How do you stop "jumpermania"?

[VF21]

We've all complained about it and in the Warriors game it seemed to become painfully obvious, so much so that Reggie Theus was quoted in several post-game interviews as saying he kept urging the players to drive inside, draw the fouls and get to the line, but that they kept taking the outside jumpers...

We used to blame Adelman for not stressing aggression enough but I think it's becoming fairly obvious that, for whatever reason, the player collective seems to get it into their heads that they are all fantastic perimeter shooters and need not go inside unless there's no waiting and a lighted express lane. (Remind me later to talk about the new floor lights in Arco that might be EXACTLY that! )

So, what can Theus and the coaching staff do? Petrie has given them, for the most part, players who can at least occasionally hit the jumpers but we've got the images fresh in our mind of just how disastrous that can be, especially when you've got an opponent on the ropes with THREE key players in drastic foul trouble and yet your team can't buy a foul to remove any of them.

Is this something we're just cursed to see on the floor of Arco, regardless of who the players or coaches are?

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Fine all your post players $500 for each shot outside the paint?

 

[piksi]

It helps having a good veteran team with some intelligent players.

 

[piksi]

Fine all your post players $500 for each shot outside the paint?

that will cause a counter effect with bad consequences

 

[PurpleHaze]

The Kings are dead last in the NBA in APG, buried deep with next worst, the Knicks. So, it starts with ball movement meaning:

1.) Beno must penetrate and dish - look for his shot a little bit less. I really hate to criticize our Euro-lefty because he's been life-savor for the Kings at the point.
2.) Brad must be a big option off the high post since he can shoot there, occasionally drive to the hole, and best of all find open cutters coming off screens.
3.) Kevin must be hella aggressive at all times (not disappear on every other possession or several consecutive sets in that coffin corner) consistently get his shots and those bundles of free throws. I think I heard Coach Theus say that 70%!! of the time Kev has the ball in a slashing penetration he scores - either a bucket or from the line.
4.) Ron, Salmons and Cisco must make more passes or play less. Theus has already said those who are not producing are going to the play less.
5.) Mikki needs to go strong to the hole and hit his occasional shots to make sure he's at least enough of a threat not to allow double teams elsewhere on the floor.

 

[VF21]

The Kings are dead last in the NBA in APG, buried deep with next worst, the Knicks. So, it starts with ball movement meaning:

1.) Beno must penetrate and dish - look for his shot a little bit less. I really hate to criticize our Euro-lefty because he's been life-savor for the Kings at the point.
2.) Brad must be a big option off the high post since he can shoot there, occasionally drive to the hole, and best of all find open cutters coming off screens.
3.) Kevin must be hella aggressive at all times (not disappear on every other possession or several consecutive sets in that coffin corner) consistently get his shots and those bundles of free throws. I think I heard Coach Theus say that 70%!! of the time Kev has the ball in a slashing penetration he scores - either a bucket or from the line.
4.) Ron, Salmons and Cisco must make more passes or play less. Theus has already said those who are not producing are going to the play less.
5.) Mikki needs to go strong to the hole and hit his occasional shots to make sure he's at least enough of a threat not to allow double teams elsewhere on the floor.

All those ideas are fine BUT how do you get them to do it? It was very clear Reggie was extremely frustrated with their unwillingness to drive inside, especially in the last few minutes.

I guess my point is, regardless of the relative theories about who should do what and when, this kind of stuff has to start with the coaching staff and it's extremely irritating to see Beno foul someone because he's receiving conflicting instructions from the sidelines at a critical point in the game.

 

[PurpleHaze]

All those ideas are fine BUT how do you get them to do it? It was very clear Reggie was extremely frustrated with their unwillingness to drive inside, especially in the last few minutes.s to

First, we're a mediocre team as you know. I'm hoping we can win 35 or so games which is what I predicted at the beginning of the season. Reggie still says we're fighting for a playoff birth and I think he means it. I'm not going to press the panic button just because of the meltdown with 5-6 minutes to go in last game against GSW. A lot of people just assumed the high-flying W's would blow out the Kings like they had done to Phoenix a day earlier. We were coming off our best 48 min effort of the year against the world champion Spurs - seems like we've long forgotten that amazing game. It's still very early in the season and a lot of things are yet to be settled in Kings land, firm minutes, possible trades, Bibby out, etc. Beno is so new, learning on the fly what Theus wants, plus what his teammates can do. I said it would be about 25 games in before I would want to characterize what we had with this 14 player group. So over the next ten games I think it's going to be determined who is playing more and who is playing less.

 

[VF21]

I get the feeling we're speaking in different languages. Are you saying the Kings aren't taking too many jumpers? One game against a Spurs team that couldn't get a break all night doesn't mean diddly or squat, IMHO. I've watched that game three times now and don't get me wrong. I'm really glad we won and it was a lot of fun to watch BUT the Spurs had a really off night.

It seems to me the Kings over the years have always tended to go for the pull-up jumper, especially when things got critical. And it's happened under three consecutive coaches. I just don't think you and I are talking about the same thing...

 

[PurpleHaze]

I gave a prescription in my 5 points, starting off talking more ball movement. Usually, more movement gets better shots, either from the outside or the inside. We can almost forget about an inside game consistently, since we have only one post-up threat and he's usually double-teamed when he parks his big rear end down there.

 

[Kingzrool]

It is definately an issue. But we have seen a decent amount of in the paint action this season. I really think the issue is more about the lack of off the ball movement. From the games I have seen, guys just kind of stand around waiting for the ball. It has been so bad that the occasional run from side to side almost seems out of place in the offense. In the hayday, guys were always running all over and the ball was being passed everywhere.......

SNAP. Sorry please guys, do not just stand there.

 

[VF21]

I gave a prescription in my 5 points, starting off talking more ball movement. Usually, more movement gets better shots, either from the outside or the inside. We can almost forget about an inside game consistently, since we have only one post-up threat and he's usually double-teamed when he parks his big rear end down there.

...sigh...

ALL of your five points assume one critical fact...that the players will, in fact, DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO! But, as we know from Reggie's comments after the Warriors game, they did NOT do what they were supposed to do. They settled for jumpers instead of driving inside, etc.

 

[PurpleHaze]

Reggie said he was very happy the way they played for 40 minutes of that game - interviewed on KHTK today. Unfortunately, the final buzzer did not sound until 48 minutes have been played He was still mad about his team's meltdown, but I sensed that he was just about to let it go and look forward to facing Houston. He also said he and his staff always take a long time to get over any loss, but the players get past it much quicker. That's the way it's always been in the NBA he said. Okay, bring on those sputtering Rockets!

 

[BMiller52]

I think we should just trade for Tim Duncan and then the team will have no excuse not to throw it inside.

 

[Jechtsphere]

Jumpermania cannot be stopped, we can only hope to contain it

When ron starts shooting them there is nothing anyone can say to make him stop...guess that's the case with a lot of our guys.

 

[ZZE916]

I think it's a matter of convenience. It's just easier to take a jump shot rather than driving to the basket.

How do you stop it? By convincing players that being a good team requires sacrifices. The easy way out of any situation rearely produces sterling results.

 

[Entity]

Reggie knowint that jumpermania likely caused us the game the other night. I believe tonight we will see if he has control of this team. If he does you are likely to see more aggression to the basket and maybe better ball movement.

 

[Mozart]

Easy solution...

...helmet and shoulder pads ought to help drives to the basket.


It is clear that coach T already repeatedly asked the guys to drive to the basket with the late-game foul trouble, yet the guys shot jumpers, so, the solution would be to emphasize the need for drives to the basket in similar late-game-opposing-team foul troubles with the warning that anyone who shoots an unnecessary jumper would be pulled off the floor immediately.


Perhaps that's one way.

 

[bloom]

Reggie said he was very happy the way they played for 40 minutes of that game - interviewed on KHTK today. Unfortunately, the final buzzer did not sound until 48 minutes have been played He was still mad about his team's meltdown, but I sensed that he was just about to let it go and look forward to facing Houston. He also said he and his staff always take a long time to get over any loss, but the players get past it much quicker. That's the way it's always been in the NBA he said. Okay, bring on those sputtering Rockets!

Was he just talking about staying in the game? Because that game was completely unteam-like. And I hate to see a repeat of that.

Back to your question. Jumpermania wont stop until the players realize that the other guys on the their team can also play. And if they're going to settle for jumpers then they need to take good shots that they know that they can make.

 

[CruzDude]

The point of all this thread is the Kings have no floor leader. Bibbs means a ton in that regard. They've lost 5 games in the last minute or two and in three they were leading. RonRon is not, I REPEAT "NOT" the go-to guy at the end of close games. He thinks he is but a bull-in-the-china-shop approach has not done it. Cisco plays out of control in close situations and everyone seems to forget Kevin. Beno or Brad or Mikki or someone has to be or become the go-to guy.

As to jumpermania, I agree. When they drive they get buckets or trips to the line. Kings are worst in the league in assists but #1 in the league (or close) in number of freethrows taken and top 2 in FT%.

Maybe we need to get with the Sign Lady and get several hundred signs made we hold up when the Kings have the ball and forget to drive the line that would say:

DRIVE TO THE BUCKET!!

 

[bajaden]

Jumpermania cannot be stopped, we can only hope to contain it

When ron starts shooting them there is nothing anyone can say to make him stop...guess that's the case with a lot of our guys.

You sir, are dead wrong. When a player starts doing something contrary to what the coach want him to do, you jerk him out of the game and sit his sorry butt down. He can't shoot jumpers from the bench. In Ron's case, will it p--s him off? Probably, but its the only way to get a message across sometimes. A coach needs to be a dictator. A benevolent one perhaps, but a dictator non the less. Their has to be only one boss, and thats the coach. Thats what he was hired for. The only power a coach has in todays NBA is minutes. The key is to remain consistant and to be fair and equal.

As an aside. I'm one of those people who remembers an NBA without the three pt shot. It is my personal opinion that the 3pt shot has ruined the NBA. If one takes the time to look up records from the past ( before the 3pt. shot ), you'll find that the shooting percentages were higher and that the scoring per game average was higher. Logic dictates that if there was no advantage to shooting from 25 ft, few if any would shoot from there. Contrary to what the perception is about how rough the game is today with the so called physical defense being played. I think the game was rougher then, when people could hand check and there was less protection for the offensive player under the basket. Just my opinion, and I know I'm going to catch some flack for it. So be it....

 

[PurpleHaze]

I'm one of those people who remembers an NBA without the three pt shot. It is my personal opinion that the 3pt shot has ruined the NBA. If one takes the time to look up records from the past ( before the 3pt. shot ), you'll find that the shooting percentages were higher and that the scoring per game average was higher. Logic dictates that if there was no advantage to shooting from 25 ft, few if any would shoot from there. Contrary to what the perception is about how rough the game is today with the so called physical defense being played. I think the game was rougher then, when people could hand check and there was less protection for the offensive player under the basket. Just my opinion, and I know I'm going to catch some flack for it. So be it....

I remember it well. Back then the NBA league scoring average was around 115 ppg. Today, its only about 97 ppg. What a whopping difference considering no 3 pt shot back then, etc.

Today's NBA players are said to be much greater athletes than the old timers of the game. Probably true on average, but other factors often cancel out such edge. The old timers definitely passed more, with a higher basketball IQ, and thus more skilled on the court.

When I was playing high school B-ball in the late 60's and early 70's the rules would not allow us to dunk in games and there was no 3-pt line. I had an excellent mid-range and deep shooting game, plus at 6'5" could dunk with the best of them - in practice sessions only. Guess which one I was forced to perfect? Not the two later ones. Today and in recent times, it's the reverse. Players want to impress with spectacular dunks and deep shooting with the mid-range attack ancient memory. It's harder to shoot real deep so that one suffers even more as bricks get tossed up from everywhere with the lack of many great shooter's in today's game.

 

[The Hammer]

How do you stop "jumpermania?"

Trade Ron Artest. The whole team dynamic will change.

 

[VF21]

I think I saw a partial answer to my own question tonight when Reggie didn't take any chances and called a time out to make sure the entire team knew that the Rockets were in the penalty and that the Kings had to take advantage of it.

 

[D-Mass]

When I coached high school ball (which I realize doesn't always translate well...) I had a pretty typical response to jumpermania. I would walk down my bench to a kid who was always hungry to get in the game (and someone who could get to the basket fairly well). The conversation would go something like this:

Me: Hey (insert scrub bench player name here), I want you to get in there, get the ball, and drive to the basket EVERY TIME. Don't worry about everyone else on the court, just do it. If you don't get a foul called, do it again the next time.

Scrub bench player: You got it, coach.

I'd pull my point guard over and tell her to run some sort of isolation for my bench player. Crowds are usually not stupid...if she drew a foul, the crowd would usually erupt in cheer and applause. The message was usually quite clear to the starters, and if it wasn't, I would call a follow-up timeout to praise the bench player and tell the starters that if I didn't see more of that (within the flow of the offense, of course), they would be pulled out one by one.

 

[Kingster]

I think I saw a partial answer to my own question tonight when Reggie didn't take any chances and called a time out to make sure the entire team knew that the Rockets were in the penalty and that the Kings had to take advantage of it.

And the best finisher was Beno. Go figure.

Kevin is saving his body; that is some of the reason for him not driving as much. Also, he's got to develop some techniques to enhance his ability to finish (notice how he's getting his shot blocked more lately?) Ron-Ron? I don't know. It depends which Ron is out there. Salmons becomes easier to defend every game because he is becoming a one-on-one ball hog. Garcia doesn't have the vision yet to be a great driver.

If you drive without the threat of a pass to a finisher under the basket, it is easier to defend; we have neither the passers nor the finishers. Part of the solution is the aggressive driving mentality, but part is the talent and experience that we do not have. I wholeheartedly agree with those who point out that ball movement is key; with ball movement you get gaps in the defense that can be used for driving. But we seem to make two passes and then shoot. We need to make that third or fourth pass.

 

[ESP47]

Why is everyone getting on Ron for that one bad game? Ok so it was obvious that he was trying to show Stephen Jackson up and probably cost us the game. But he's shooting almost 50% from the field AND 3 point line. Ron is the least of our problems. He's our 2nd best scorer, 2nd best rebounder, 2nd best assist leader and easily our best defender. I know he's not gonna shoot 48% from 3 all year, but lets get off his case when he's easily the best player on our team. None of these guys have the perfect game.

 

[fnordius]

Just as with defense, and most other things, the coaching staff can beat it into their heads, or the GM can get players who already do what's wanted. We have one player who lives on dunks, and he never gets any PT, so my assumption is that Reggie's fine with jumpermania, which makes curability a moot point.

 

[NewArena]

Just as with defense, and most other things, the coaching staff can beat it into their heads, or the GM can get players who already do what's wanted. We have one player who lives on dunks, and he never gets any PT, so my assumption is that Reggie's fine with jumpermania, which makes curability a moot point.

I was very happy when reggie took that timeout and made sure they attacked the basket...something adelman wouldnt have done. Reggie is not and never will be happy with jumpermania.

 

[CaminoChaos]

After doing some research I find that most of the Kings players are scared to take it inside and shoot. What I found is players that usually are considered good inside players or take it to the basket with effeciency will get about 5% of there shots blocked. Now The Kings on the other hand get anywhere from 10% to 20% of there inside shots blocked. I have a feeling that may have something to do with it. We can't finish inside.

 

[CruzDude]

Once Kings get a team and floor leader who helps everyone be better, then "jumpermania" will likely go away. Bibbs is and should be that guy. Plus with Coach Reggie beginning to lay down the law on going to the basket vs. jumpermania, we should see improvement but it takes a few more games to see if the consistency is going to be there.