Marcus Smart shooting 40.6% from 3 pt line in last 9 games

[Surferdad]

The operative statistic here should be that he's 47.8% from the corners.  The issue isn't him needing to improve from three (although I'll take it if it somehow happens), it's just cutting out all of those ridiculous above-the-key pull-ups from his game.

Not sure that's the one universal fix. Last season, he took a career high 25% of his threes from the corners... and shot career-low 20% on them, full 5 percentage points lower than his overall average.

Last season he was 5% lower on corner threes than he was on 3s total.  I think it's fair to say that that just has to be a statistical aberration.

He was ~40% from the corners his rookie season as well.

Maybe. I've always thought that the deal with Smart is not where he shoots from, but when and how. He seems to take a horrible amount of heat-checks.

I mean, this is just eye-test, but his corner attempts tend to be catch and shoot.  His above the key attempts tend to be pull-ups.

i think jvc, you, and koz have good points. smart tends to take too many poorly timed shots from poor locations and often uses poor form.

when he takes shots more within the offense, is not rushed, uses the corners, his percentages are really quite acceptable.

i would assume CBS is working to reign in the "chuck it up" smart.

That was rookie Smart.  It is obvious that he was given the green light on three's apparently with the motive to establish himself as a 3-point threat.  In today's NBA, being able to shoot the 3 is practically a job requirement, no matter what position you play.  That "experiment" was a failure because smart is not a natural shooter.  However, let's give him credit for continuing to work on his 3 to point where now it looks much more consistent.  "chuck it up" smart is fading in the rear-view mirror (I hope).

[hwangjini_1]

The operative statistic here should be that he's 47.8% from the corners.  The issue isn't him needing to improve from three (although I'll take it if it somehow happens), it's just cutting out all of those ridiculous above-the-key pull-ups from his game.

Not sure that's the one universal fix. Last season, he took a career high 25% of his threes from the corners... and shot career-low 20% on them, full 5 percentage points lower than his overall average.

Last season he was 5% lower on corner threes than he was on 3s total.  I think it's fair to say that that just has to be a statistical aberration.

He was ~40% from the corners his rookie season as well.

Maybe. I've always thought that the deal with Smart is not where he shoots from, but when and how. He seems to take a horrible amount of heat-checks.

I mean, this is just eye-test, but his corner attempts tend to be catch and shoot.  His above the key attempts tend to be pull-ups.

i think jvc, you, and koz have good points. smart tends to take too many poorly timed shots from poor locations and often uses poor form.

when he takes shots more within the offense, is not rushed, uses the corners, his percentages are really quite acceptable.

i would assume CBS is working to reign in the "chuck it up" smart.

That was rookie Smart.  It is obvious that he was given the green light on three's apparently with the motive to establish himself as a 3-point threat.  In today's NBA, being able to shoot the 3 is practically a job requirement, no matter what position you play.  That "experiment" was a failure because smart is not a natural shooter.  However, let's give him credit for continuing to work on his 3 to point where now it looks much more consistent.  "chuck it up" smart is fading in the rear-view mirror (I hope).

good points surf. yes, i think the increase in his shooting efficiency is primarily from the "chuck it up" smart fading into history.

last night's game is a case in point. he too only a few ill advised shots from beyond the arc. one he amazingly made. the other he bricked.

if he can be consistent with his shooting and take mostly open shots, he is on his way to being an all star based on great defense and okay/good offense.

[kozlodoev]

-A 0-3 ft shot should be automatic for a professional basketball player.  For Marcus it's a coin flip.
-A 3 to 10 foot shot should be a gimme for a professional basketball player.  For Marcus Smart it is a bad percentage play. -9% to previous range.
-A 10 to 16 foot shot would have been money for Brandon Bass or Big Baby, for Marcus Smart it is his Kryptonite. -5% to previous range.
-A long 2, which is now statistically proven to be the worst shot in basketball, is basically a close your eyes and chuck the ball towards the rim shot for Smart.  He should avoid it at all costs cos there are no benefits to ever taking this shot for him.  -11% to previous range.

I don't even know where to start. Let's just say that this might be true if you're tossing a basketball alone in the backyard, but definitely has nothing to do with the reality of the NBA, where you have actual defenders actually trying to prevent you from scoring the ball.

koz, agree with the specifics, but the basic point remains that smart's shooting for mid to long 2 points should be banned.

He's barely shooting any as it is. Only ~15% of his shots come from the range you're worried about (two-pointers from outside 10 feet).

[Moranis]

1 of 10 since the break.

[hwangjini_1]

1 of 10 since the break.

Yes. But paradoxically, his 2 point shooting is up. Go figure. 

[guava_wrench]

1 of 10 since the break.

Sadly, that won't stop someone from starting another thread like this based on a small sample size.

[SHAQATTACK]

If he can give 10 or 12 points a game and keep up the rest of the mister hustle KG hard nose play .........those points how ever they come are icing on the cake.

He finally has the beginnings of an offensive game.   .....goes along with being heathly finally for a long period. ...knock on wood.

[BitterJim]

1 of 10 since the break.

Sadly, that won't stop someone from starting another thread like this based on a small sample size.

He's always been a streaky shooter.  Basing anything (good or bad) on his shooting on a handful of games (especially an arbitrary group of them) is useless.

Same goes for any player, really.

[greece66]

Im not confident of the value of this sample.

Having said this, his offensive game has improved this season, so I remain optimistic.

[Boris Badenov]

He's shooting 47% from the corners and an atrocious 28% from everywhere else, but only shoots about one-fifth of his 3s from the corners.

[nickagneta]

I don't know if tonight's game is included but according to basketball-reference Smart is shooting 45.6% FG%, 30% 3PT%, 76% FT%, 57% TS% while averaging 13.4 PPG, 4.2 APG, 4.2RPG, and 2.7 SPG in 10 games in February. I would take those numbers every month from Smart knowing that production comes with All-NBA 1st team Defense.

[Ilikesports17]

Id love to see Marcus get to 40+/30+ by the end of the season.

[JBcat]

I don't know if tonight's game is included but according to basketball-reference Smart is shooting 45.6% FG%, 30% 3PT%, 76% FT%, 57% TS% while averaging 13.4 PPG, 4.2 APG, 4.2RPG, and 2.7 SPG in 10 games in February. I would take those numbers every month from Smart knowing that production comes with All-NBA 1st team Defense.

Just curious if you have the minutes per game averages to go along with that?  I imagine those averages will go down once Bradley is back.

[nickagneta]

I don't know if tonight's game is included but according to basketball-reference Smart is shooting 45.6% FG%, 30% 3PT%, 76% FT%, 57% TS% while averaging 13.4 PPG, 4.2 APG, 4.2RPG, and 2.7 SPG in 10 games in February. I would take those numbers every month from Smart knowing that production comes with All-NBA 1st team Defense.

Just curious if you have the minutes per game averages to go along with that?  I imagine those averages will go down once Bradley is back.

33MPG in February but he is averaging 31 MPG for the year so his minutes aren't going to take a big hit when Bradley returns. Most likely Rozier's minutes disappear and Browns take a major hit once Avery gets back

[hwangjini_1]

And, for what it is worth, smart leads the team with six long heaves coming into tonight. The rest of the team has nine total.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/2017.html#shooting::25