where Buzz considers taking him out of the final minute of a close game? I know he's hit a number of clutch shots in the past (Valpo, NC State, two free throws at Pitt with one second left a few years ago) but he's nearly as iffy as Burke at the foul line these days. I'd hate to think we can't keep our best ballhandler in the game with the outcome in doubt, and I'm sure Buzz will probably have to live and die with DJ out there. Just the fact that he may have a decision to make is scary.
I would love to see that happen. However, this thread is now going to turn into a "we wouldn't be where we are now without him" thread.
Seriously, to be that bad at free throws shows a lack of commitment. He clearly does not care about his free throws when he is shooting 35% in BIG EAST PLAY!!!! How many of us on here can go shoot 3 out of 10 free throws?
I also do not understand why Buzz does not make him shoot free throws before after and during practice. He is absolutely terrible at them and is starting to cost us. Granted, everyone sucked from the line last night, but still. He is a liability if he is not shooting in the paint. He clearly has a lack of commitment to his free throws to be that bad.
As good as he can be, James did not have his best game yesterday. Missing free throws are part of the package that Buzz is dealing with. I don't think it even crosses Buzz's mind. Who would you put in at the end of the game Butler or Acker?
James FT 34-79 .430 (wow I knew it was bad but I didn't realize it was this bad)
Butler FT 50-69 .725
Acker FT 15-21 .714
As far as his game goes I am more worried about his stretch at the end of the first half. Foul on the 3pt shot, then TO at the top of the key trying to do too much, then couldn't handle a pass from Wes on the baseline. MU went into half losing by 5 instead of a much closer game.
This is obviously not the reason they lost this game. Nova responded to all runs MU made and we could not get a stop when we needed one.
I am not a James hater, but I noticed a stretch last night where he seemed to lose his composure. Not what you want from your senior PG.
Butler cannot handle the ball well enough to control the team during crunch time. I don't hate the idea of Acker being in there, but his ceiling is so limited. While DJ's mistakes are so limited, he makes the team so much better when he has his head on straight.
Im not sure what Buzz tells DJ, but at this point in the season/career, is is not longer about "getting better". Both of them need to recognize that MU and DJ are both better off when he penetrates and dishes. This seems so obvious, but we constantly get back to a 1-9 three point shooting game.
I think you need to limit DJ's game and force him to focus on the key things he does SO well. For instance, if he played like Acker (only trying to run the offense, not actively pursuing a shot) the game would come a lot more easily to him. He has the vision/speed/ball handling to be a phenomenal floor general, and we have seen that a lot this year. When his mind starts creeping away from that mentality and more towards that of a playmaker, we get what we see the last two games.
DJ needs to know that, and Buzz needs to able to recognize it during a game and correct it before it is too late.
Holy sheeeeet. DJ's free throw attempts are virtually more comical than Dennis Rodman's were...and that's saying an awful lot.
Each trip to the free throw line is such an adventure with him now.
I've said it before and I'll say it again...in close games, why don't teams use the "Hack-a-DJ" strategy. Until he gets this corrected (if ever), seems like a no-brainer to me.
I don't claim to be a basketball tactician by any means but does anyone else notice DJ is leaning back to the point of almost falling backward when he's shooting FTs? That seems to be a huge fundamental flaw. All the good FT shooters seem to be straight if not leaning forward with the shot. I just about fell off the couch when he air-balled that FT last night. Something needs to be done....now.
Quote from: warrior55 on February 11, 2009, 10:59:47 AM
I also do not understand why Buzz does not make him shoot free throws before after and during practice. He is absolutely terrible at them and is starting to cost us. Granted, everyone sucked from the line last night, but still. He is a liability if he is not shooting in the paint. He clearly has a lack of commitment to his free throws to be that bad.
At this point in the season would it really matter. Honestly, I think DJ could shoot 500 free throws every day, the rest of the season, and his FT % would still be horrible.
DJ's FT shooting needs to be completely rebuild, both physically and mentally. His form is terrible, but even worse, you can tell that has zero confidence at the line. IMO, he needs a shot-doctor to work with him for a long period of time to overcome his problems at the line.
Someone needs to stand behind him with a tazer at practice. If he leans back into it, so be it. I'm convinced that's why he keeps missing short.
Quote from: MarquetteFan94 on February 11, 2009, 11:32:21 AM
I don't claim to be a basketball tactician by any means but does anyone else notice DJ is leaning back to the point of almost falling backward when he's shooting FTs? That seems to be a huge fundamental flaw. All the good FT shooters seem to be straight if not leaning forward with the shot. I just about fell off the couch when he air-balled that FT last night. Something needs to be done....now.
He does do it, and it isn't textbook. But you can make a ton of free throws that way, if you are at least consistent about it. If DJ just had one error with his stroke and he committed the same error every time, he could play with it and adjust for it. But he doesn't. Sometimes he leans back and throws the ball too hard. Sometimes he doesn't lean back but doesn't follow through. Sometimes he just puts it up with almost no wrist motion etc.
QuoteI also do not understand why Buzz does not make him shoot free throws before after and during practice. He is absolutely terrible at them and is starting to cost us. Granted, everyone sucked from the line last night, but still. He is a liability if he is not shooting in the paint. He clearly has a lack of commitment to his free throws to be that bad.
It's got nothing to do with lack of commitment. Quite the opposite in fact, the kid spends a ton of time at the Al shooting free throws and has spent a ton of time shooting free throws, certainly more than he practices other aspects of his game. It's an issue of bad form that turned into a mental block and now he can't get past it. The only way for him to improve is to spend an offseason doing a complete tear down of his form and mindset and then starting over from scratch. Nothing done during the season is going to change it much.
Plus, so much of it is in his head right now. You knew when he air-balled the first one last night, there was a zero-percent chance of the second one falling. I'm not sure how this is corrected in mid-February of his senior season. But, he shot better from the floor last night and the running, banked shot he hit was incredible. I guess at this point you have to take the good with the bad.
DJ is shooting FT's worse than Shaq ever did. Not kidding.
He needs to stand straight up, get weight on the balls of his feet, and release his shot as he is going up. Too often he peaks and seems to release it on his way down.
Apparently Buzz doesn't make them practice free throws and as stated in another post our big 4 play 35 minutes at least a piece and are losing their legs and therefore cannot shoot free throws. Free throws begins with the word "free", and James airballed a free throw, even a 10 year old can hit the rim. His shot has actually gotten worse over the years at all ranges which to me shows a lack of commitment. James has mental lapses, yet flashes (like the alley-oop one handed dunk last night) of being a good player.
His FT% is getting close to his 3P%. Any chance at convincing the other team to let him take 23 foot free throws? He might do better out there.
Look, I love what the guy has done this year. He's been a lockdown defender and has distributed the ball brilliantly. But it's gotten to the point where if we're up by between one and three points in the final minute of the game, Buzz may think he's better off trusting Acker.
Actually, when the game is close, Buzz has had DJ inbound the ball to Hayward or Matthews. Kind of accomplishing keeping the ball out of his hands.
I saw on youtube a video of him playing during HS.....his shot looks so much different back then. He's not jumping awkwardly high before he shoots and it looks much more natural...I wonder if Crean is to blame for this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmZ1KErWtwU
Quote from: T.V. Diener 34 on February 11, 2009, 12:54:08 PM
I saw on youtube a video of him playing during HS.....his shot looks so much different back then. He's not jumping awkwardly high before he shoots and it looks much more natural...I wonder if Crean is to blame for this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmZ1KErWtwU
Watch how DJ takes off and how he lands on most of his jumpshots in that video or other HS videos. He's landing in front of the spot he took off from, in some cases well in front. That's a major issue for most coaches, because when you jump forward you are more suspectible to landing on an opponent's feet or ankles and injuring yourself. So they will try to change your jumping form and have you jump straight up and down.
I'm sure Crean tried to change it, and that was a decision most coaches would make as well. But DJ has never looked comfortable doing it the correct way, and as a result he changes it every time. Sometimes it's back, sometimes it's right or left, sometimes it's straight up and down, sometimes it's his old form. If you watch closely, most of DJ's makes on 3 pointers come when he reverts to his old form and jumps forward.
I agree w/TV Diener 34. In the video, he still jumps very high on his jump shot but he seems to release it at the top of his jump instead of after a slight hesitation or on the way down as it appears he does now.
James has border-line air-balled countless FTs so far this season. At least from games I've watched. It was only a matter of time before he finally airballed.
Ridiculous.
Buzz should take him out, or at least not let him touch the ball
Quote from: Wade for President on February 11, 2009, 11:25:49 AM
I've said it before and I'll say it again...in close games, why don't teams use the "Hack-a-DJ" strategy. Until he gets this corrected (if ever), seems like a no-brainer to me.
They do. I forget who we were playing, but we made james the inbounds passer and our player got the ball and did not give the ball back to James and got trapped. We eventually got saved because of the 10 second backcourt reset rule (that everyone hates). I think it was against ND.
James uses his legs to shoot jumpers, which benefits him since he has such a good vertical leap. When he gets to the free throw line, he obviously doesn't jump when he shoots free throws and has struggled immensely at the line as a result because his shot is so much different.
Maybe he should try the old granny free throw. I'm sure he could hit at least 35% of those.
http://discovermagazine.com/2008/the-body/07-physics-proves-it-everyone-should-shoot-granny-style
While I rather have one of the other players shooting free throws, I do believe with the game on the line James is more likely to make a free throw than he would in the first minute of the game. Part of his problem is concentration.
You may be right, bilsu. Can't remember when DJ has been on the line in a crucial spot lately.
The solution to James' free throw woes can now be found in his head.
I have never wavered on my stance regarding DJ. He's an above average, serviceable point guard. He's a tremendous athlete, but his basketball IQ is questionable. I look forward to a change at the position starting next year. I hope James improves his game and makes the next level, but I think he's plateaued.
Quote from: bradforster on February 11, 2009, 09:07:52 PM
I have never wavered on my stance regarding DJ. He's an above average, serviceable point guard. He's a tremendous athlete, but his basketball IQ is questionable. I look forward to a change at the position starting next year. I hope James improves his game and makes the next level, but I think he's plateaued.
Serviceable point guards and guys with a questionable basketball IQ don't rank in the top 10 in the country in Assist to Turnover ratio, which is maybe the best judge of how a point guard actually does his job.
When he's gone next year, a lot people that complain about him and look forward to him being replaced are going to be sorely disappointed that he's not around to run the team anymore.
Quote from: bma725 on February 11, 2009, 11:15:58 PM
Serviceable point guards and guys with a questionable basketball IQ don't rank in the top 10 in the country in Assist to Turnover ratio, which is maybe the best judge of how a point guard actually does his job.
When he's gone next year, a lot people that complain about him and look forward to him being replaced are going to be sorely disappointed that he's not around to run the team anymore.
+1 I was jumping on his case after the USF game because he truly had a bad game. However, he hasn't gotten much of the credit when we win. His role in the offense this year is largely the reason for the success the team has had. I would call Acker a servicable point guard. The team looks totally different (not as good) when Acker is running the point. I think without DJ's quality play this year, all the "studs of the game" would have been struggling and we wouldn't have many of the wins that we do.
As an aside, watch the Matthews video (from Homer's show). Listen to Matthew's comment about what DJ said. To me, that is real senior leadership on DJ's part. It shows that he has a basketball IQ at least the same or higher than Wes's.
Quote from: bma725 on February 11, 2009, 01:10:45 PM
Watch how DJ takes off and how he lands on most of his jumpshots in that video or other HS videos. He's landing in front of the spot he took off from, in some cases well in front. That's a major issue for most coaches, because when you jump forward you are more suspectible to landing on an opponent's feet or ankles and injuring yourself. So they will try to change your jumping form and have you jump straight up and down.
I'm sure Crean tried to change it, and that was a decision most coaches would make as well. But DJ has never looked comfortable doing it the correct way, and as a result he changes it every time. Sometimes it's back, sometimes it's right or left, sometimes it's straight up and down, sometimes it's his old form. If you watch closely, most of DJ's makes on 3 pointers come when he reverts to his old form and jumps forward.
Agreed.
His landing might be a little different, but essentially his jumper looks pretty similar... I think it just looks better in the video because it's a highlight video and they all go it. If you strung together a bunch of his makes from MU, his form would look ok too.
McNeal and Matthews are more "set-shooters"... James is truly a jumper shooter. This helps him create space to shoot, but also adds moving parts to his shot.
He's a tremendous athlete, he's a great player. He's not a strong shooter.
Quote from: bradforster on February 11, 2009, 09:07:52 PM
I have never wavered on my stance regarding DJ. He's an above average, serviceable point guard. He's a tremendous athlete, but his basketball IQ is questionable. I look forward to a change at the position starting next year. I hope James improves his game and makes the next level, but I think he's plateaued.
I guarantee you that you will miss him next year.
I was more concerned with the way DJ acted after the airball than the airball itself. He looks like Burke did his first year at the line... like he doesn't want to shoot them. The kid needs to forget about it quickly if he misses one even if he misses it badly. Hanging his head and shaking his head only worsens things mentally. To his credit he knocked down a three ten seconds after his airball miss. Where is Dr. Bob Rotella when you need him? The kid just needs to forget about all of the mechanics and shoot the damn ball.
According to Len Elmore, DJ's free throw shooting is "all in his head". :D