There are those who say the dunk takes no skill. I think it must take some skill, because Cal missed how many last night? At least four. Let's say you shoot a layup or a putback off the glass in those instances. Probably you make two of them, and the Bears win this game a little sooner. Cal missed their dunks early, and Oakland was thinking, "Cal can't even make a dunk", and it probably gave them some confidence, because Cal was playing stupidly.
If a player is not very skilled at shooting off the glass, then the dunk is perhaps the highest percentage shot. This is why in the past I was not critical of Solomon taking a dunk. But this year, he has begun to show some skill in shooting, and he needs to think of which is the best shot for him, especially after missing two wide open dunks night.
Another problem with the dunk is if you do miss it, all positioning for the rebound is out the window, as the ball caroms wildly off the rim, and so if you miss a dunk, you just made a turnover. This is not true for a missed layup, short jumper, or hook shot. Your team still has a chance for the rebound.
Every player from 5'-7" to 7'-4" wants to dunk. That is a problem, because shorter players who can dunk are able to get away with it in high school, but when they get into college, they find there are taller athletic players denying them a path to the hoop. If they had spent time in high school perfecting other shots, instead of practicing the simplest shot in the world, the dunk, they would have become more effective ballplayers. When Alex Rossi, a fine perimeter shooter, was rehabbing he was asked what he was working on. "My dunks," he replied. He was so elated that he was finally able to dunk the ball again without pain. This is a kid who did not have the athleticism to get inside and dunk basketballs at a D-1 level, and he should haven't spent a minute of practice time on it, IMO.
Tyrone Wallace is a kid who gets it in his head that he can dunk over a crowd in the paint, and he gets stuffed sometimes. He will learn to "have better shot selection" as they say. Shot selection should refer not just to jump shots, but to dunks as well.
There were videos posted on the BI of Jabari Bird from the ProAm last summer, doing all the wonderful circus dunks, and all the fans were so excited. What they did not show were the dunks he missed. In four games, I'd guess he missed at least 10 dunks overall, with the ball usually caroming way up in the air. What players are doing now is concentrating on form, and not results. They fly high and slam the ball home, hang on the rim, shaking the basket, and then land on the floor and pound their chest with both hands and giving out a yell, all like Tarzan of the jungle.
The dunk has been around since the 1940's, and players for a long time were not so demonstrative, so as to show up an opponent. No "in your face" stuff like today. Wilt Chamberlain, the greatest player I ever saw, did not like to dunk and show up a player, but when he did dunk, it was effortless, and happened so quickly, you barely noticed it. If Wilt caught the ball under the basket, and you blinked, he would have already dunked and started back up the floor to play defense. He would be looking down on these kids today with their showboat dunks, and showboat misses, and he would be laughing his head off.
If a player is not very skilled at shooting off the glass, then the dunk is perhaps the highest percentage shot. This is why in the past I was not critical of Solomon taking a dunk. But this year, he has begun to show some skill in shooting, and he needs to think of which is the best shot for him, especially after missing two wide open dunks night.
Another problem with the dunk is if you do miss it, all positioning for the rebound is out the window, as the ball caroms wildly off the rim, and so if you miss a dunk, you just made a turnover. This is not true for a missed layup, short jumper, or hook shot. Your team still has a chance for the rebound.
Every player from 5'-7" to 7'-4" wants to dunk. That is a problem, because shorter players who can dunk are able to get away with it in high school, but when they get into college, they find there are taller athletic players denying them a path to the hoop. If they had spent time in high school perfecting other shots, instead of practicing the simplest shot in the world, the dunk, they would have become more effective ballplayers. When Alex Rossi, a fine perimeter shooter, was rehabbing he was asked what he was working on. "My dunks," he replied. He was so elated that he was finally able to dunk the ball again without pain. This is a kid who did not have the athleticism to get inside and dunk basketballs at a D-1 level, and he should haven't spent a minute of practice time on it, IMO.
Tyrone Wallace is a kid who gets it in his head that he can dunk over a crowd in the paint, and he gets stuffed sometimes. He will learn to "have better shot selection" as they say. Shot selection should refer not just to jump shots, but to dunks as well.
There were videos posted on the BI of Jabari Bird from the ProAm last summer, doing all the wonderful circus dunks, and all the fans were so excited. What they did not show were the dunks he missed. In four games, I'd guess he missed at least 10 dunks overall, with the ball usually caroming way up in the air. What players are doing now is concentrating on form, and not results. They fly high and slam the ball home, hang on the rim, shaking the basket, and then land on the floor and pound their chest with both hands and giving out a yell, all like Tarzan of the jungle.
The dunk has been around since the 1940's, and players for a long time were not so demonstrative, so as to show up an opponent. No "in your face" stuff like today. Wilt Chamberlain, the greatest player I ever saw, did not like to dunk and show up a player, but when he did dunk, it was effortless, and happened so quickly, you barely noticed it. If Wilt caught the ball under the basket, and you blinked, he would have already dunked and started back up the floor to play defense. He would be looking down on these kids today with their showboat dunks, and showboat misses, and he would be laughing his head off.