What the happened with Tiago's free throws?

[Budkin]

He wasn't great in the regular season but I think he was at least about 70%. Why suddenly in the playoffs is he shooting near 25%? It makes no sense to me. I mean, air balling them? It's just mind boggling. You know at some point OKC is just going to foul him every time he touches it.

[Drz]

I love to wave my arms and yell "SAMPLE SIZE" every time this sort of thing happens, but I have to admit there have been some pretty bad misses, and not just in the OKC game. His reaction after one of the misses (kind of dropped his head in part frustration, part WTF) seemed to confirm there's something mentally wrong there.

I don't think we're at the Steve Blass / Chuck Knoblauch / Rick Ankiel level of concern yet, but it's a distinct possibility. A tiny possibility fortunately, but it's there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yips

[Slydragon]

Shaq was shooting with him before the game and he pick up bad habits.

[Reck]

Overall he's a ty 60% FT shooter.

He's simply being exposed more now because he is getting more minutes in the playoffs.

[Mugen]

He's getting the Bonners when he steps up to the line.

Luckily, he's very unBonner like at everything else so far in the playoffs.

[wildbill2u]

Look at his form. I kept calling out, "he'll shoot it short" before every FT.

He's doing the same thing Duncan was doing a few years ago when he was having a lot of trouble at the line.

He's got both feet on a line instead of one slightly ahead of the other as you would shoot a layup. This puts him on two flat feet and when his arms go forward for the shot, it pulls the arm muscles and you wind up with a short shot.

With one foot slightly advanced you get better balance and a natural shooting motion that you use for every other shot in the book.

Try putting both feet even with each other and flat on the flood and you will notice a pull or tightening up when you extend your arms in a shooting motion.

[Dunc n Dave]

It's strange because if you look at his split stats, in Decemebr and January (1st 18 games) he was shooting around 72%. Sean Elliott even mentioned in game broadcasts how improved Splitter's form looked, and that Chip had been working with him on his form.

Then in 10 games in February (after his injury) he shot 57% before going back up to around 70% the rest of the year.

The only thing I can think of is maybe this drop off in his FT% is related to his recent injury vs the Jazz in the 1st round?

[Legacy]

I really don't know what happened, either... but I seriously pray that it won't be like that for the rest of this series. He's improved so much this year/season.

[manufan10]

It's strange because if you look at his split stats, in Decemebr and January (1st 18 games) he was shooting around 72%. Sean Elliott even mentioned in game broadcasts how improved Splitter's form looked, and that Chip had been working with him on his form.

Then in 10 games in February (after his injury) he shot 57% before going back up to around 70% the rest of the year.

The only thing I can think of is maybe this drop off in his FT% is related to his recent injury vs the Jazz in the 1st round?

That's a possibility. I know McDonald was tweeting about Splitter airballing FT's when he was coming back against the Jazz.

[Nathan89]

The only thing I can think of is maybe this drop off in his FT% is related to his recent injury vs the Jazz in the 1st round?

Maybe, I didn't think of that. He finished the season 21-26 and now he can barely hit rim.

In stubbornness I still think he's choking under the pressure. The rest of his game seems fine. He doesn't show any signs of grimacing or anything.

Chip earn your paycheck.

[blkroadrunners]

I notice sometimes he doesn't bend his knees to elevate on his FTs. Also, it doesn't help the fact he doesn't use too much arm/torso strength to shoot it.

[boutons_deux]

he plays basketball because he's tall, not because he's athletic or coordinated.

He was really hitting his free throws pretty well, Manu-esque, now it's cringe time. He can't even get the ball in the cylinder. He seems to have no feel at all for the shot.

[spurs1990]

Has he hit a shot outside the paint....like ever?

[lmbebo]

Maybe chip has him trying to change his form, and he really needs gym time to work on it?

[robino2001]

Last night he was at least an entire foot (if not more) to the left of the center of the free throw line... don't remember him being that far off-center in the past.

[Budkin]

he plays basketball because he's tall, not because he's athletic or coordinated.

He was really hitting his free throws pretty well, Many-esque, now it's cringe time. He can't even get the ball in the cylinder. He seems to have no feel at all for the shot.

I don't know, it takes a lot of coordination to pull off some of the post moves he has.

[Brutalis]

IDC who you are. If you are physically able to toss a basketball to the goal from the FT line I would bet 7 of 10 random ass people could hit rim.

There's really no excuse. He should be embarrassed.

[biskvito]

Nothing happened to his FT, he was always irregular with some good stretches like earlier in the season

[Solid D]

He's getting the Bonners when he steps up to the line.

Luckily, he's very unBonner like at everything else so far in the playoffs.

Pretty much on the mark. Yips = HeeBee-JeeBees = Bonners

[TD 21]

I'm not sure, but I could tell towards the end of the regular season that he was done for the season, as far as being respectable at the line. His confidence was shot. So I'm not the least bit surprised with what's going on now. I mean, I wouldn't have predicted near 25% obviously, but I figured we were looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of 40% from then on.

[ThePop]

It's gotta be his injured hand, he was never this bad.

[dakota_spursfan]

pressure of the conference finals? after firing one up there that barely touches the damn rim, that thought has gotta be sticking with him and hes just over thinking it

[Solid D]

pressure of the conference finals? after firing one up there that barely touches the damn rim, that thought has gotta be sticking with him and hes just over thinking it

The yips started earlier. It's not just in the games. He was airballing FTs in warmups before Game 1 of the Jazz series. There may be something going on with his form but it goes beyond just bad form.

[DMC]

Tiago's first real year in the league, Western Conference Finals, he's got jitters just like all other 1st/2nd year players. Where's Danny's 3, Kawhi's 3? Neal is cold as ice, no question, doesn't feel anything, but the others will settle down as the series progresses. We won without serious point production from any of those guys.

Bonner is toast.

[100%duncan]

Agreed. I mean he was at least decent in the regular season. I think it's about his mentality, like other posters said, because his form didn't change from my observations. Maybe when he gets fouled he'll automatically fold and just rush the free throws so he can get the out of there.