Drummond Free throw Fix? Virtual Reality?

[mattao313]

I’ve been doing it three times every week. I have a system (at the team’s Auburn Hills practice facility) and I have one at my house, too,” Drummond said. “So every day after practice, I’ll go home or watch it here.

I’ve found something that keeps me calm,” he said. “Even if I do miss a shot, I found something to keep me calm and not get myself rattled. Once I missed one, I’d tense up and I’d miss the next one, too. So I found a peace within myself. Even if I do miss a shot, I’m going to be comfortable to get back up there and shoot the same shot again. Make or miss, I’m not going to be frustrated but move on to the next play.

http://www.nba.com/pistons/features/andre-drummond-finds-outside-box-path-help-become-better-foul-shooter

[hoophabit]

Reportedly, it has helped other players. I guess if it helps him establish a more consistent release point, it might work. No doubt, he shoots a lot of real ones too.

[Moses ShamMoses]

Hmm not what I was expecting but if it works, then great! I'll be skeptical until I see improvement on the court though.

[Kilo]

We're screwed.

[Moses ShamMoses]

If Drummond can hit 60% he probably adds another 2 pts per game from hitting more free throws and another 2 pts per game just from being on the floor longer (wont need to sit at the end of quarters). He could be a 20 point per game guy without really improving other areas of his game.

[Kilo]

Dre becomes a 60% FT shooter and he's a top 10 player in the league. He'd be a lot more forceful on offense because he wouldn't have to worry about getting fouled, but look to get fouled and players would have to play him softer because they wouldn't want to foul him.

Hell even a 50% FT shooter largely takes away the Bang-A-Drum strategy because you're trading points if you purposefully put him on the line each possession. Because two possessions for each team Dre is fouled twice and hits 2 of four for two points, on the other end the opposition is at best going to shoot 50% from the floor - so will score one of their two shots for two points.

[DocRI]

"If you believe you're playing well because you're getting laid, or because you're not getting laid, or because you wear women's underwear, then you *are*!"

– Crash Davis, Bull Durham

[Scout Taron]

Dre becomes a 60% FT shooter and he's a top 10 player in the league. He'd be a lot more forceful on offense because he wouldn't have to worry about getting fouled, but look to get fouled and players would have to play him softer because they wouldn't want to foul him.

Hell even a 50% FT shooter largely takes away the Bang-A-Drum strategy because you're trading points if you purposefully put him on the line each possession. Because two possessions for each team Dre is fouled twice and hits 2 of four for two points, on the other end the opposition is at best going to shoot 50% from the floor - so will score one of their two shots for two points.

For comparison, the Warriors offense last year was the equivalent of someone shooting 56.25% from the line every possession. Ours (which was about league average) was equivalent to shooting 51.65% from the line every possession.

It really doesn't take much to make hacking an unviable strategy.

[DBC10]

Just lock him and Demarcus Cousins together in a gym and let them work on their game. DMC gets fouled a lot but makes his enough.

[Snakebites]

Just another before-season fluff piece about improvements that won't end up making a difference on the court.

Carry on.

[DBC10]

^Pretty much.

This is the same "I've gained 20lbs of muscle in the offseason" or the "I've never felt more fit" types. It's really to hype up ticket sales/attention.

[Scout Taron]

I mean, it appears to be the method that they are going with to improve Dre's FT shooting that they kept secret all offseason. May or may not work but it's notable in the fact that this is the thing SVG had been touting as why he thought Andrew would improve at the line.

[Blkbrd671]

We're screwed.

My thoughts exactly

[mattao313]

I mean, it appears to be the method that they are going with to improve Dre's FT shooting that they kept secret all offseason. May or may not work but it's notable in the fact that this is the thing SVG had been touting as why he thought Andrew would improve at the line.

Yeah it not really a fluff piece like the weekly mail bag or lineup articles that has little substance. Like you said, it was the big secret that both SVG and Drummond from the press conference that Andre is supposedly was working.

[MrBigShot]

Not gonna lie if this is their big secret I am pretty skeptical that it will do very much to improve his FT shooting.

[epheisey]

Yea it might give him "peace" to make the second one in practice, but I've never worried about his ability to make FTs in practice. Until virtual reality can simulate game type pressure, and emotion, I'm gonna say this isn't anything to get excited about.


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[Joe Berry]

Its mostly a psychological issue and practice actually makes a bad FT shooter worse. If anyone hasn't read the article below, must read for every Pistons fan.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/17115866/real-root-nba-intentional-foul-epidemic

"This is a misunderstanding," he said. "Practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent."

An Andre Drummond free throw is like a snowflake; no two attempts are the same -- which is a problem. He struggles at releasing from the same spot on the floor each time.

For an average shooter, 80 percent of their shots start from within a five-inch zone. For Drummond, that zone is over a foot wide (14 inches). He also struggles with hitting the target.

A horizontal angular release of zero means the shot is aimed directly at the hoop. However, 80 percent of Drummmond's shots fall within a range of 5.64 degrees.

Andre Drummond is the least consistent big man in releasing from the same spot on the floor (left to right), and he launches it at a super-high angle (55.5 degrees, fourth-highest among big men).

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/17115866/real-root-nba-intentional-foul-epidemic

The VR-stuff is an interesting and innovative approach, who knows if it will work but i am glad they are trying something different because the classic approach obviously doesn't work.

[zeebneeb]

I'm not saying I believe in this, but I'll withhold judgement until I see the results.

If he can get his average up to even 45% it would greatly lower the benefits of the strategy. If he hit the 50% mark I'm extatic.

One thing is for sure is that Andre knows that he can't get overly upset at the line when he misses as he did all of last year. He would hang his head and he knows he can't do that anymore.

It's a step forward in understanding and as its all mental, I'm hopefull.

[Kilo]

Watch on YouTube

[Scout Taron]

I wonder if they've considered using hypnosis. Doesn't work on everybody, but my sister was a performance dancer and she used it to get over stage fright. I could see it being something similar with Dre.