Peja should take more 2pt shots

Catalyst

Catalyst

G-League
Peja's game hasn't had the range this year, and I'd like to see him take a few more steps inside and start taking more 2pt shot attempts. Normally Peja's range is the best in the league or close to it... this season he's forgotten how close to automatic he is when he takes a 15-19ft shot. His 3pt ability is still quite good, it's just not as outstanding as his 2pt shooting.

Once he catches a rhythm I don't mind him taking some longer range shots.

The problem I keep seeing from Peja is he misses open 3pt looks (which even at best NBA players shoot like 40% from that part of the floor) if he gets more of his midrange game going I think it will help him considerably.
 
its playoff time we wouldnt be the Kings if Peja didnt struggle......
 
Peja knocks down an easy 2 just a second ago. Even when Peja moves and isn't perfectly balanced but it's a shorter shot (from about 15-19ft) it usually goes down.

He's just a great midrange shooter when he's open, and I'd like to see him get back to his midrange game.
 
Yeah but Peja takes too many 3's i mean its a good thing, but imagine if those missed 3 pointers were taken a bit closer, he'd score so much more than he does now.
 
A 2 point shot for Peja is considerably easier for him right now than the 3s he's been attempting. A lot of times Peja has great 3 point range, right now is not one of them.

Play to your strength and build your confidence. Especially when you haven't been playing at the top of your game.
 
SacKingsFX said:
i still think peja's main problem is confidence
Click to expand...

When you make shots, your confidence grows. If you take easier shots, you're going to make more of them. That's some of the main reasoning I have behind posting this, I want to see Peja gain his confidence back.
 
Peja has to be set up to make shots... As a #2 or #3 option we have ourselves a great player. I think we all need to realize Peja will not be the #1 option on our team. Okay I broke my silence about him. Peja is awesome it just is what it is...

Anyway it doesn't matter WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT 1 more and we tie it up.l
 
Well, they were bringing a hard double on him early, so all he had available were three point looks. In the 3rd he actually forced the action a little bit, and ended up with a solid game, helping to keep the Sonics at arm's distance.
 
Peja was almost always doubled. Not to mention Lewis is not too bad a defender. The truth is, Peja played great defense on Lewis tonight. As long as other guys are shooting well, I'll take a wash between Peja and Lewis. Grant said he knows people will be critical that Peja didn't shoot so well or rebound more, but said his defense was great tonight. As he put it, "Peja always brings his glove to the field, something he didn't always do a couple years ago." He also pointed out that Peja always plays hard and I agree.
 
Lewis is also playing hurt.



I think the Peja story is going to be a real hoot in about 15-20 years. People will be telling all these wonderful fables about how he could have averaged 30+ points "if not for..." how he locked people up left and right, probably was one of the great undiscovered clutch players of all time, oh, and was one hell of a babe before he went bald. Maybe we can have a comic book about his exploits......in whatever alternate universe it is that all of this actually occured. :rolleyes:


As for the initial topic -- yes. Peja's 3pt/2pt ratio is always an indicator of his aggressiveness. The 3pt shot is a great weapon for him, but its also a lazy giveup shot when he has little else to go with. At his best he has a lot better mix of short/long inside/out work. But when he shoots 8 threes in 14 attempts or whatever, its not a good mix.
 
well we all know that peja is one dimensional..... so, pick your poison.... great offense or great (for the kings)defense.... if he's just scoring, then so is lewis and we lose.... as long as bibby, mobley and one more person catches on fire we'll be good.... he single handedly beat the mavs last year with his defense..... at least someone other than bobby is playing some d....
 
Peja should make open shots........ thats what i would have named the topic :)
 
I'm really tired of the constant Peja bashing ad nauseum. Why does he deserve this? Because he hasn't lived up to the superstar expectations thrust on him by others? He's supposed to perform at superstar level, because some people think he should? He's never labeled himself a superstar, nor has he ever acted like he thinks he should be treated as one. Maybe I'd think people would have some reason to complain if he was being paid superstar bucks, but his salary isn't even remotely close to that and may never be. He is however, a very good, solid player who definitley earns what he is paid. And I'd say he's a better player than many who are paid quite a bit more.

Over at espn.com, a writer at the game tonight said some "fans" were heckling Peja for his lack of production. Excuse me...those folks don't deserve to be called Kings fans. I don't care what a person's opnion is of any Kings player (and their entitled to them), but you don't heckle your own player at a game! And it's just doubly disgusting that they'd do it at a playoff game. Sorry, but that just really ticks me off!
 
That's another thing now that you guys mention it...

Peja was doubled a lot tonight, but he's been slow in moving the ball to another man when that happens. I'm a little more concerned about his shot selection still though, because Peja is already a competent passer and usually makes good decisions with the ball as long as he's not forcing up shots.

Anyway, some people wonder why we harp on Peja so much. Regardless of what Peja's doing, he's supposed to be a star on this team. Stars happen to play well in most games because they're stars. Regardless if they're "locking down their man" or doing whatever, they still get theirs.

This isn't a "dog Peja because he's horrible" thread. This is a "Peja is a Sacramento King and we need him, so this is my idea to make him better" thread.

Peja played his best when he was knocking down midrange shots today. And through his career he's been an ABSOLUTELY terrific midrange player. I'd -love- to see him get back to that. I think this is a great chance for him to do so with the Kings being mostly healthy.
 
Bricklayer said:
I think the Peja story is going to be a real hoot in about 15-20 years. People will be telling all these wonderful fables about how he could have averaged 30+ points "if not for..." how he locked people up left and right, probably was one of the great undiscovered clutch players of all time, oh, and was one hell of a babe before he went bald. Maybe we can have a comic book about his exploits......in whatever alternate universe it is that all of this actually occured. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...


I guess it'll sound a lot like the Petrovic story, and the main villian in both will be Adelman.
:D :D :D
 
kennadog said:
I'm really tired of the constant Peja bashing ad nauseum. Why does he deserve this? Because he hasn't lived up to the superstar expectations thrust on him by others? He's supposed to perform at superstar level, because some people think he should? He's never labeled himself a superstar, nor has he ever acted like he thinks he should be treated as one. Maybe I'd think people would have some reason to complain if he was being paid superstar bucks, but his salary isn't even remotely close to that and may never be. He is however, a very good, solid player who definitley earns what he is paid. And I'd say he's a better player than many who are paid quite a bit more.

Over at espn.com, a writer at the game tonight said some "fans" were heckling Peja for his lack of production. Excuse me...those folks don't deserve to be called Kings fans. I don't care what a person's opnion is of any Kings player (and their entitled to them), but you don't heckle your own player at a game! And it's just doubly disgusting that they'd do it at a playoff game. Sorry, but that just really ticks me off!
Click to expand...

Peja bashing?

Au contraire. This is NOT Peja bashing...

This is a message board devoted to the Sacramento Kings. Peja is, last I heard, part of that team. We have every right to be critical of him. He has been labeled by virtually everyone in sports as one of the best pure shooters in the league. If he's not living up to that title, why shouldn't it be discussed?

I don't agree with "fans" heckling Peja at the games, any more than I thought it was right when people booed Webber. Not everyone views sporting events the same way.

It's not about his money, BTW. His next contract will more accurately reflect his worth - good or bad. He wasn't one of the premiere shooters in the league when his first contract was signed.

I am a Kings homer. It's in my blood. That doesn't mean I'm not going to criticize a player when I don't think he's living up to his own potential. We know what Peja is capable of and I think we can at least discuss it civilly when he isn't meeting that potential.

It's all good. We are, for the most part, here because we love the Kings and can't help but talk about them, the game, the highs and lows, etc.

GO KINGS!!!!!
 
Peja is a good defender, but hes is being overated this series, Lewis is playing hurt yet he still is able to do things, but Peja is getting open looks and missing shots, im sick of trying to playoff his bad games, he needs to take the ball to the rim, move around, set picks or grab some boards,if he cant do that then he should be on the bench.
 
I'm getting really tired of Grant and Jerry making it sound as though Peja is in the running for defensive player of the year. Their exaggeration is just as bad as bashing, IMHO.

The truth is he's at least doing something out there, but nothing like what we really need him to do or expect from him. The saving grace for Peja has always been his shooting. If it doesn't come back, then he's no better than a number of AVERAGE small forwards in this league and actually worse than some.

Come on, Peja!!! Git er' dun!!!!
 
Catalyst said:
That's another thing now that you guys mention it...

Peja was doubled a lot tonight, but he's been slow in moving the ball to another man when that happens. I'm a little more concerned about his shot selection still though, because Peja is already a competent passer and usually makes good decisions with the ball as long as he's not forcing up shots.

Anyway, some people wonder why we harp on Peja so much. Regardless of what Peja's doing, he's supposed to be a star on this team. Stars happen to play well in most games because they're stars. Regardless if they're "locking down their man" or doing whatever, they still get theirs.

This isn't a "dog Peja because he's horrible" thread. This is a "Peja is a Sacramento King and we need him, so this is my idea to make him better" thread.

Peja played his best when he was knocking down midrange shots today. And through his career he's been an ABSOLUTELY terrific midrange player. I'd -love- to see him get back to that. I think this is a great chance for him to do so with the Kings being mostly healthy.
Click to expand...

fear not. if its one thing i've noticed over the time i have watched nba basketball (or any professional sport for that matter), its that a player always performs incredibly well during a contract year. guess what, ladies and gents, next year is peja's contract year. maybe he'll pull his head out of his *** long enough to increase his market value, not that that would be a real good thing for the kings in the long run. if peja wants the big money (and what nba player doesn't?), he's gonna have to prove he's more than just a spot-up shooter who is incapable of creating for himself. and he's also gonna have to prove he can play solid defense at the same time. its not good enough for him to just shut down lewis and go 2 for whatever from the field. on the kings, its okay, cuz we've got a lot of options. but elsewhere, there's guys like bruce bowen who can do that nightly and ya dont gotta pay them a whole helluva lot to do it, ya know what i mean? with all that said, i'm really hoping peja wakes up from this funk and takes this team to the holy land. we may be able to inch by seattle w/o him playing well, but if the kings even want to ponder going anywhere in the western semis, then peja's gonna have to find some willpower and some desire quickly.
 
What is Lewis doing? Over 3 games:

37% FG
33% 3-PT (he's made 2)
79% FT
2 RB
1.5 Assists
1.5 TO
No steals or blocked shots
9.6 PTS

Peja:

37.5% FG
28.5% 3-PT (he's made 4)
100% FT
5 RB
0.6 Assists
1 steal and 2 blocked shots
15 PTS

And it is Lewis who was on the All-Star team this year, not Peja. Of course he keeps talking about his knee and so does the media, so he's got his built-in excuse. I was listening to an interview with one of the Seattle announcers, I can't remember who, but he's an ex pro. After the first game he said that he's had a groin injury and it looked to him like Peja's injury is still bothering him, because he just wasn't moving like he usually sees him move. If it is bothering Peja (and I don't know), he's obviously keeping his mouth shut, not using it as an excuse.
 
Kennadog -

Why does it have to be about excuses?

This isn't the first time Peja hasn't performed well in the playoffs. I am almost sick to death of reading excuse after excuse for Peja, especially from people who were SO QUICK to blast other Kings players who had pretty darned good excuses themselves.

I love this team and have since the beginning. I have supported Peja as long as he's worn the uniform. Why he shouldn't get criticism for less than acceptable performance in the playoffs is a true puzzlement.

It's not about comparing Peja to anyone but himself. Based on what we KNOW he's capable of doing, he's not making the grade. And it has nothing to do with Lewis. If Peja was doing such a stellar job on Lewis, Lewis would be able to light up the court when Peja is on the bench...but he's not, so clearly the defense of #16 ISN'T the only problem Rashard Lewis is having.

Couldn't we just let Peja be a man - and not try to either make him a sinner OR a saint?
 
VF21 said:
I'm getting really tired of Grant and Jerry making it sound as though Peja is in the running for defensive player of the year. Their exaggeration is just as bad as bashing, IMHO.

The truth is he's at least doing something out there, but nothing like what we really need him to do or expect from him. The saving grace for Peja has always been his shooting. If it doesn't come back, then he's no better than a number of AVERAGE small forwards in this league and actually worse than some.

Come on, Peja!!! Git er' dun!!!!
Click to expand...

Nice Redneck TV reference :). I think you said it perfectly. If Peja keeps having off nights, Adelman should look to playing Evans more; someone whose best strength is his rebounding.
 
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