Cal's worst loss as a team so far was the first game vs UCSD. One statistic stands out for me the ratio of only 4 assists to 24 field goals made. This usually indicates too much individual play, and less teamwork. Players were not often enough setting up teammates, finding open teammates, or moving without the ball to get open. I have no doubt that Coach Fox spoke to his team about that. In particular, the point guard, Joel Brown did not have a single assist. In the second game, vs UNLV, Cal improved to 21 buckets on 9 assists, but Brown had only one assist. In the last two games, vs San Diego and Southern Utah, Brown improved tremendously to 7 assists in each game, and Cal made 28 buckets on 16 assists vs SD, and 27 buckets on 14 assists vs SU. Good teams are usually around 50% of their baskets on assists or better.

Many fans would rather see Brown take the ball to the basket to try and score more. In the UCSD game he was 4/7 on his drives, but the next 3 games not so good: 2/6 vs UNLV, 3/7 vs SD, and 1/4 vs SU. I can remember the last 2 years, where he often got tied up, fell down, lost the ball, or threw up difficult shot attempts. Here's a list of some Cal point guards and their 2-point FG percentages:

Jason Kidd .541
Keith Smith .519
KJ .503
Randle .498
Cobbs .490
Singer .485
Wallace .464
Jorge .461
Brown (Career) .437
Austin .436
Brown (This Season) .417
Chauca .412
Moore .409
Coleman .374

Brown needs to drive to the basket once in a while to keep defenses honest, but it should not be one of Cal's primary options, because it is a low percentage play. Not only that but the drive to the basket for a shot often can result in a foul and free throws. All the players on the above list shot free throws a lot better than Brown has shot them, so that is another reason Brown driving to the rim is not a good percentage play for Cal. If Brown can focus on playing a traditional point, running offense, and setting up teammates, and getting 6 or so assists, of which he is entirely capable, that would be a better strategy, IMHO.

I need to check the numbers but I think the big difference is he played Brown and Alajiki more and Shepard less (due to foul trouble and then fouling out). Result: more baskets off assists.

My thought on Brown last year was that he was making a good percentage on threes (albeit on few attempts) so, if he was open, he needed to take it more, if only to keep the defense honest and open up the rest of his game, including passing to the open man. He was 0/3 but 1/3 would be good. He still needs to shoot when open. His FT issue is perplexing and creates problems in the close of close games. For us extreme amateurs, it is the easiest thing to fix.

calumnus said:

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I need to check the numbers but I think the big difference is he played Brown and Alajiki more and Shepard less. Result: more baskets off assists.

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also, indirectly more assists and baskets off better defense.

Don Coleman made a shot?

LateHit said:

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Don Coleman made a shot?

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Don Coleman scored almost thirty in a road game that we lost be cause Wyking Jones never taught the team how to inbound the ball.He was unstoppable with turn around threes etc. The tv announcers raved about him. It never happened again.

Quiz. What was that game?

oskidunker said:

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LateHit said:

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Don Coleman made a shot?

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Don Coleman scored almost thirty in a road game that we lost be cause Wyking Jones never taught the team how to inbound the ball.He was unstoppable with turn around threes etc. The tv announcers raved about him. It never happened again.

Quiz. What was that game?

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it was in an early season tourney against a ranked team. kansas?
we played great and then **** the bed the rest of the season

...evidently not.

Bearprof said:

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If I recall correctly, that Hawaii trip was when Theo Robertson and Jones had an altercation, purportedly physical, that resulted in the end of Theo's role with the team.

Coleman was getting huge cred from the media on that trip. I remember a fawning interview on the beach. Did not last….

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Actually the strength coach and Theo - Coach Jones separated them and caught flak because he tried to placate both people and Theo wanted Coach Jones to back him solely. Theo's role was essentially minimized after that and fences never mended.

They barely beat a crap team at home, in double overtime.

They are still having trouble inbounding the ball.

calumnus said:

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I need to check the numbers but I think the big difference is he played Brown and Alajiki more and Shepard less (due to foul trouble and then fouling out). Result: more baskets off assists.

My thought on Brown last year was that he was making a good percentage on threes (albeit on few attempts) so, if he was open, he needed to take it more, if only to keep the defense honest and open up the rest of his game, including passing to the open man. He was 0/3 but 1/3 would be good. He still needs to shoot when open. His FT issue is perplexing and creates problems in the close of close games. For us extreme amateurs, it is the easiest thing to fix.

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Right you are. FTs are mostly mental, and you don't need outstanding athletic physical skills to make them. Wilt Chamberlain couldn't make his free throws. He was better in college (62%) than in the NBA (51%). He had only one year in the NBA where he shot over 60% (1962 at 61%). He tried everything except the underhanded shot. He shot them from different locations. He once quipped, "I even hired a psychiatrist to help me. After a couple of weeks, even the psychiatrist began shooting them better than I could."

oskidunker said:

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LateHit said:

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Don Coleman made a shot?

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Don Coleman scored almost thirty in a road game that we lost be cause Wyking Jones never taught the team how to inbound the ball.He was unstoppable with turn around threes etc. The tv announcers raved about him. It never happened again.

Quiz. What was that game?

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That 35 point game was probably the worst thing that could have happened to Coleman, the team, and the coach. They all believed that they could keep doing that.

At least Coleman will have something to tell to his grandchildren.

SFCityBear said:

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calumnus said:

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I need to check the numbers but I think the big difference is he played Brown and Alajiki more and Shepard less (due to foul trouble and then fouling out). Result: more baskets off assists.

My thought on Brown last year was that he was making a good percentage on threes (albeit on few attempts) so, if he was open, he needed to take it more, if only to keep the defense honest and open up the rest of his game, including passing to the open man. He was 0/3 but 1/3 would be good. He still needs to shoot when open. His FT issue is perplexing and creates problems in the close of close games. For us extreme amateurs, it is the easiest thing to fix.

---

Right you are. FTs are mostly mental, and you don't need outstanding athletic physical skills to make them. Wilt Chamberlain couldn't make his free throws. He was better in college (62%) than in the NBA (51%). He had only one year in the NBA where he shot over 60% (1962 at 61%). He tried everything except the underhanded shot. He shot them from different locations. He once quipped, "I even hired a psychiatrist to help me. After a couple of weeks, even the psychiatrist began shooting them better than I could."

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Due to the physics, it is actually tougher to shoot free throws if you are taller and have a high release point. That is solved by shooting underhand.

SFCityBear said:

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calumnus said:

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I need to check the numbers but I think the big difference is he played Brown and Alajiki more and Shepard less (due to foul trouble and then fouling out). Result: more baskets off assists.

My thought on Brown last year was that he was making a good percentage on threes (albeit on few attempts) so, if he was open, he needed to take it more, if only to keep the defense honest and open up the rest of his game, including passing to the open man. He was 0/3 but 1/3 would be good. He still needs to shoot when open. His FT issue is perplexing and creates problems in the close of close games. For us extreme amateurs, it is the easiest thing to fix.

---

Right you are. FTs are mostly mental, and you don't need outstanding athletic physical skills to make them. Wilt Chamberlain couldn't make his free throws. He was better in college (62%) than in the NBA (51%). He had only one year in the NBA where he shot over 60% (1962 at 61%). He tried everything except the underhanded shot. He shot them from different locations. He once quipped, "I even hired a psychiatrist to help me. After a couple of weeks, even the psychiatrist began shooting them better than I could."

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Are you sure Wilt never tried the underhand freethrow? I have a recollection of watching him on TV shoot underhand - maybe when he played for the Sixers? This could be a false memory - it's happened before . . . I do recall that for a while, he tried standing at the top of the circle with similar lousy results.

EDIT: I'm not senile yet! Check out this video at 0:15:
Same result, though. CLANK!

I'm pretty sure Wilt was using the underhand free throw even in his last couple of Warriors years.

calumnus said:

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Due to the physics, it is actually tougher to shoot free throws if you are taller and have a high release point. That is solved by shooting underhand.

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I don't see it. Please explain the physics.

stu said:

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calumnus said:

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Due to the physics, it is actually tougher to shoot free throws if you are taller and have a high release point. That is solved by shooting underhand.

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I don't see it. Please explain the physics.

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I believe it has also been explained and demonstrated that it is harder to shoot if ones hands are too large (or too small). Many big men often have incredibly large hands. Try shooting free throws with a softball . . .

stu said:

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calumnus said:

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Due to the physics, it is actually tougher to shoot free throws if you are taller and have a high release point. That is solved by shooting underhand.

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I don't see it. Please explain the physics.

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A shot upward follows the arc of a parabola. The speed upward slows until gravity takes over and it begins falling.

If the basket is near the peak of the arc, it will have little to no downward momentum and will be "soft" if it touches the rim it will not bounce out. Back spin can help.

However if a shot is launched from the same plane as the basket there are two choices: 1) shoot flat towards the basket with little arc. This requires a larger forward vector to overcome gravity. The ball is moving faster. The angle to go in the hoop is bad. If it hits anything it will carom out. The best option is probably to bank it off the backboard. 2) you could shoot it with arc, but with the apex between you and the basket. You now need to have the peak of the arc, not the basket itself,, which you can see and judge, but an invisible spot midway and above the basket. The ball will also have more downward momentum and speed and will be more likely to bounce out unless you are perfect.

Shooting underhand gives a lower release point and allows a taller player to adopt a similar ball trajectory as a shorter player would have shooting normally. Importantly it is less forceful and allows the player to use the rim (or a spot just above and behind it) as a target.

RedlessWardrobe said:

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I'm pretty sure Wilt was using the underhand free throw even in his last couple of Warriors years.

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I remember Rick Barry got George Johnson to try shooting underhand for an extended period, with some success.

When I remember seeing Wilt (Lakers), he was trying low-arc FTs from just in front of the top of the key, off to the side. Yes, he would experiment with different styles. Legend has it that he routinely hit a lot of FTs... in practice (and would, in fact, win $$$ from teammates in all sorts of shooting competitions, including FTs).

HearstMining said:

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SFCityBear said:

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calumnus said:

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I need to check the numbers but I think the big difference is he played Brown and Alajiki more and Shepard less (due to foul trouble and then fouling out). Result: more baskets off assists.

My thought on Brown last year was that he was making a good percentage on threes (albeit on few attempts) so, if he was open, he needed to take it more, if only to keep the defense honest and open up the rest of his game, including passing to the open man. He was 0/3 but 1/3 would be good. He still needs to shoot when open. His FT issue is perplexing and creates problems in the close of close games. For us extreme amateurs, it is the easiest thing to fix.

---

Right you are. FTs are mostly mental, and you don't need outstanding athletic physical skills to make them. Wilt Chamberlain couldn't make his free throws. He was better in college (62%) than in the NBA (51%). He had only one year in the NBA where he shot over 60% (1962 at 61%). He tried everything except the underhanded shot. He shot them from different locations. He once quipped, "I even hired a psychiatrist to help me. After a couple of weeks, even the psychiatrist began shooting them better than I could."

---

Are you sure Wilt never tried the underhand freethrow? I have a recollection of watching him on TV shoot underhand - maybe when he played for the Sixers? This could be a false memory - it's happened before . . . I do recall that for a while, he tried standing at the top of the circle with similar lousy results.

EDIT: I'm not senile yet! Check out this video at 0:15:
Same result, though. CLANK!

---

You are right. My apologies to all. I remembered that Rick Barry had told the story many times about a great player who was a terrible free throw shooter, and that he had offered to teach that player how to shoot them underhanded, but the player refused. The story was true, except that the player was not Wilt, it was Shaquille O'Neal. I researched it further and found that Wilt changed his style to underhanded for one year, it turned out to be his best year, 1962, at 61%, which I cited above. That same year he had the 100 point game, making 28 out of 32 free throws in that game.

You may remember that during his career, Wilt continued to grow and get bigger and stronger, and by the time he joined the Sixers or the Lakers, the size and muscles he then had might have affected his free throw shooting. Maybe he could not shoot the underhanded free throws as well as he had years earlier, and he abandoned them. Just a guess.

Thanks for the explanation. That makes sense. A few more observations/questions:

I see a tradeoff. A high arc will give you a bigger cross section to hit (by the cosine of the angle between vertical and trajectory at the basket). If that trajectory is horizontal the ball won't go in unless you hit the backboard with backspin. But if the arc is high the ball will have a longer path so any error will have a larger effect. I think it would be easiest with the release far above the rim, as in hitting a wastebasket on the floor. Unfortunately few humans are tall enough to shoot free throws from well above the rim.

calumnus said:

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SFCityBear said:

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calumnus said:

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I need to check the numbers but I think the big difference is he played Brown and Alajiki more and Shepard less (due to foul trouble and then fouling out). Result: more baskets off assists.

My thought on Brown last year was that he was making a good percentage on threes (albeit on few attempts) so, if he was open, he needed to take it more, if only to keep the defense honest and open up the rest of his game, including passing to the open man. He was 0/3 but 1/3 would be good. He still needs to shoot when open. His FT issue is perplexing and creates problems in the close of close games. For us extreme amateurs, it is the easiest thing to fix.

---

Right you are. FTs are mostly mental, and you don't need outstanding athletic physical skills to make them. Wilt Chamberlain couldn't make his free throws. He was better in college (62%) than in the NBA (51%). He had only one year in the NBA where he shot over 60% (1962 at 61%). He tried everything except the underhanded shot. He shot them from different locations. He once quipped, "I even hired a psychiatrist to help me. After a couple of weeks, even the psychiatrist began shooting them better than I could."

---

Due to the physics, it is actually tougher to shoot free throws if you are taller and have a high release point. That is solved by shooting underhand.

---

There are plenty of big men today who make their free throws. Kevin Durant, anyone?
And the underhand shot does not work for all players. It won't solve all FT problems.

My dad played in the 1920s and 1930s. He and all his teammates shot FTs underhanded. He tried to teach them to me, but I had been playing a lot of junior tournament tennis, and the muscles in my right arm, wrist and hand were all stronger than my left. My right side dominated when I shot FTs underhanded, and forced the shot to the left. I never could master it.

My high school coach, Ben Neff, had played on Cal's lightweight 145s team, and he was their designated free throw shooter. The league had a rule when a player was fouled, his coach could send in a player from the bench to shoot free throws. Ben shot them underhanded and was really good at it. He tried to get my teammates to shoot them that way. He would demonstrate making 20 in a row or something, but he could never convince any of us to start shooting them that way, although I had some teammates who might have benefited. That was 1955 or so, and I don't remember ever seeing a player in any game, high school, college or pro shooting an underhanded free throw in a game.

SFCityBear said:

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calumnus said:

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SFCityBear said:

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calumnus said:

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I need to check the numbers but I think the big difference is he played Brown and Alajiki more and Shepard less (due to foul trouble and then fouling out). Result: more baskets off assists.

My thought on Brown last year was that he was making a good percentage on threes (albeit on few attempts) so, if he was open, he needed to take it more, if only to keep the defense honest and open up the rest of his game, including passing to the open man. He was 0/3 but 1/3 would be good. He still needs to shoot when open. His FT issue is perplexing and creates problems in the close of close games. For us extreme amateurs, it is the easiest thing to fix.

---

Right you are. FTs are mostly mental, and you don't need outstanding athletic physical skills to make them. Wilt Chamberlain couldn't make his free throws. He was better in college (62%) than in the NBA (51%). He had only one year in the NBA where he shot over 60% (1962 at 61%). He tried everything except the underhanded shot. He shot them from different locations. He once quipped, "I even hired a psychiatrist to help me. After a couple of weeks, even the psychiatrist began shooting them better than I could."

---

Due to the physics, it is actually tougher to shoot free throws if you are taller and have a high release point. That is solved by shooting underhand.

---

There are plenty of big men today who make their free throws. Kevin Durant, anyone?
And the underhand shot does not work for all players. It won't solve all FT problems.

My dad played in the 1920s and 1930s. He and all his teammates shot FTs underhanded. He tried to teach them to me, but I had been playing a lot of junior tournament tennis, and the muscles in my right arm, wrist and hand were all stronger than my left. My right side dominated when I shot FTs underhanded, and forced the shot to the left. I never could master it.

My high school coach, Ben Neff, had played on Cal's lightweight 145s team, and he was their designated free throw shooter. The league had a rule when a player was fouled, his coach could send in a player from the bench to shoot free throws. Ben shot them underhanded and was really good at it. He tried to get my teammates to shoot them that way. He would demonstrate making 20 in a row or something, but he could never convince any of us to start shooting them that way, although I had some teammates who might have benefited. That was 1955 or so, and I don't remember ever seeing a player in any game, high school, college or pro shooting an underhanded free throw in a game.

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Kevin Durant is the great exception to every rule. He is amazing. The fact it is tougher for a big man to be so accurate a shooter only makes what he does more amazing. There are not "plenty" of Kevin Durants.

As for your personal example, how tall are you?

KD is the exception because 7 footers are few and far between and the majority that play in the NBA aren't there for their shooting prowess.

As for trying to make freethrows where the apex is near the basket would make for very flat shots that would have little chance of going in. The shorter you are the further from the rim your apex should be.

calumnus said:

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SFCityBear said:

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calumnus said:

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SFCityBear said:

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calumnus said:

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I need to check the numbers but I think the big difference is he played Brown and Alajiki more and Shepard less (due to foul trouble and then fouling out). Result: more baskets off assists.

My thought on Brown last year was that he was making a good percentage on threes (albeit on few attempts) so, if he was open, he needed to take it more, if only to keep the defense honest and open up the rest of his game, including passing to the open man. He was 0/3 but 1/3 would be good. He still needs to shoot when open. His FT issue is perplexing and creates problems in the close of close games. For us extreme amateurs, it is the easiest thing to fix.

---

Right you are. FTs are mostly mental, and you don't need outstanding athletic physical skills to make them. Wilt Chamberlain couldn't make his free throws. He was better in college (62%) than in the NBA (51%). He had only one year in the NBA where he shot over 60% (1962 at 61%). He tried everything except the underhanded shot. He shot them from different locations. He once quipped, "I even hired a psychiatrist to help me. After a couple of weeks, even the psychiatrist began shooting them better than I could."

---

Due to the physics, it is actually tougher to shoot free throws if you are taller and have a high release point. That is solved by shooting underhand.

---

There are plenty of big men today who make their free throws. Kevin Durant, anyone?
And the underhand shot does not work for all players. It won't solve all FT problems.

My dad played in the 1920s and 1930s. He and all his teammates shot FTs underhanded. He tried to teach them to me, but I had been playing a lot of junior tournament tennis, and the muscles in my right arm, wrist and hand were all stronger than my left. My right side dominated when I shot FTs underhanded, and forced the shot to the left. I never could master it.

My high school coach, Ben Neff, had played on Cal's lightweight 145s team, and he was their designated free throw shooter. The league had a rule when a player was fouled, his coach could send in a player from the bench to shoot free throws. Ben shot them underhanded and was really good at it. He tried to get my teammates to shoot them that way. He would demonstrate making 20 in a row or something, but he could never convince any of us to start shooting them that way, although I had some teammates who might have benefited. That was 1955 or so, and I don't remember ever seeing a player in any game, high school, college or pro shooting an underhanded free throw in a game.

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Kevin Durant is the great exception to every rule. He is amazing. The fact it is tougher for a big man to be so accurate a shooter only makes what he does more amazing. There are not "plenty" of Kevin Durants.

As for your personal example, how tall are you?

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HearstMining said:

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EDIT: I'm not senile yet! Check out this video at 0:15:
Same result, though. CLANK!

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Pretty simple as the video says "The basic problem with the big people is that small people are teaching them how to shoot a free throw, so that the big people have too much motion in the shot."

calumnus said:

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SFCityBear said:

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calumnus said:

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SFCityBear said:

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calumnus said:

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I need to check the numbers but I think the big difference is he played Brown and Alajiki more and Shepard less (due to foul trouble and then fouling out). Result: more baskets off assists.

My thought on Brown last year was that he was making a good percentage on threes (albeit on few attempts) so, if he was open, he needed to take it more, if only to keep the defense honest and open up the rest of his game, including passing to the open man. He was 0/3 but 1/3 would be good. He still needs to shoot when open. His FT issue is perplexing and creates problems in the close of close games. For us extreme amateurs, it is the easiest thing to fix.

---

Right you are. FTs are mostly mental, and you don't need outstanding athletic physical skills to make them. Wilt Chamberlain couldn't make his free throws. He was better in college (62%) than in the NBA (51%). He had only one year in the NBA where he shot over 60% (1962 at 61%). He tried everything except the underhanded shot. He shot them from different locations. He once quipped, "I even hired a psychiatrist to help me. After a couple of weeks, even the psychiatrist began shooting them better than I could."

---

Due to the physics, it is actually tougher to shoot free throws if you are taller and have a high release point. That is solved by shooting underhand.

---

There are plenty of big men today who make their free throws. Kevin Durant, anyone?
And the underhand shot does not work for all players. It won't solve all FT problems.

My dad played in the 1920s and 1930s. He and all his teammates shot FTs underhanded. He tried to teach them to me, but I had been playing a lot of junior tournament tennis, and the muscles in my right arm, wrist and hand were all stronger than my left. My right side dominated when I shot FTs underhanded, and forced the shot to the left. I never could master it.

My high school coach, Ben Neff, had played on Cal's lightweight 145s team, and he was their designated free throw shooter. The league had a rule when a player was fouled, his coach could send in a player from the bench to shoot free throws. Ben shot them underhanded and was really good at it. He tried to get my teammates to shoot them that way. He would demonstrate making 20 in a row or something, but he could never convince any of us to start shooting them that way, although I had some teammates who might have benefited. That was 1955 or so, and I don't remember ever seeing a player in any game, high school, college or pro shooting an underhanded free throw in a game.

---

Kevin Durant is the great exception to every rule. He is amazing. The fact it is tougher for a big man to be so accurate a shooter only makes what he does more amazing. There are not "plenty" of Kevin Durants.

As for your personal example, how tall are you?

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I think maybe you misunderstood me. What I said was that "There are plenty of big men today who make their free throws." I did not say there are "plenty"of Kevin Durants. There are not. He is spectacular in today's game.

What I mean about players who make their free throws is this: I think coaches would be pleased if their players could make 70-75 percent of their free throws. I also think big men don't usually shoot them as well as smaller men, and if a big man makes 70-75% of them, that is very, very good. Over 80% would be outstanding. I was only citing Kevin Durant as an example of this. Smaller men should be able to approach 80% and the best ones approach 90% and beyond. That is just my own measuring stick. Yours may be different.

I looked over the list of active NBA players, and in the top 40 players for career FT%, there were 11 big men among the 40, all over .800, led by Durant at .882, and Gallinari at .876. I defined big as a player who was 6-8 or taller and played a front court position.

I get it that Durant is a favorite of yours and many of us fans. He is not however the best big man to ever shoot free throws, in the statistical sense. Maybe the best was Larry Bird. Or Peja Stoyakovic. Or Rick Barry if we include a 6'-7" player as being a big man.

Bird: Career Average .886, 5 seasons over 90%, 4 seasons led the NBA in FT%

Peja: Career Average .895, 5 seasons over 90%, 2 seasons led the NBA in FT%

Barry: Career Average .893, 7 seasons over 90%, 7 seasons led the NBA in FT%

Durant: Career Average .882, 2 seasons at 90%, 2 seasons led the NBA in FT%

I like free throws as a comparison, because it is one skill that has not changed over the years. The distance and height of the basket is the same, and the ability of the player doesn't depend on the rule changes to favor offense over defense or vice versa. Nor does it depend on athleticism. Kevin Durant has benefited from the rule changes in the game, where the game now allows carrying the ball, some traveling, and some charging. Durant is more skilled at carrying the ball than any player I've seen. He can put his hand on the bottom of the ball and hide the ball behind his hip, and then either cross over or quickly drive with the same hand, while the defender is looking at the empty space where Durant used to be. All legal. But a player like that can't be compared to players who were much more restricted in their moves by the old rules.

What does my present height have to do with what I wrote? I'd say I am short, and getting shorter with each year. I've lost 2 inches from my Cal days, and I'm told I have a crushed vertebrae, probably from too much golf.

When my dad tried to teach me to shoot free throws underhanded, I was maybe in the 3rd or 4th grade, and I have no idea how tall I was. Less than five feet? By the 5th grade, we were beginning to choose up sides for games in the schoolyard, and the way we did it was to shoot free throws. The first ten players to make their free throw were allowed to play in a game. So I practiced very hard on my free throws, to make sure I got picked for a team. I shot them from the waist with a one-hand set shot. Later I developed a jump shot, and then I tried shooting FTs two-handed like many players today, but I was better at the one-handed FT. I think I was probably over 90% on every team I played on. I was 24/24 in my last year in high school, the only year they kept stats. If I tried to shoot one now, I would probably pull a muscle and hurt myself.

SFCityBear said:

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calumnus said:

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SFCityBear said:

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calumnus said:

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SFCityBear said:

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calumnus said:

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I need to check the numbers but I think the big difference is he played Brown and Alajiki more and Shepard less (due to foul trouble and then fouling out). Result: more baskets off assists.

My thought on Brown last year was that he was making a good percentage on threes (albeit on few attempts) so, if he was open, he needed to take it more, if only to keep the defense honest and open up the rest of his game, including passing to the open man. He was 0/3 but 1/3 would be good. He still needs to shoot when open. His FT issue is perplexing and creates problems in the close of close games. For us extreme amateurs, it is the easiest thing to fix.

---

Right you are. FTs are mostly mental, and you don't need outstanding athletic physical skills to make them. Wilt Chamberlain couldn't make his free throws. He was better in college (62%) than in the NBA (51%). He had only one year in the NBA where he shot over 60% (1962 at 61%). He tried everything except the underhanded shot. He shot them from different locations. He once quipped, "I even hired a psychiatrist to help me. After a couple of weeks, even the psychiatrist began shooting them better than I could."

---

Due to the physics, it is actually tougher to shoot free throws if you are taller and have a high release point. That is solved by shooting underhand.

---

There are plenty of big men today who make their free throws. Kevin Durant, anyone?
And the underhand shot does not work for all players. It won't solve all FT problems.

My dad played in the 1920s and 1930s. He and all his teammates shot FTs underhanded. He tried to teach them to me, but I had been playing a lot of junior tournament tennis, and the muscles in my right arm, wrist and hand were all stronger than my left. My right side dominated when I shot FTs underhanded, and forced the shot to the left. I never could master it.

My high school coach, Ben Neff, had played on Cal's lightweight 145s team, and he was their designated free throw shooter. The league had a rule when a player was fouled, his coach could send in a player from the bench to shoot free throws. Ben shot them underhanded and was really good at it. He tried to get my teammates to shoot them that way. He would demonstrate making 20 in a row or something, but he could never convince any of us to start shooting them that way, although I had some teammates who might have benefited. That was 1955 or so, and I don't remember ever seeing a player in any game, high school, college or pro shooting an underhanded free throw in a game.

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Kevin Durant is the great exception to every rule. He is amazing. The fact it is tougher for a big man to be so accurate a shooter only makes what he does more amazing. There are not "plenty" of Kevin Durants.

As for your personal example, how tall are you?

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I think maybe you misunderstood me. What I said was that "There are plenty of big men today who make their free throws." I did not say there are "plenty"of Kevin Durants. There are not. He is spectacular in today's game.

What I mean about players who make their free throws is this: I think coaches would be pleased if their players could make 70-75 percent of their free throws. I also think big men don't usually shoot them as well as smaller men, and if a big man makes 70-75% of them, that is very, very good. Over 80% would be outstanding. I was only citing Kevin Durant as an example of this. Smaller men should be able to approach 80% and the best ones approach 90% and beyond. That is just my own measuring stick. Yours may be different.

I looked over the list of active NBA players, and in the top 40 players for career FT%, there were 11 big men among the 40, all over .800, led by Durant at .882, and Gallinari at .876. I defined big as a player who was 6-8 or taller and played a front court position.

I get it that Durant is a favorite of yours and many of us fans. He is not however the best big man to ever shoot free throws, in the statistical sense. Maybe the best was Larry Bird. Or Peja Stoyakovic. Or Rick Barry if we include a 6'-7" player as being a big man.

Bird: Career Average .886, 5 seasons over 90%, 4 seasons led the NBA in FT%

Peja: Career Average .895, 5 seasons over 90%, 2 seasons led the NBA in FT%

Barry: Career Average .893, 7 seasons over 90%, 7 seasons led the NBA in FT%

Durant: Career Average .882, 2 seasons at 90%, 2 seasons led the NBA in FT%

I like free throws as a comparison, because it is one skill that has not changed over the years. The distance and height of the basket is the same, and the ability of the player doesn't depend on the rule changes to favor offense over defense or vice versa. Nor does it depend on athleticism. Kevin Durant has benefited from the rule changes in the game, where the game now allows carrying the ball, some traveling, and some charging. Durant is more skilled at carrying the ball than any player I've seen. He can put his hand on the bottom of the ball and hide the ball behind his hip, and then either cross over or quickly drive with the same hand, while the defender is looking at the empty space where Durant used to be. All legal. But a player like that can't be compared to players who were much more restricted in their moves by the old rules.

What does my present height have to do with what I wrote? I'd say I am short, and getting shorter with each year. I've lost 2 inches from my Cal days, and I'm told I have a crushed vertebrae, probably from too much golf.

When my dad tried to teach me to shoot free throws underhanded, I was maybe in the 3rd or 4th grade, and I have no idea how tall I was. Less than five feet? By the 5th grade, we were beginning to choose up sides for games in the schoolyard, and the way we did it was to shoot free throws. The first ten players to make their free throw were allowed to play in a game. So I practiced very hard on my free throws, to make sure I got picked for a team. I shot them from the waist with a one-hand set shot. Later I developed a jump shot, and then I tried shooting FTs two-handed like many players today, but I was better at the one-handed FT. I think I was probably over 90% on every team I played on. I was 24/24 in my last year in high school, the only year they kept stats. If I tried to shoot one now, I would probably pull a muscle and hurt myself.

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Durant might be the only basketball player in history to understate his height. He is actually 7' tall. He has a 7'5" wingspan. When he launches a shot it leaves his hands almost on the same plane as the basket. Thus the arc it follows reaches its apex at a great height roughly half way to the basket. This is more difficult to aim than if launched from a lower height with the apex at lower height and nearer to the basket. It is also moving downward much faster when it reaches the basket. The fact that someone that tall can hit such a high percentage of threes and free throws is amazing.

The reason I asked your height was you gave your personal experience with shooting free throws underhand. If you are short, it gives you little advantage. Plus you practice your normal set shot all the time, so shooting free throws the same way is preferable if you are not really tall.

Supposedly Bill Walton was seven feet, but wanted to be listed at 6'11".

Speaking of discrepancies between listed and actual heights, I see that, according to calbears.com, Thorpe, Anticevich and Kelly have all "grown" to 6'9" and Thiemann has sprouted to an astonishing 7'1" !

My goodness, what are they feeding these publicists players?!?

Celestine is the one player who might have grown in the last year. A couple of years ago Anticevich walked past me on the sidewalk and looked more like 6'6" than his listed 6'8".