unit that can’t win with anything other than the jump shot.

Saturday at Houston, 8 p.m. — The Celtics’ first seven games are against teams that were in the playoffs last season. The Rockets, in particular, are a tough matchup for a Celtics team that needs to maintain perimeter defensive pressure. The moment the opponent reaches the paint, mayhem ensues. Just what exactly is Dwight Howard capable of on a night like this?




bob



.

I think the offense will be much improved. My only real concern on the offensive end is the reliance on the 3-point shot. Sure it's great if you're hitting them, but if everyone is missing, they need to reel things back in instead of wasting possessions and allowing the opponents to mount a comeback.


KJ

Scares the heck out of me too, KJ.  I can never get excited enough about a made three to compensate the lows I feel when they clank off the rim and into the thick of an enemy fast break.

Sam