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I figured we might as well have a stand-alone topic on this because, unfortunately it's going to be a discussion point for a long time.

A recent article on this does a nice analysis and credibly argues that the Toronto playoff series (Game 3 specifically was the inflection point). When the Bucks lost that game in overtime with Giannis missing a lot of FTs, it was the event that really triggered the yips.

No amount of practice is likely to fix this. Shooting a thousand FTs after a game is not what he needs. He needs a sports psychologist.

https://lastnightinbasketball....hing-as-a-free-point

The chart within this article is shown here. It's Giannis' FT percentage expressed as a 50 game rolling average. It provides an incredible visual of when this started. The red line is the league average for FT% which Giannis was and the white is his career percentage. After his first few years in the league, Giannis was a slightly below average FT shooter, but 74% is not an issue.

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@Blair Kiel posted:

Barryโ€™s shot probably would be an improvement because itโ€™s a smoother motion with no opportunity for a hitch to come into play.

The bad news is itโ€™s not cool. Hell, we called it โ€œGranny shootingโ€ on the playground in the early 70โ€™s.

It is beyond comprehension that players who look for every little advantage with hyperbaric chambers, nutritionists, psychologists, etc. wouldn't just shoot the Rick Barry FTs.

Chamberlain did it one year and shot 61%, by far the best of his career. If you take that year out he was under 50% for his career.

https://www.theladders.com/car...-when-we-know-better

I wonder if Giannis ever considered this?

@Music City posted:

If Giannis was shooting 75% from the line this season, he would have scored 28 more points this year. Heโ€™d be 5th instead of 6th in points at 29.2 ppg and the Bucks might have beaten the Nets and Celtics.

Game 3 of the ECF vs. the Raptors in 2019 (if the Bucks don't win a title with Giannis this may go down as the biggest inflection point in franchise history post-Kareem). Giannis was 2 for 7 from the line in regulation in a game that went OT.

Game 5 of the same series. Giannis was 4 for 9 from the line in a game that was tied at 93 with under two and a half minutes left.

Game 6 of the same series. Giannis was 5 for 10 from the line in a game that was a 3 point deficit with under 30 seconds left.

Miami series, 2020

Game 1. Giannis was 4 for 12 from the line in a game the Bucks lead by 1 with 6 minutes left.

If he shot 70% from the line in the Raptors series, the Bucks would have a title. The whole tone of the Heat series would have changed last year as well.

Heโ€™s playing at a very high level.  In control and under control.  Itโ€™s like the game has slowed down for him and heโ€™s taking the next step as a player.   Heโ€™s taking and making the turnaround jumper, heโ€™s improving at the FT line, and heโ€™s looking to pass a little more.  

Yet hardly anyone is talking about him or the Bucks.  Kind of like how the Miami Heat have vaulted back into the conversation and all people want to talk about is the Nets and Lakers.

@Tschmack posted:

Heโ€™s playing at a very high level.  In control and under control.  Itโ€™s like the game has slowed down for him and heโ€™s taking the next step as a player.   Heโ€™s taking and making the turnaround jumper, heโ€™s improving at the FT line, and heโ€™s looking to pass a little more.  

Yet hardly anyone is talking about him or the Bucks.  Kind of like how the Miami Heat have vaulted back into the conversation and all people want to talk about is the Nets and Lakers.

It's all about the New York and Los Angeles TV markets (and the fact that a disproportionate percentage of the media live there).

After Giannis remained a Buck, the media quit talking about the Bucks. It's somewhat irritating, but they really aren't pushing anyone but the Nets, Lakers, or maybe the Clippers now. The Sixers aren't getting as much press as they probably should and the Jazz and Suns are mentioned only in passing.

Fans of the rest of the NBA teams are fortunate that James Dolan is such a lousy owner that no one wants to play for the Knicks. Otherwise, they'd be a superteam also. Miami is always on the fringe of this too because of the lifestyle and the weather.

Fans of the rest of the NBA teams are fortunate that James Dolan is such a lousy owner that no one wants to play for the Knicks. Otherwise, they'd be a superteam also. Miami is always on the fringe of this too because of the lifestyle and the weather.

Brooklyn as itโ€™s currently constructed would not be if the Knicks were viable. All 3 guys would be Knicks- they all wanted to be until Dolan did Dolan things.

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