Monday, May 31, 2004

I forgot to mention that Sprewell is 11 for 11 from the free throw line.

Shocking.

Compare Sprewell's game with that of players like Paul Pierce or Corey Maggette or even Dwyane Wade. Those guys drive towards the hoop and don't stop until they get there, drawing contact in the process and getting to the line.

When Sprewell chooses to drive towards the hoop, he almost always finds a way to stop 10-15 feet short of it and force up a shot that's tougher than it would've been had he continued to the basket. It makes no sense. For one, he's choosing a mid-range shot over a layup, and also, he's keeping himself from drawing walks.... I mean shooting free throws.

The mid-range shot, by the way, is the stupidest shot you can take in basketball. It's farther, and therefore, more difficult to make than a shot in the paint. And it nets only two points, the same as a shot in the paint and 1 fewer than a 3-pointer.
Absolutely the worst shot in basketball.

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