Nash, a career 90% FT shooter, offers D12 some pointers and ignores it

[tomtucker]

"My mind cannot get clouded with everybody telling me how to shoot a free throw. I just have to go up there and shoot it my way and not get caught up in what everybody else is saying, because that's when I miss."

[tomtucker]

Dwight is such a joke lol

Why is Davis called "Big Baby" and Howard not called "Biggest Baby"?

[Kobe 4 The Win]

I didn't really know a lot about Dwight before he came to LA bu the more I learn about him the less I like. He talks a big game about wanting to be the best player in the league and wanting to be a champion like Kobe but he obviously doesn't want anyone coaching him or giving him advice.

Steve Nash is arguably the best free throw shooter of all time. He's a super positive guy that doesn't bash or unfairly criticize his teammates. If you aren't willing to listen to this guy then there is a problem. It's funny because Dwight doesn't seem to have a problem calling guys out for not rotating behind him on defense.

I'm no Steve Nash but even I can see that Dwight's form is awfull and he's lucky to make 50% shooting like that. Freethrow shooting is not rocket science. All Dwight needs to do is tweek a couple of little things with his mechanics and he could get to 65% or 70%. The dude is obviously very stubborn and he doesn't want anyone telling him anything.

What's exacerbating the problem is that the Laker organization is afraid he won't resign if they piss him off. They are being very carefull with what they say and how they handle him. This is why they better not trade Pau. He could end up being our center next year if we don't turn this thing around and contend this year.

[Spaulding]

I didn't really know a lot about Dwight before he came to LA bu the more I learn about him the less I like. He talks a big game about wanting to be the best player in the league and wanting to be a champion like Kobe but he obviously doesn't want anyone coaching him or giving him advice.

Steve Nash is arguably the best free throw shooter of all time. He's a super positive guy that doesn't bash or unfairly criticize his teammates. If you aren't willing to listen to this guy then there is a problem. It's funny because Dwight doesn't seem to have a problem calling guys out for not rotating behind him on defense.

I'm no Steve Nash but even I can see that Dwight's form is awfull and he's lucky to make 50% shooting like that. Freethrow shooting is not rocket science. All Dwight needs to do is tweek a couple of little things with his mechanics and he could get to 65% or 70%. The dude is obviously very stubborn and he doesn't want anyone telling him anything.

What's exacerbating the problem is that the Laker organization is afraid he won't resign if they piss him off. They are being very carefull with what they say and how they handle him. This is why they better not trade Pau. He could end up being our center next year if we don't turn this thing around and contend this year.

You pretty much hit it on the head, especially with that last paragraph. Dwight being such a mind changer the Lakers are doing everything in their power to make Dwight comfortable. Because they want him to take over once Kobe retires. However, Dwight still wants to go to Brooklyn to start his own legacy and not be in Shaq's shadow.

BUT he has to play better regardless. Changing teams wont make him play better...it shouldnt...then again this is Baby D12 who I am sure would just play better at Brooklyn because he would get what he wanted.

[M.Bustly15A5RU8]

A lot of big men struggle at the line. People need to accept that they have disadvantages in the way their bodies are built that makes it hard to shoot free throws accurately.

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

Man, he is high maintenance. And high maintenance is okay to put up with if it leads to rings. But Dwight is slowly showing he isn't worth it.

[Godzuki]

i support Howard in this. i don't think Nash or anyone is going to help him shoot FT's better more than practice and his touch. he's shot the ball enough at this point to be comfortable enough with his stroke, and from that point its just a matter of touch and concentration. to me one of the most overrated aspects people make a huge deal about is being textbook which is fine with someone who is young and still learning to do those things. but going backwards after coming so far and starting over is much harder and oftentimes overrated by the people who preach fundamentals.

especially with shooting tho, i think its more a matter of focus and touch, stroke be damned. look at Gallinari, dude has the perfect effortless stroke every time he shoots it and he is still constantly missing

[Clifton]

Dwight is frustrated and embarrassed. He's acting immature here, but this is forgivable. It doesn't mean he won't come around.

Dwight is very "out there," doesn't really hold things back. If he lashed out at Nash, you can at least be sure that he isn't holding something back and there aren't deeper problems. That's good and important to keep in mind.

"I think they pretty much wanted (Howard) to play inside the paint his entire career, ever since he was 12 years old. They wanted him to dunk everything and finish everything at the rim. They didn't want him shooting it because he was bigger than everybody and as a consequence, they left out the shooting aspect of his game.

I remember hearing that he was known as a tad soft and jumpshot-prone as a high schooler. The line on him was "Kwame with a Bible." That's turned out to be the opposite of the case, as his hands are like bricks rather than soft and small. But yes, it is true that prospects in America are encouraged to develop a "play with your testicles, not your brain" sort of attitude.

[swi7ch]

A lot of big men struggle at the line. People need to accept that they have disadvantages in the way their bodies are built that makes it hard to shoot free throws accurately.

A lot of European big men don't have problems at the FT line. Pretty much nullifies your argument. It's not that they have disadvantages anatomically, it's that big men in the US aren't trained properly to shoot FTs at an early age. Why? Read the article. Kobe explains why.

[kentatm]

this jackass has only shot above 60% ONCE his entire career on FTs.

Somehow his rookie year he shot 67% and its been shit since.

His "thing" sucks and hasn't been worth a shit for 8 years now.

He needs to STFU, stop being a sensitive brat, f-ing practice the damn things, and take advice from people who are good at them.

I'd bet a kick to the nuts if he switched to granny style he would start hitting a 70% clip at minimum.

[Boogey]

I've met a lot of ppl like that, they think it's just gonna change. And not listening to the best ft shooter ever tells me dh has way to much pride, and we all know where pride gets you.

[che guevara]

He needs a proper follow through. He short-arms it every time. You can't develop consistency without the proper follow throw. Once he figures that out he'll still have to deal with the mental issues first, but he needs to fix that mechanical problem first.

I'll never understand why he doesn't watch himself shoot FTs on tape, and realize that his entire motion looks like garbage. It's just amazing that sometimes these guys can't figure out something as simple as FTs - I don't think I know any pickup players who shoot that badly.

True but the problem is:

a) It doesn't look cool.
b) Nobody else in the world is doing it so he'll look like an idiot.
c) It doesn't look cool.

I would argue his current form makes him look stupider, the way he bends up and down, only to pause off-balance on his tiptoes before firing up an arms-only brick just looks ridiculous to me. Add in his horribly broken follow through where he slowly extends his arm and hand long after the ball has been released, and you've got one of the silliest looking FT strokes ever.

[Orlando Magic]

1) His mechanics are flawed. Most obviously, bends his knees, comes all the way back up, and then shoots the free throw instead of releasing while coming up, thus negating ever needing to bend the knees in the first place.

2) His biggest problem is between his ears. He thinks too much. He has regularly been reported to hit 80%+ in practice. If that's not a between the ears problem, I don't know what is. Even flawed mechanics are routinely makeable if you put in enough time, which he has. He needs to see a psychiatrist or just get up there and shoot the damn ball.

[blinp]

Okay, even still, Nash may be one of the best FT shooters of all time, but that doesn't mean he would know how to teach someone how to do it.

And Nash is 6'3. Dwight is 7 foot with huge hands. Very different. It's cool Nash was trying to help, but he's not a free throw shooting coach.

Great.......have D12 find Duncan or Yao then.

[inclinerator]

lol he has airballed fts a couple time this season