Brewhoopfan wrote:Tim Duncan's greatness was being able to make the same boring shot in the paint over and over agains. Giannis is the anti-Duncan. Giannis has shown a great jump hook at times and a nice turnaround in the middle of the lane. Yet he gets the ball in the middle of the lane and still has no **** idea what to do. In the biggest game of his life, he starts the game by bricking 8 footers shooting weak one handed push shots I've never seen him shoot before. What the actual ****? Why is he so incapable of getting out of his own way?
Absolutely this. The two possessions he posted up Green resulted in a score and a FT trip (I think he was 1/2). Harden guards him and he shoots a fade because he couldn't just simply spin baseline and elevate over him for a basic layup. I saw in the middle of the 4th a play where he caught an errant pass or gathered a loose ball and was scared to dunk the ball on JOE HARRIS. He hesitated and missed a bunny.
And I have noticed he did start using a little turnaround hook at times and a decent mid-range shot in the middle of the paint, but he resorts to some of his worst habits when things get tight.
Freak needs to lock himself in a gym with Kevin Garnett. I always have said he *should* and still can become the evolutionary KG, but with more athleticism and a transition game. Literally just practice a handful of things. Half the battle is mental. Realizing where you are most effective (17-ft and in). Don't listen to the advanced metrics geeks about trying to become a 37% 3-pt shooter. Honestly, the only threes he should take are about 2-3 catch and shoot threes a game. This way he doesn't have to think about it or take his stupid gather dribble. Just catch it off of a swing/swing and let it go. His shot looks better when he doesn't overthink (among basically everything else he does).
1. When facing up, a mid-range jumper. 1-3 dribbles, elevate and a simple shot. 98% of the league wouldn't be able to guard it.
2. A floater. It would greatly bring his drives under control and with his crazy wingspan a 6-7 foot floater could be a layup for him.
3. Jump-hook. The quintessential PF/C shot. Turn either shoulder, off the glass. Once he can hit that with some regularity you can then develop counters whether it's an up-and-under or a hard shoulder-fake.
4. The most important of all. FREE THROWS. Scrap the moronic, infantile routine and practice 1-3 dribbles and let it go. Wasn't he a 72-74% FT shooter for most of his career up until the bubble? He's going to get to the line 7-10 times a game (most nights, when he's being properly officiated) and if he can become a reliable FT shooter this makes him at least 50% more dangerous and effective.
