Tony & Kawhi both shot over 40% from 3 last year

[Tully365]

Tony's 3ptFG%s
2015-16: 41.5% (0.9 APG)
2014-15: 42.7% (1.3 APG)
2013-14: 37.3% (1.0 APG)

Kawhi's 3ptFG%s
2015-16: 44.3% (4.0 APG)
2014-15: 34.9% (3.0 APG)
2013-14: 37.9% (2.8 APG)

Both guys have shown that they are very reliable three point shooters and yet still take far fewer threes than most starters. Kawhi lead the entire league in 3ptFG% for a good chunk of the season but finished 64th in Attempts... Parker finished 245th in 3ptFGA, despite shooting over 40% two seasons in a row. Anthony Davis took more 3pgFG attempts than Parker, and so did Boris Diaw, Pau Gasol, and Spencer Hawes!

With Aldridge and Pau posting up next season, I'd hope that the 3ptFGAs by Tony & Kawhi will, at the very least, rise from under 5 per game to at least 9 per game, with Kawhi in the 5.5 APG range & Tony in the 3.5 APG range.

Parker's quickness is gone, and his 3ptFG% has improved over his career, culminating in his two best percentages in the last two seasons... what better way to remain an offensive threat than to become a 3 point specialist?

[ElNono]

IIRC, Tony's 3P% was astronomical to start the season then dropped quite a bit afterwards... but, at any rate, we do have a 3pt specialist in that lineup already, just need to make his shots.

[tonight...you]

I think we'll see more spot up 3's from Kawhi from Pau passes. He may crack into the top 30 in attempts and maintain his percentage with simple, efficient shots off the pass.
I still think Kawhi needs to dominate in the low post more, like he's fully capable of, on whoever is defending him. That can really open up the offense, potentially.

Unfortunately, that will be up to Pop, who already has two other elite post up guys and will probably use them more than they should.

[Tully365]

IIRC, Tony's 3P% was astronomical to start the season then dropped quite a bit afterwards... but, at any rate, we do have a 3pt specialist in that lineup already, just need to make his shots.

Tony shot 57% from three in February and 52.6% in December-- the two months where he also averaged the most 3ptFGA per game: http://espn.go.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/1015/tony-parker.

This is part of the problem the Spurs have in my opinion: some players are thought of as "3pt specialists" and some aren't-- but the fact is a three point shot at this point in Parker's career might simply be his best shot.

[ElNono]

Tony shot 57% from three in February and 52.6% in December-- the two months where he also averaged the most 3ptFGA per game: http://espn.go.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/1015/tony-parker.

This is part of the problem the Spurs have in my opinion: some players are thought of as "3pt specialists" and some aren't-- but the fact is a three point shot at this point in Parker's career might simply be his best shot.

Frankly, we have such a dominant frontcourt against 98% of the league, tbh... it's hard not to go there on a nightly basis, then suddenly turn your game around.

Didn't Kawhi lead the league in 3P% for a long ass time last season? Then the shot doesn't fall.

I don't mind Tony changing his game, I'm not sure taking more jumpers is really what I'd like to see from him though.

[HarlemHeat37]

Parker's volume of attempts need to rise significantly, tbh, but easier said than done without secondary playmakers on the floor with him and the style of 3-pointers he attempts..69% of his 3-point attempts are from the corner, it's very unique and unnatural for a team's PG to be shooting virtually all his 3s from the corners, especially as a primary handler..

% of 3s from the corner at PG(Spurs ranked 8th in corner 3s, so it's not just a matter of philosophy):
Parker- 69%
Beverley/Terry- 42%
Hill- 38%
Joseph- 31%
MCW- 26%
Mills- 25%
Dragic- 24%
Irving- 22%
Rubio- 20%
Felton/Williams- 18%
Conley- 18%
Rose- 15%
Thomas- 14%
Curry- 13%
Jackson- 12%
Wall- 12%
Paul- 12%
Walker- 11%
Teague- 11%
Shroeder- 11%
Westbrook- 10%
Lin- 10%
Lowry- 10%
Lillard- 6%



57 of his 64 3-point attempts came with a defender 4 feet or further away from him, it's a last resort option for him and the team..TP needs to raise his volume(and hopefully efficiency carries over) from other spots on the floor, but easier said than done on a team where he's one of only 2 ball-handlers on an ISO mid-range team with questionable spacing..

[Tully365]

I don't mind Tony changing his game, I'm not sure taking more jumpers is really what I'd like to see from him though.

Then how do you think he should change his game? I'm specifying 3 pt shots, which would stop defenses from collapsing in to prevent penetration, giving Kawhi, Aldridge, and Pau more room to operate. I don't think it would be that much of an adjustment... once a quarter, he pulls up instead of trying to penetrate. It's more of a mindset than anything... if this was a young new guard on the Spurs who shot over 40% from three the past two seasons, I think we'd all be excited to see him shoot a bunch of them. We're just accustomed to Parker NOT being a three point shooter... it's more of a habit than it is common sense.

[dabom]

He shot 0% in the clips series. It's not there. This is like saying he needs more jumpers. :lol

[YGWHI]

I'd like to see Parker spot-up a bit more, his shot can be a thing after all.

But also, I can see Pop refusing to put him in that position because Parker will feast playing P&R with Pau and LMA in the regular season. The problem with those plays is they become ineffective against elite teams in playoffs.

About Kawhi, I just hope his last-season shooting wasn't a fluke. Pau is a nicer passer than LMA, he can create good looks for the shooters.

But he should drive more than parking in the corner.
He had great numbers attacking the rim against the Thunder, showing good body control and the ability to adjust with the ball. Hopefully, Pop realizes the Spurs' SL need Kawhi to do it more often, and gives him the opportunity to improve that area of his game.

[Em-City]

Parker's volume of attempts need to rise significantly, tbh, but easier said than done without secondary playmakers on the floor with him and the style of 3-pointers he attempts..69% of his 3-point attempts are from the corner, it's very unique and unnatural for a team's PG to be shooting virtually all his 3s from the corners, especially as a primary handler..

% of 3s from the corner at PG(Spurs ranked 8th in corner 3s, so it's not just a matter of philosophy):
Parker- 69%
Beverley/Terry- 42%
Hill- 38%
Joseph- 31%
MCW- 26%
Mills- 25%
Dragic- 24%
Irving- 22%
Rubio- 20%
Felton/Williams- 18%
Conley- 18%
Rose- 15%
Thomas- 14%
Curry- 13%
Jackson- 12%
Wall- 12%
Paul- 12%
Walker- 11%
Teague- 11%
Shroeder- 11%
Westbrook- 10%
Lin- 10%
Lowry- 10%
Lillard- 6%



57 of his 64 3-point attempts came with a defender 4 feet or further away from him, it's a last resort option for him and the team..TP needs to raise his volume(and hopefully efficiency carries over) from other spots on the floor, but easier said than done on a team where he's one of only 2 ball-handlers on an ISO mid-range team with questionable spacing..

great work here HH - it's good seeing the numbers to back up what we witness during games... the interesting thing is that the other guys on the high list (3rd and 4th respectively) are ex-spur PGs (and mills in at 6) who weren't typically known for the 3-ball until developing that shot in order to work in our system.

open 3s, and the corner 3 especially, are made available through a breakdown of defenses, and that's something the spurs have been missing since the decline of manu. we really need another penetrator to open up looks for parker, but also danny green for that matter, who is essentially another guy that cannot create his own shot.

[Tully365]

He shot 0% in the clips series. It's not there. This is like saying he needs more jumpers. :lol

Again, he only had 1.3 3ptFGA per game in that series... such a tiny sample size doesn't mean anything. The most attempts Parker had in this year's playoffs came in Game 3 against OKC. He was 3 for 6 from three and the Spurs won.

[siraulo23]

Tony is not a 3pt threat

Other teams dont give a shit, they'll live with tony making 3s all day

[YGWHI]

I don't mind Tony changing his game, I'm not sure taking more jumpers is really what I'd like to see from him though.
Parker won't become a pass-first guard or a great playmaker, he will never be that type of player.

I'd rather see him knocking down shots from the corner than his dribble-dribble-getting nothing.

[Tully365]

http://vorped.com/1-nba/2015-2016/player/1134/tony-parker/shotchart/

Parker was 10-19 when shooting away from the corners... again, a tiny sample size-- but that's part of the problem, a lack of shots. In fact, his 3ptFG% is BETTER away from the corners than it is from the corners...

[ElNono]

Then how do you think he should change his game? I'm specifying 3 pt shots, which would stop defenses from collapsing in to prevent penetration, giving Kawhi, Aldridge, and Pau more room to operate. I don't think it would be that much of an adjustment... once a quarter, he pulls up instead of trying to penetrate. It's more of a mindset than anything... if this was a young new guard on the Spurs who shot over 40% from three the past two seasons, I think we'd all be excited to see him shoot a bunch of them. We're just accustomed to Parker NOT being a three point shooter... it's more of a habit than it is common sense.

We don't really have that problem against 98% of the league, tbh... the only teams I can think of that have sizeable frontcourts are the Jazz and Thunder. And against the Dubs, do you really want to get into a 3 point contest with them?

And pardon my skepticism with Tony, it's just a small sample size. As Harlem said, it really a last resort for him, and that's when we're playing with a secondary playmaker and Tony can go hide in a corner. It's difficult. Heck, Westbrook gets roasted here for his shot selection, especially on chucking 3s.

How do I think he should change his game? He's got a great partner for the pick and roll now with Gasol. I also still think he would be more valuable off the bench, tbh, unfortunately, we don't have a starting caliber PG.

[EIC]

I would love to see Parker develop the 3-point game a bit more. Having Tony, Green, and Kawhi hitting ~40% of their 3s while Aldridge and Gasol are hitting shots in the paint would be a great thing. And now's the time to try, since having two quasi-7 footers on the floor should give us the advantage on offensive boards against most teams.

All that said, Tony is at his absolute best, IMO, when he is taking and making that little mid-range shot near the elbows. That is his bread and butter.

[ElNono]

http://vorped.com/1-nba/2015-2016/player/1134/tony-parker/shotchart/

Parker was 10-19 when shooting away from the corners... again, a tiny sample size-- but that's part of the problem, a lack of shots. In fact, his 3ptFG% is BETTER away from the corners than it is from the corners...

I don't discount what you're saying, merely pointing out what you're pointing out: it's a small sample size. I'd love all our guys to shoot 40% from 3, but it isn't just a matter of taking more shots. 3 point specialists are called that for a reason (and Danny better step it up this next season, IMO).