Free Throw≠Free

How is it possible that a professional basketball player can't make 60-70% of their shots from the charity stripe. You stand on a line that is only 4.5metres away from the backboard. If you feel too close you can take a step back. You stand alone with no defender in front of you. You can take your time. Position yourself as you feel fit. Plus you can shoot when you want to.

In the gym, I have nailed around 80-90% of my free throws. I tested my free throws out by going to the court for 7 straight days and took 100 shots everyday. I ended up with an 87 FT%.

Shaq deals with the crowd, exhaustion, and other factors I will never encounter like having a hand the size of a tennis racquet. But still, all he has to do everyday is practice basketball but he still finds it impossible to make more than 55% of his free throws (his career FT% is 52.5). I even went as far as testing my big hand small ball theory. I used a smaller basketball that I could easily palm and used a smaller rim size to compensate for the smaller ball and I still made 85% of my free throws. The inability to make free throws boggles my mind.

In my eyes, there is no excuse for shooting lower than 65% at the line.

Just imagine if Shaq had the ability to make FT's. In his prime, he would be unstoppable. Even going from his career avg of 52.5% to 65% would be a huge increase in wins for his team and points for his career. Factoring the changing defences and how they try to defend Shaq and his teammates, we might have seen Shaq produce championship rings year in and year out.

Shaq, only if you just figured a way to hit free throws.


Photo Courtesy of ESPN.com.