[Paint Touches] Should Henry Ellenson stop shooting 3s?

[PaintTouches]

Should Henry Ellenson stop shooting 3s?

No.  Yes, he hasn't been good at it. (After a 1-5 night in Providence, his season average is down to an awful 25.5% on 51 attempts.) Yes, he has forced up way too many in poor situations. (He's never taken less than two 3s in a game and only made two 3s in three games.) [...]

Source: Should Henry Ellenson stop shooting 3s?

[brewcity77]

Too early in the shot clock on most of those for me. The second, third, and fourth threes came with 21, 22, and 22 seconds on the clock. Also, don't like how on the fourth and fifth attempts, there is literally no one in blue even close to the paint. Okay...5 seconds on the shot clock, I guess you can forgive that, but while I don't want him to completely stop shooting from deep, I do feel he should shoot less often from deep. If there's more than 15 seconds on the shot clock and no one down low, there's no reason to let fly.

[MU82]

I don't want HE or any of our good shooters forbidden from shooting 3s.

But I want the name of your Web site to apply -- Paint Touches.

Let's try to get a better look -- in other words, something much closer to the rim -- early in the shot clock instead of jacking 3s the first time you touch the ball in the possession.

If a 3 is in the flow of the offense, of course I want Henry to take it.

I did get a little chuckle out of the reference to Henry doing a "heat check" after he had made one 3-pointer in a row. I guess for a guy who shoots 25% from downtown, one in a row is "heat check time"!

[Spotcheck Billy]

I referred to this in another thread about HE's 3's and found what Wojo said after the San Jose St game:

Ellenson had 20 points, with four coming off offensive rebounds and four coming at the foul line. He shot 8-for-15 from inside the three-point arc, but missed all three of his attempt from long range, making him 8-for-31 on three-pointers this season.

"We talk to him all the time about that," Wojciechowski said. "Henry's an inside-outside player and I want him to be able to follow his instincts. He didn't shoot it well from the perimeter tonight, but he does in practice and he will. I thought he played a pretty darn good game for us."


I'm really not sure what Wojo means when he states "We talk to him all the time about that" but then says " but he does in practice and he will"



FYI, when I clicked on the images to watch the shot it takes me to Youtube for the complete game video not the shot discussed

[brewcity77]

He can clearly make the shots and has. I have no problem with him shooting provided we have worked the offense to that point, he recognizes that we have at least some numbers down low in case he misses, and takes it in rhythm. Considering our team, I think everyone should be cognizant of that as we don't have any true lights out shooters.

[brandx]

He can clearly make the shots and has. I have no problem with him shooting provided we have worked the offense to that point, he recognizes that we have at least some numbers down low in case he misses, and takes it in rhythm. Considering our team, I think everyone should be cognizant of that as we don't have any true lights out shooters.

He has forced a few, but most have been in the rhythm of the offense. They will start to fall.

[bilsu]

While Henry has missed a lot of threes he generally has taken good threes. There was a play late in the game last night where they came out to cover Henry and the ball was passed into Fischer for a wide open dunk. It is nice to make threes, but it is the threat of threes that open up the floor. They will sag off of Henry, if he stops shooting threes.

[Lennys Tap]

Too early in the shot clock on most of those for me. The second, third, and fourth threes came with 21, 22, and 22 seconds on the clock. Also, don't like how on the fourth and fifth attempts, there is literally no one in blue even close to the paint. Okay...5 seconds on the shot clock, I guess you can forgive that, but while I don't want him to completely stop shooting from deep, I do feel he should shoot less often from deep. If there's more than 15 seconds on the shot clock and no one down low, there's no reason to let fly.

As a team we shoot 3s too early in the shot clock. Take the first great shot, not the first good one. Our 2009 -10 team was really good at making an extra pass or two to turn a decent 3 point shot into a wide open one (or a lay up). We're not a good enough team (offensively or defensively) to be chucken' at the first opportunity.

Henry has nice form but right now is at best a so-so shooter. He's better off inside.

[MU82]

FWIW, I do think Henry was fouled on his last 3. The defender running at him definitely seemed to hit his leg, and it wasn't as though Henry stuck out his leg Reggie Miller-style. I have seen much more ticky-tack fouls called on 3-point attempts.

[bilsu]

FWIW, I do think Henry was fouled on his last 3. The defender running at him definitely seemed to hit his leg, and it wasn't as though Henry stuck out his leg Reggie Miller-style. I have seen much more ticky-tack fouls called on 3-point attempts.

Henry gets fouled a lot with no call.

[Benny B]

I seem to remember a season many moons ago when guys who went by the names Vander and Jamil kept chucking 3s throughout the year despite such poor conversion rates... and yet, when faced with seemingly insurmountable, yet doable, odds, do they did and the threes started falling like rodents defending in the paint.

So there may perhaps be benefit in letting Henry shoot after all... You never know when we might need him to make something doable.

[mu-rara]

Seems like he is falling back as he shoots the 3.  I'd like to see him go straight up.

All in all, I'd lie to see him shoot fewer 3s.

[Goose]

He can shoot any shot anytime he wants if I were the coach. He makes things happen and is a threat to score on every possession. Few guys have that skill.

[GB Warrior]

Law of averages. They should start falling. The worst part of it, though, is that he is our best rebounder (not saying much). Taking a big away from the basket isn't going to help the misses unless our guards start crashing better.

[4everwarriors]

A shoota's gotta shoot, ai na?

[Dr. Blackheart]

A shoota's gotta shoot, ai na?

Right on, bro.  Pass the rock to Haanif and Sandy and let them launch.  Henry is automatic at the free throw and base lines.

[We R Final Four]

I don't believe HE should continue to throw up 3s.
It's not his strength. It's not his game. I don't believe that % will greatly improve. He's shooting 25%--regardless of his picture perfect form.
His game at 15' and in is almost deadly and should continue to be utilized. He is letting defenses off the hook too often with those 3s.
When HE gets it that in the Inside/Out game he is on the inside not on the outside....there will be a lot of beneficiaries.

[79Warrior]

Law of averages. They should start falling. The worst part of it, though, is that he is our best rebounder (not saying much). Taking a big away from the basket isn't going to help the misses unless our guards start crashing better.

What law of averages says his three's should start falling? Has he proven to be a good three baller and now he is slumping? I personally don't think he is effective out there.

[Benny B]

What law of averages says his three's should start falling? Has he proven to be a good three baller and now he is slumping? I personally don't think he is effective out there.

Pull out your basketball bible.... law of averages follows the transitive property chapter.

[UticaBusBarn]

Well done article.

Henry Ellenson should continue to shoot the open three as evidenced by your photo examples.

The only comment one could offer is, despite perfect form, Ellenson shoots a "heavy" (think rock) ball, whether it be a three, or in close. As a result, if Henry does not "swish it", or bank it into the bucket, he rarely get the favourable bounce.

Chatham, by contrast shoots a "soft" ball and often gets the bounce into the hole.

However, the most recent Warrior who had a truly soft shot was Davonte Gardner. When Gardners shots would hit the rim, the ball acted like a nerf ball. It almost always got the favourable roll. One can see it clearly on Gardner's highlight reel from Japan.

In short, its like throwing a baseball as compared to shot-putting a baseball. One is a live ball. The other O is dead ball.

[martyconlonontherun]

Henry shooting a 3 is better than nothing. I think he just gets extremely frustrated that he gets great position and can't get the ball down low. I don't know if it is the spacing or horrible guard play. He ends up coming to the 3 point line just to get the ball in his hands.

If Ellenson has his man pinned down low on a one-on-one matchup, we need to find a way to get him the ball.

[Benny B]

Well done article.

Henry Ellenson should continue to shoot the open three as evidenced by your photo examples.

The only comment one could offer is, despite perfect form, Ellenson shoots a "heavy" (think rock) ball, whether it be a three, or in close. As a result, if Henry does not "swish it", or bank it into the bucket, he rarely get the favourable bounce.

Chatham, by contrast shoots a "soft" ball and often gets the bounce into the hole.

However, the most recent Warrior who had a truly soft shot was Davonte Gardner. When Gardners shots would hit the rim, the ball acted like a nerf ball. It almost always got the favourable roll. One can see it clearly on Gardner's highlight reel from Japan.

In short, its like throwing a baseball as compared to shot-putting a baseball. One is a live ball. The other O is dead ball.

From an offensive rebounding standpoint, having a soft shot down low is more beneficial than having a soft shot from downtown.  If you put up a soft shot in the post that misses, it's going to bounce off somewhere between 0-3 feet of the rim, and you should already have at least one person in position for a rebound (yourself).  From 3pt-land, it depends on where your teammates are positioned, but it's much less likely you're going to have anyone within said 0-4 feet for a rebound, in which case, if you miss the shot, you want that thing clanging off the rim as hard as possible.

In other words, long rebounds on missed threes rarely benefits the defense.

[MerrittsMustache]

Henry doesn't need to stop shooting 3s, but the team would benefit if he took fewer 3s and better 3s (i.e. more in the flow of the offense). As long as his 3-point percentage remains Derrick-esque, he's going to get open looks from 3, especially early in possessions. There's no reason for a defender to play right up on an inside-outside player who is struggling to find his outside game.

[GooooMarquette]

I seem to remember a season many moons ago when guys who went by the names Vander and Jamil kept chucking 3s throughout the year despite such poor conversion rates... and yet, when faced with seemingly insurmountable, yet doable, odds, do they did and the threes started falling like rodents defending in the paint.

So there may perhaps be benefit in letting Henry shoot after all... You never know when we might need him to make something doable.

lol

Agree with your point though - while some of HE's threes might not have been the best choices, we want him to have the green light.

[MerrittsMustache]

lol

Agree with your point though - while some of HE's threes might not have been the best choices, we want him to have the green light.

Why?