LMA as a 3pt threat

[Shipupi]

Halfway through the season I was thinking maybe Pop is trying to hold his cards close to his chest until playoffs, but I just don't see him starting to chuck threes this late in the season.
With our much needed outside shooting, why was this not a thing? Maybe Pop wanted more inside presence?

[spurraider21]

this is not something he would "hold close to his chest"

aldridge attempted 16 threes all season. it's not part of the gameplan. i think our offense ran really smooth with aldridge in the midrange though. spacing him out further could have been problematic for other shooters

[Chris]

Maybe next season imo

[boutons_deux]

3Gs aren't his game

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/aldrila01.html

hasn't taken many, and is really bad at it.

[PopTheGOAT]

Boban, though :wow

[exstatic]

3Gs aren't his game

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/aldrila01.html

hasn't taken many, and is really bad at it.
He wasn't last year. Shot over 100 at 36%.

[Shipupi]

Yeah that's my point he was beggining to develop his threes last year, seemed that by coming here he'd even increase his 3PA, but they're not even in the gameplan. And what's more, on those swing plays in which they go TP from wing -> LMA top of key-> Kawhi other wing, bigs are giving him LMA plenty of space to shoot from 3.

[GSH]

A really solid mid-range game is a scarce commodity in the league. Aldridge has a solid mid-range game. He also gets a lot of put-backs, because he's playing close enough to the basket, which he would not get if he was out on the 3P line.

He's shot around .700 from inside 3 feet, and still well above .400 all the way out to 16 feet. (This year, he's shooting .427 from 10 feet out to the 3P line.) I think it's pretty clear that he could knock down a decent percentage, if that was a focus. But there are guys who can sit out on the arc and make 3's. Not too many guys who can do what he does close to the basket. Having LMA out there would be giving up too much that can't be replaced.

[tonight...you]

A really solid mid-range game is a scarce commodity in the league. Aldridge has a solid mid-range game. He also gets a lot of put-backs, because he's playing close enough to the basket, which he would not get if he was out on the 3P line.

He's shot around .700 from inside 3 feet, and still well above .400 all the way out to 16 feet. (This year, he's shooting .427 from 10 feet out to the 3P line.) I think it's pretty clear that he could knock down a decent percentage, if that was a focus. But there are guys who can sit out on the arc and make 3's. Not too many guys who can do what he does close to the basket. Having LMA out there would be giving up too much that can't be replaced.

To me, the offensive rebounds, like you alluded to are so much more important that him attempting 3's for this team. He's the only one that can do it consistently (o rebounds) and score an immediate putback on the team right now.
Good call. And although his outside jumper is completely frowned upon in today's NBA- his niche is effective now more than ever as D's don't focus on what he does best. Both him and Kawhi.

[boutons_deux]

He wasn't last year. Shot over 100 at 36%.

36% is weak, only a tad better than sjax

[Chris]

West can shoot 3's as well. I would be more comfortable with giving him those looks instead moving forward this season.

[KDKSpurs24]

36% is weak, only a tad better than sjax
36% is not weak for a BIG MAN who wasn't shooting many 3s in his career before that. He shot 100 of them.


I just have no idea what happened to them this year..

[SAGirl]

Halfway through the season I was thinking maybe Pop is trying to hold his cards close to his chest until playoffs, but I just don't see him starting to chuck threes this late in the season.
With our much needed outside shooting, why was this not a thing? Maybe Pop wanted more inside presence?
Inside presence.

[Sean Cagney]

36% is not weak for a BIG MAN who wasn't shooting many 3s in his career before that. He shot 100 of them.


^^^ This.

[cjw]

36% is weak, only a tad better than sjax

Do you not understand basketball? 36% is 52% eFG%, which would be just outside the top five teams in the league as a team, and just worse than the 52.6% the Spurs hit this year.

[GSH]

36% is not weak for a BIG MAN


Ummm... do you think that's why teams usually don't have big guys shooting 3's?

[KDKSpurs24]

Ummm... do you think that's why teams usually don't have big guys shooting 3's?
Big guys usually can't shoot them anyway. But when you have someone who can you may as well use him as a potential threat to stress the defense a little more. I was only responding to him. But either way, like i said 36% is not bad for a big man that wasn't shooting them before. It's all about trying to expand your game and that's what he was able to do. Just no idea how he regressed so much in that area..

[Tully365]

The guy I'm surprised didn't shoot more threes this year was Parker-- he's had a great % from there the last three seasons (37%/43%/41%), and I feel like him hitting an extra few from that range would only open up the driving lanes a bit for him, something he could use now that he's lost some quickness...

[Mouth is Bleeding]

There is a real argument that it's exactly a certain pct of those LMA long 2s becoming 3s instead that would be essential against the Warriors 3pts>>2pts barrage.

It would be awesome, not least for our offense, if it would some materialize all of the sudden.

[Raven]

it's retarded to have him shooting threes, just because he can make them. In an era of small ball, Aldridge should be used down low as much as possible.

[DeRozan m8]

The thing is, his mid range game is a massive part of who he is....he is a shooter.

So why can't he shoot just a bit further out?

I'd say part of the reason it wasn't developed this season was his slow start....

[boutons_deux]

36% 3G% is WEAK, no matter who shoots it.

http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/player/_/stat/3-points/sort/threePointFieldGoalsAttempted/seasontype/2

36% would put LMA way below 100th in the NBA.

Hell, even the Spurs team shoots 45%.

[jyra]

36% is just above league average three point shooting: http://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_stats.html

It's enough to make the defense guard you out there, force a rotation. It's not as if you have to take every available shot.

[Mouth is Bleeding]

Of course he should still work down low but there is no doubt that 3s>long 2s and a Spurs offense that is overall mediocre, and downright disastrous against Warriors, would benefit greatly from LMA 3 point shooting if he can shoot above 33 pct.

[GSH]

Somehow... while we weren't paying attention... the next Krew was born.

In a way it's good to know that, should Manu retire and that tired old shtick be taken from us, the new LaMarcus For 3 Krew will be here to argue endlessly about something equally vapid.

Time marches on, people. In the immortal words of the Who (almost): Meet the new Krew, same as the old Krew.

[MI21]

36% 3G% is WEAK, no matter who shoots it.

http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/player/_/stat/3-points/sort/threePointFieldGoalsAttempted/seasontype/2

36% would put LMA way below 100th in the NBA.

Hell, even the Spurs team shoots 45%.

If the Spurs were shooting 45% from 3 as a team they would be the ones who broke the regular season wins record, tbh

[DarrinS]

I don't want bigs taking 3's, unless out of desperation

[exstatic]

36% 3G% is WEAK, no matter who shoots it.

http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/player/_/stat/3-points/sort/threePointFieldGoalsAttempted/seasontype/2

36% would put LMA way below 100th in the NBA.

Hell, even the Spurs team shoots 45%.

Did you pull that number out of your ass? You might want to fact check before you post. The Spurs, as a team, shot 37.5% from beyond the arc.

[cjw]

Did you pull that number out of your ass? You might want to fact check before you post. The Spurs, as a team, shot 37.5% from beyond the arc.

He's digging himself deeper and deeper. Sometimes when you have a flawed argument like boutons, it's best to quietly walk away.

37% ain't great but it's not like he's Lebron or Kobe from deep.

[JeffDuncan]

it's retarded to have him shooting threes, just because he can make them. In an era of small ball, Aldridge should be used down low as much as possible.

That is right. The average 3-pt try is going to miss. It's obviously best to have your top rebounders close to the basket when the 3-pt shot is taken. It happens occasionally that the 3-pt shooter gets his own rebound, but the odds on that are very low.

[NameLess Scrub]

I think it is always good if big men can make 3s as long as they use them properly.

I mean.. Love became instantly better for improving his shooting, it's just not good to make him a spot up shooter.
But say a couple of those PnRs lead to a made 3 instead of a long 2. Wouldn't that be great?

I too would like Tony to take/make more 3s.

[Seventyniner]

I think it is always good if big men can make 3s as long as they use them properly.

I mean.. Love became instantly better for improving his shooting, it's just not good to make him a spot up shooter.
But say a couple of those PnRs lead to a made 3 instead of a long 2. Wouldn't that be great?

I too would like Tony to take/make more 3s.

Exactly. I don't want Aldridge turning into Ryan Anderson, but if he just takes a couple of steps back on the 22-foot pick-and-pop he likes so much, the eFG% would skyrocket.

[Dre_7]

If Alridge only shoots 36% from three I do NOT want him shooting a lot of threes. Especially against the Warriors. Long threes that miss against them lead to transistion buckets for the Warriors. We do not need them running down the court getting open fast break looks on 64% of LMA three point attempts.

[boutons_deux]

LMA's entire career, his value as MAX/franchise player, has been mid-range jumpers, backdown-isolations, rebounding. Not chucking 3Gs at 36%.

NONE of that has changed, nor will change, with the Spurs.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Part of it might have been age making them want to bang in the post less but I remember guys like Rasheed and Lamar Odom adding the three ball to their game and then getting way too reliant on it and the rest of their game suffering for it. LA's not nearly a head case of that caliber but I do think it's just sort of a natural mental reaction for guys to take that offensive aggression (or lack of it) down to the other end of the court in regards to defense and rebounding.

[ceperez]

He wasn't last year. Shot over 100 at 36%.

That indeed is the odd thing. Both West and Aldridge took more 3 point shots last season than they have ever had previously.

Now, joining the Spurs, I only see West take it when time is running out in the quarter. Seems like a designated play.

[Dre_7]

That indeed is the odd thing. Both West and Aldridge took more 3 point shots last season than they have ever had previously.

Now, joining the Spurs, I only see West take it when time is running out in the quarter. Seems like a designated play.

I am not complaining too much. both Aldridge and West had the highest FG% of their careers this season.

[GSH]

Ahhh, shit. Maybe this will be easier for some of you:

If you chunk up 100 shots from the 3P line, and shoot .365 - you score 55 points. But you put up 63 misses that the other team can potentially run down your throats for an easy score.

If you put up 100 shots from inside 10 feet, and shoot LMA's exact percentages? You score 62 points, but you only put up 35 missed shots, and none of the long rebounds that lead to transition points.


Pop's game is to slow the pace, grind you down in the half court, and beat you with defense. That is EXACTLY the game LMA is playing right now. 36% might be a respectable 3P percentage, but it also generates 3 misses for every 2 makes, and lets the other team get out in transition a LOT. So no matter how good of an idea you think it might be, Pop is not going to put him out on the 3P line to miss 63/100 shots. If the Spurs hire Mike D'Antoni to replace Pop, you'll get your wish.

[Dre_7]

Ahhh, shit. Maybe this will be easier for some of you:

If you chunk up 100 shots from the 3P line, and shoot .365 - you score 55 points. But you put up 63 misses that the other team can potentially run down your throats for an easy score.

If you put up 100 shots from inside 10 feet, and shoot LMA's exact percentages? You score 62 points, but you only put up 35 missed shots, and none of the long rebounds that lead to transition points.


Pop's game is to slow the pace, grind you down in the half court, and beat you with defense. That is EXACTLY the game LMA is playing right now. 36% might be a respectable 3P percentage, but it also generates 3 misses for every 2 makes, and lets the other team get out in transition a LOT. So no matter how good of an idea you think it might be, Pop is not going to put him out on the 3P line to miss 63/100 shots. If the Spurs hire Mike D'Antoni to replace Pop, you'll get your wish.

:tu

Spot on! The last thing they wanna do is give the Warriors (or Thunder/Clips) multiple fast break oppurtunities.