The art of blocking shots and....

[WesWesley]

keeping it in play.

It really bothers me when I watch a guy like Marcus Camby play, and he continuously swats shots out of bounds, when he could've kept it in play. To me, a blocked shot is so much more effective when your team generates a turnover off of it. I think it shows a lack of bball IQ when a player swats a shot out of bounds when he has the opportunity to keep it in play.

Players tend to go for the spectacular highlight play over the smart efficient play. Is this a result of bad coaching, or is it just a bad habit that players have developed at a young age?

Does it really send a statement to send another persons shot out of bounds? Does it fire up the player swatting the shot out? I'm trying to understand why a player knowingly swats the shot out of bounds... If a player gets a steal, does he throw it out of bounds? No, he would be benched indefinitely.

I think if you really wanna send a statement to stay out of the paint you should get up and catch the ball. To me that is more decimating than sending it out of bounds; and at the same time you retain possession.

Real good defenders know to try and retain possesion, and this is why I think a player like Marcus Camby's defense is overrated. I would say the mental part of the game is the most important, and that is something all good defenders need to have.

[theTHIEF]

Dwight Howard has gotten a LITTLE bit better...but man, it seems like he's not even trying to keep it in, just out in the stands...which is cool when your on a road trip haha, but c'mon get the fast break moving man...

one valid point about old school shot blockers and new school guys...

[theGreatRC]

It's all about style now, the younger players are so eager to block shots to let it be known that " I Rule this paint. " they could care less if they kept it in bounds because of the lowering of basketball IQ, the blocked shot is such a hyped up stat nowadays, bring back just protecting the basket, instead of blocking it into the 3rd row and making a stupid face, probably getting dunked on next play.

[theTHIEF]

well i feel what your saying, and I agree to a point...but I dont think that is 100% Dwight's mentality, or even a guy like Bynum...they want to get it to their team, or at least try, but once they go up they blank out...

IDK...i always tried...sometimes you cant, and it is what it is...

[NetsForce]

Sean Williams... Is one of the best players in the league in blocking shots and keeping them in bounds, this isn't even my homerism speaking.

There was actually this one block on youtube that really epitomized what I'm talking about...

This isn't it but I think it's a good example of Sean using the backboard when he blocks shots:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=osKCKa3kumM&feature=related

With this block you can see Sean clearly blocking the ball to a teammate:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=BK8rNsbrbGI&feature=related

These highlights don't really do justice to what I'm talking about though, if you've seen him play you know what I mean though.

edit:

This is also a good collection of clips if you have time to watch it, there are 2 blocks after the 1:15 mark that are pretty good (and in which the ball stays in bounds):

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1Xtdjl1robo

[conleyorbust]

It depends what angle you are coming from, how far out you are coming from, how high you have to jump, how far you have to reach, who is around you. I watch Josh Smith block a lot of shots and he starts a lot of fast breaks with his swats but a lot of his shots he comes running in from across the court and has so much momentum going when he blocks it that it is a smarter move to knock it as far as possible than it is to try and aim it.

Generally Tim Duncan is the best at keeping it bounds when he blocks it. Since is usually near the net and he stays close to the ground and uses his length and timing he can control his swat a lot better.

[Mad Balla 15]

Here you go NetsForce...just to reinforce your point with a good video

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1Xtdjl1robo

[WesWesley]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O20TkYnuvuM

[Cliff Levingston]

It's a macho thing. Guys swat it hard out of bounds rather than just grabbing it or tipping it to a teammate just like guys will show off with a flashy/hard dunk rather than just laying it in or softly dunking it.

[WesWesley]

It's a macho thing. Guys swat it hard out of bounds rather than just grabbing it or tipping it to a teammate just like guys will show off with a flashy/hard dunk rather than just laying it in or softly dunking it.

well it's a bit different that a hard dunk and laying it in, because at the end of the day you have the same result.

[kooldude]

It's a macho thing. Guys swat it hard out of bounds rather than just grabbing it or tipping it to a teammate just like guys will show off with a flashy/hard dunk rather than just laying it in or softly dunking it.

pretty much. I never knew why players don't just grab it out of the air and when the ball is too high, just tip it to himself or other teammate.

But a reason could be that when a player blocks a shot softly, there's a chance it is land to an opposing player and it becomes an easy basket. I seen it before.

[doubleh11]

smack that mofo into the tenth row!

[RockTHECasbah]

Grabbing the ball out of the air is the machoest thing ever

[e4Nf6]

This is way overblown....

sometimes to block a shot you have to hang back a little and then swat at the last second, this does not lend itself to catching or controlling the ball. If you did that the ball is just as likely to land back in the shooters lap in good position. In this situation it's probably best to just hit it as hard as you can out of play.

It's true that sometimes the shooter has no angle at all and the shot-blocker can basically block it as he pleases but this doesn't happen to NBA players much.

There are a few guys that can consistently control their blocked shots but I think this is because of their unique skill not the "Machoness" of every other player.

[pillwenney]

I'd say that there are a couple reasons for this. The first of which is that it is very hard. A lot of the blocks that big time shotblockers get are with their arm outstretched in mid-air. It takes a s**tload of coordination to then have the presence of mind to tip it to a teammate and especially to start a fast break with it. But it's true that there are also blocks where guys get a clean look at it and these are usually the ones that end up in the 3rd row. But even still, I'd think that tipping it to a teammate would be really tough to pull off.

Lastly, I would say that while tipping it to a teammate is certainly over all more productive, that there is at least something to be said for really using a block as an opportunity to intimidate. Shotblocking isn't really all that useful for its clear-cut practical purpose. I mean if a guy gets 3 blocks a game, and even if he blocks it to his teammates, that's only 3 possessions. I would say that the most important part of shotblocking is the intimidation factor. When you can make opponents constantly pull up for short jumpers or take really awkward shots around the basket, then a shotblocking presence can have a huge, huge impact on the game. And I think that if a guy's shot is really swatted when he gets to the basket, it may have more of an effect on him mentally. Ultimately, I think that affect is also pretty much going to be there if it is a light block that results in a turnover, so that is ultimately more effective, but it's not like there aren't any positives to the way many players do it.

[High 5]

The Hawks have one thing to brag about over the rest of of the league, and that's Josh Smith's shot blocking. He's the best. He keeps it in play and he rarely fouls on a block attempt unless it's absolutely necessary.

[TonyMontana]

I'd say that there are a couple reasons for this. The first of which is that it is very hard. A lot of the blocks that big time shotblockers get are with their arm outstretched in mid-air. It takes a s**tload of coordination to then have the presence of mind to tip it to a teammate and especially to start a fast break with it. But it's true that there are also blocks where guys get a clean look at it and these are usually the ones that end up in the 3rd row. But even still, I'd think that tipping it to a teammate would be really tough to pull off.

Lastly, I would say that while tipping it to a teammate is certainly over all more productive, that there is at least something to be said for really using a block as an opportunity to intimidate. Shotblocking isn't really all that useful for its clear-cut practical purpose. I mean if a guy gets 3 blocks a game, and even if he blocks it to his teammates, that's only 3 possessions. I would say that the most important part of shotblocking is the intimidation factor. When you can make opponents constantly pull up for short jumpers or take really awkward shots around the basket, then a shotblocking presence can have a huge, huge impact on the game. And I think that if a guy's shot is really swatted when he gets to the basket, it may have more of an effect on him mentally. Ultimately, I think that affect is also pretty much going to be there if it is a light block that results in a turnover, so that is ultimately more effective, but it's not like there aren't any positives to the way many players do it.

I agree , when you block a shot your basically making a statement ...........Dont bring that ISH in my house , and what better way to do but throwing out in the stands .....
Fires up the crowd , you get on ESPN ......... and you made a point defensively .

No coach ever coaches you about how to block a ball .
Its your reaction , you get lucky to even block a shot or a layup , nevertheless time it in certain direction towards your teammates .

[hermes]

It's a macho thing. Guys swat it hard out of bounds rather than just grabbing it or tipping it to a teammate just like guys will show off with a flashy/hard dunk rather than just laying it in or softly dunking it.

young players aren't taught how to block shots
so they see others swatting it into the stands and it gets a lot of cheers so they want to do it too

[eyejayem]

Yes, I would have to agree.

The two main factors for throwing it out of bounds is the intimidation factor and the momentum builder or changer.

Those two things are the biggest non statistical factors of any sport.

If you can intimidate the other team and build your confidence at the same time it changes the aspect of the game.

If you can build momentum or change the momentum in your favor it could possibly have the snowball effect. Great teams use these factors to go on runs.

[corona]

why camby?
i agree that he's generally an overrated defender (for other reasons)....but he's actually pretty good at keeping the ball in play on blocks. sometimes he'll 'send a statement' or whatever by lining up a shot attempt and just swatting it like a volleyball, but considering he blocks 4 shots a game...those actually don't happen that often.

there's also a lot of complexities with it.
-sometimes you just don't have the angle to block it into play or into the backboard. say there's someone driving from the wing...and camby's coming from the opposite side of the key, and he's gotta reach 11'6" for the block. to keep it in play he's gotta try to go to the corner of the court with the ball..that's hard. i'd rather him swat it out of bounds than try to be precise, miss the block and give up 2 points on a layup.
-blocking shots isnt easy (or everyone would do it)...so most of the time you just want to alter the shot in anyway possible...swipe at it, get your hands up...etc, and sometimes if you get a hand on it on a swipe...its just about luck, not being a precise shot blocker who has ultimate control of where each block goes.
-blocked shots happen in tenths of a second. difficult to rise for the block, control the ball, and get it to a teammate, without fouling the shooter...all in one motion.

i can't tell you how many times carmelo got blocked in the FIBA games this summer, and the block was so soft that the ball went right back into his hands...and he got the two points anyways, multiple times a game...at least. are those guys from argentina/puerto rico/brazil...etc better shotblockers for keeping it in play? wouldn't it be smarter to block it as far away from the rim as possible and make team usa reset their offense?

examples:
http://videosearch.nba.com/search/?sp_a ... rcus+camby
6th video down.

kept first in play. but it was so soft it went right back to mo williams.
kept second in play.
kept 3rd in play.
swatted 4th out of bounds. situation i talked about above...could have gone to corner with it, i guess. probably just sending a message to the chinese rookie there.
stripped it off mo williams' knee. just trying to deflect the ball down low and got lucky.
5th he put out of bounds...it actually went off redd, but the refs missed it. thats one of those angle ones where its sorta hard to keep in play regardless of what you do.
6th kept in play by going to the corner.



kmart's the aggressive/stupid shot blocker on the team.
camby's pretty good at keeping stuff in play.