This team will be absolutely devastating when these two guys gain their confidence from beyond the arc. Ben might never be that guy but I do believe Nik could be a top 5 shooter. Can you imagine Cousins drawing double and the occasional triple team with a sharp shooter camping out in the corner? That to me is the key to us going from a scrappy team with heart to a scary team that can beat you in multiple ways.
Nik & Ben's perimeter shooting...
- Thread starter Merdiesel
- Start date
lawlman91
Starter
Ben's problems are mental; he has the ability to be that guy. But so does Nik. We already have the tools down low, and we need to keep it that way for 2-3 years while Nik and Ben get better. And they're getting close to the level that we expect them to be.
OR, we could get an already accomplished lights out shooter, but I absolutely don't want that to happen. Just a gut feeling. It would feel great if our drafted guards get it done, and they have.
ShastaKingsFan
All-Star
Nik is real close to having a much higher percentage start to fall. He looks like he's settling in and getting comfortable with this stroke out there against the big boys
fursty13
Bench
Looked very comfortable out there yesterday. I think he'll settle in nicely in the next few games.
jcwkings
All-Star
I think the key for Nik is to get the ball in his hand a little when he comes in. I think he prefers shooting off the bounce, and that sets up his stand still game. Hes a very good decision maker too, finding bigs diving to the rim. As the season goes I would like to see Nik on the ball more with the second unit and Sessions more off the ball.
Ben's 3 in OT was about as high pressure as it gets (during the regular season, anyway). In terms of making mental improvements, this was definitely a step in the right direction. Stauskas also looked better - I really would have loved for him to hit both threes in yesterday's game, but he doesn't look as lost as Ben did last year.
Monster
Bench
For Nik, the key is letting him handle the ball. In college, he always seemed to do better when he got more touches in the offense. You saw what he did last night. The drive to the basket (also did it on Wednesday vs Nuggets) and created a couple shots for himself and some teammates. His three may not be falling at a clip that we want, but his other skills are definitely useful. The offense just seemed to flow better when we got him involved.
Same for Ben. He needs a bit of control on offense. He can get to the basket and he will knock down some jumpers from time to time. I think if the vets on the team continue to trust these kids, Nik and Ben can add 20 combined a game for us. DMC and Gay are putting up 40-50 per game. You add in the two young guards with our bench and DC and this team is going to be VERY hard to beat.
All I can say is that I love this team. Oh and **** Seattle! And LA for that matter!
Same for Ben. He needs a bit of control on offense. He can get to the basket and he will knock down some jumpers from time to time. I think if the vets on the team continue to trust these kids, Nik and Ben can add 20 combined a game for us. DMC and Gay are putting up 40-50 per game. You add in the two young guards with our bench and DC and this team is going to be VERY hard to beat.
All I can say is that I love this team. Oh and **** Seattle! And LA for that matter!
Both of these guys showed why our coaches believed in them enough to draft them at 7 and 8 in that Suns game. If you give Ben the ball on the perimeter and ask him to get you a shot he's going to struggle. But if you have Rudy and DeMarcus abusing the defense in the post, he's going to get some great looks throughout the course of the game and that's where he should shine. Nik has some work to do to match the physicality of the league defensively, but he looks poised and confident when he's out there and he showed us a glimpse of his all-around game last night with some very nice passes that led directly to layups/dunks.
Swaze
Bench
Both of these guys have sweet smooth strokes so in time other than confidence there is no reason for them both not to be great outside shooters. Nik I don't think any questions will be a deadeye shooter in this league. The question with Nik is will the rest of his offensive game translate to the NBA.
Ben definitely has more physical tools and much more explosive athlete but as we have seen he's much more fragile mentally than Nik so it's hard to say if Ben will ever be a true deadeye shooter.
Ben definitely has more physical tools and much more explosive athlete but as we have seen he's much more fragile mentally than Nik so it's hard to say if Ben will ever be a true deadeye shooter.
ShastaKingsFan
All-Star
What I like best about Nik as we move forward, is that he is one of the few young players I've seen recently, who has creative skill combined with a high IQ. He will be very valuable in this league
Mass
Starter
Nick will be very very good. I'm ready to bet on it. I can see it in the way he moves on the floor, the instincts he has. You can tell that he will be a very nice player in this league as soon as he gets used to the NBA game. He's even better on D than what I thought. I see a SG version of Hayword in him.
fursty13
Bench
He's better at staying in front of us man than I anticipated, but he gets b*tched as soon as someone throws a shoulder or forearm into him. Needs to get stronger, and I think getting lower in his defensive stance would help with lateral movement. He bends at the waist rather than the knees.
Livinthedream
All-Star
Control in what sense?
On this matter, I think the one thing Cousins hasn't done enough of this year is kick it out to open shooters. I know he can man handle the guys inside, but punishing them for sinking in with a kick out is a way to get Ben and Nik going. It's not like Nik has been bricking his threes. He's just not seeing shots or the ball often enough to have a big game.
Monster
Bench
Control in the sense that he should be handling the ball a little bit. Driving and dishing and finishing. He was allowed to in the overtimes and did very well for us. It's hard to win games when your SGs don't handle the ball. We can't be scared to let him create. By no means should we let him be the primary ball handler, though.
Chicken Chaser
Bench
Imagining Ben's confidence boost after that 3 fills my chest with a ton of emotions. I hope Ben pans out after all, and talks of keeping Nik and Ben work out for our team.
Glenn
Hall of Famer
I have a theory on what will help Ben. (I am not worried about Nik) If Ben exerts all his energy and worries on playing defense and perhaps being the best defensive SG in the NBA, he will worry less about offense. As I suspect most of his trouble on offense is mental, this will keep his mind off shooting and paradoxically, help his shooting. Get what I mean? Can someone, whether they agree or not, say this better?
Livinthedream
All-Star
Agreed.
Genius.
You got it right on what McLemore needs to do. I fully agree with this kind of approach, since McLemore is a known good shooter already.
I think it was pointed out by another poster that McLemore wants to concentrate into working more to being one of the best defensive SG in this league, so he is on the right track. We can expect good things to come about McLemore.
I hope the result will happen early, so we can see playoffs in the near future!
Chubbs
Starter
I don't know what Ben will become, but it's worth noting (or maybe not) that Peja shot an identical to Ben .320 from 3 his rookie year. And that was with vlade doing all he could to help him out. Ben had no guy like that.
There's hope. By no means am I saying we have another shooter like Peja. But good shooters have struggled early.
You just never know. But I'm not ready to give up.
There's hope. By no means am I saying we have another shooter like Peja. But good shooters have struggled early.
You just never know. But I'm not ready to give up.
kingsboi
Hall of Famer
Ben is still too sporadic but it's early in the season so I will hold off judgement for now. That being said, both of them need to continue to keep shooting if they are open and not think twice about it, that's why we drafted them and that's why they are out there. They need to be floor spacers and play adequate defense.
Kingston Jamaica
Bench
I'm going to throw in a new theory here. Some of the top teams, like GSW and Houston, are build on superb 3pt shooting. It's simple mathematics that if your FG% for 2pointers is 50, shooting anything over 33% from 3pt range will improve your result. The problem here is simple, when ever you have a shooting slump, you lose.
Mike Malone obviously decided to go the other way. For him 3pt shooting seems to be secondary as long as the wing players defend and rebound beyond the average (and that should not change from one game to the other). That's the way to grind a W and when the 3pt shots land, you win big time.
I think there are two indicators for that theory. Ben Mac keeps playing as a starter and he doesn't make too many 3pt attempts. If they don't fall, it doesn't matter as long as he keeps his man in control. I have no doubt about it, Ben Mac will become a really good 3pt shooter, but to be on the court he has to first be a good defender. That is the qualification that makes you a rotation player. The second indication is Casspi, who was considered to be the tall 3 pt shooting SF. He basically doesn't even consider them now. He's been ordered to drive and score or draw a foul. After being a terrible FT shooter for 5 seasons, he is now deadly from the line. Again, as long as Casspi defends and grabs the rebounds, he's OK. His assists are all bonus and DMC and Landry will profit from that. They just need to be alert, because they come with speed.
So Malone goes against the stream. For him 3pt shooting is a bonus. You're not going to be a shooter in his system if you're not a good defender.
Mike Malone obviously decided to go the other way. For him 3pt shooting seems to be secondary as long as the wing players defend and rebound beyond the average (and that should not change from one game to the other). That's the way to grind a W and when the 3pt shots land, you win big time.
I think there are two indicators for that theory. Ben Mac keeps playing as a starter and he doesn't make too many 3pt attempts. If they don't fall, it doesn't matter as long as he keeps his man in control. I have no doubt about it, Ben Mac will become a really good 3pt shooter, but to be on the court he has to first be a good defender. That is the qualification that makes you a rotation player. The second indication is Casspi, who was considered to be the tall 3 pt shooting SF. He basically doesn't even consider them now. He's been ordered to drive and score or draw a foul. After being a terrible FT shooter for 5 seasons, he is now deadly from the line. Again, as long as Casspi defends and grabs the rebounds, he's OK. His assists are all bonus and DMC and Landry will profit from that. They just need to be alert, because they come with speed.
So Malone goes against the stream. For him 3pt shooting is a bonus. You're not going to be a shooter in his system if you're not a good defender.
The style of the team comes from its best player, and simple idea is if you throw the ball to Demarcus in half-court, he will somehow score. So you slow it down, make it a knock your teeth slugfest, and for that you prefer scrappy hustling hard-working athletes. As a bonus scrappy hustling hard-working athletes can produce a lot of movement and finish inside. Of course, you would like those finishes be more like soft drops of Casspi, than prayer-heaves or power, in your rim and out dunks, that Ben was producing last year. 
randymoss1881
Starter
Agreed you play the way it fits your best player espiscially when that player is an MVP player like DMC. it also helps that his style of play is what wins in the playoffs granted you play defense too.
Livinthedream
All-Star
Right. He's played one rookie season in which there was no stability and he came back from the off season significantly improved in one part of his game. It's not time to put him in a box and define what type of player he will be 2-3 years from now. This is the world we live in now with 1 and done players. Youn don't really know what you have for about 4 years into their NBA career.
ShastaKingsFan
All-Star
Great post. In a lot of ways, we're playing "retro" basketball....and it's very refreshing to see. I watched some of the Warriors vs Rockets game last night and it was boring watching teams run back and forth to the 3 point line.
Our style of play is much more entertaining and I believe it's actually better suited for "playoff" type games and close games down the stretch...where things slow down
Ron
Starter
Ya man!
A great analysis, my friend!
(Here's "the Yiddishe Rastaman" especially for you - a fun, interesting piece)
A great analysis, my friend!
(Here's "the Yiddishe Rastaman" especially for you - a fun, interesting piece)
Kingston Jamaica
Bench
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