Alex Karaban doesnt care what you think

[Drfla]

I don't think I have ever seen anything like. it. He has been a 40% three point shooter his entire career. And now he can't throw a ball into the ocean.

He is something like 3-47 from the arc. It's beyond a slump, it's wrath of god kind of stuff. Twilight Zone. Larry Bird used to say if I make one I shoot until I miss and if I miss I shoot until I make one. But there is only one guy who can help Alex. Be nice to see a few go though for him.

Shooters shoot. If you are a shooter and you are open you shoot, even if you missed your last 10. Gotta believe the next one is going in.

gotta love the boneyard. AK is 4-37 from three in the last 7 games but on the boneyard he has gone from there to 4-43, then 4-47 and now 3-47.

 

[uconnfan68]

He’s missing free throws in big spots. The only issue here is mental. Can we please stop with all the concussion theories.

He missed 2 vs Villanova, and front end of a 1and1 last night. And you want him to just go away?

 

[Connecticut13]

9 for 50
2 for 26
0 for last 12
I hate how he’s shooting, time to rein in

No - we need Karaban if we're going to be successful. Can't always expect McNeeley to drop 38. You don't seem to, but I believe in Karaban and will continue to support him. He'll be back with a vengeance.

 

[NJHusky]

He’s missing free throws in big spots. The only issue here is mental. Can we please stop with all the concussion theories.

Isn’t a concussion mental?

 

[BugsyCT]

He needs to just keep at it. Practice his 3s like crazy in the gym. Work on his mechanics. He's been too good a player the previous 2 years to just not be able to shoot anymore. It's a slump and he'll snap out of it in time.

 

[husky429]

In the chat and threads there has been a lot of calls for him to stop shooting. People feeling bad for him. People saying his head is not right or that he lost his nba shot.

He is still shooting when he gets a good look and he wants to go the line at a big moment even if he hadn't been that guy this year from a conversion standpoint. He doesn't care about any of that noise.

We are quick to do this to our favorite guys and it's corny. We did it to AJax, and Hawk, and Hass, and Sanogo, and Joey C etc.

But he keeps shooting. And he should. Because he knows what he can do.

(BTW, he has been doing some great things outside of shooting 3s)

I'm still on that Karavan

He still needs to keep shooting because it will come back eventually. We need him to make a run in March, so you've gotta have him keep pulling 5+ shots a night from deep.

It's pretty clear his head isn't right and that his shot at the NBA is diminishing by the night, though. No one would be wrong in saying that. TBH I'm happy about it in a way; will hopefully get to see him one more season.

 

[Inyatkin]

Maybe there's something physically wrong, who knows, but shooting is always streaky. We have this discussion every single time a good shooter goes through a slump.

 

[superjohn]

He still needs to keep shooting because it will come back eventually. We need him to make a run in March, so you've gotta have him keep pulling 5+ shots a night from deep.

It's pretty clear his head isn't right and that his shot at the NBA is diminishing by the night, though. No one would be wrong in saying that. TBH I'm happy about it in a way; will hopefully get to see him one more season.

I think him realizing the NBA is slipping away for next season is part of the reason he's pressing so badly. He was the focal point with Liam out and that was something new for him which he couldn't handle. Now he's just bricking every wide open look from distance and can't even be trusted at the ft line. He's badly in his own head. He's a much better player than this if he would just go back to having fun playing ball.

 

[Hi-Low]

I believe (hope) Alex will find his shot soon, but 11% 3pt shooting over last 7 games is alarming.

 

[superjohn]

AK has always been streaky. The extent to how bad the shooting has been is new and the missed clutch ft's is something totally new but he had two 4 game stretches last season where he was 4-24 and 4-22 on three pointers.

 

[Hunt for 7]

He’s missing free throws in big spots. The only issue here is mental. Can we please stop with all the concussion theories.

I don’t get this post. You clearly and accurately describe his issues as mental. Have you ever had a concussion? Just curious. Clearly he has lost confidence for some reason. He is not thinking the same way. I think discounting lingering effects of a brain trauma on thought process is discounting clear evidence that it happens.

You can clear all the protocols but the doctors never know and symptoms both long term and short term are not unusual.

Not saying 100% that it is the reason he is struggling but discounting or dismissing it as a contributing factor based on your assertion his issue is mental not physical seems to be inconsistent.

 

[Matias]

As long as he's selecting good looks, I got no problem. But it feels like his 3 has been off since mid-season last year. Didn't he miss a game and then all of the sudden his 3 was no longer the automatic guarantee it used to be and then he kindof got it back later in the season but not fully? Would be good to see a graph of his 3pt % evolution.

I just hope it isn't some neurological thing messing with his mechanics.

 

[RichZ]

I’m no shot guru but his arc has been flat, or it seems that way. Don’t know how that is fixed mid season.

He has never had a classic high arc on his threes. And when he struggles, they get even flatter. A few games ago, I noted that it was getting really flat. It looked to me last night that the arc on his shot was pretty much back to normal. Still nowhere near textbook perfect, but in the normal ballpark for him. hopefully, that leads to a timely return to his normal 3 pt accuracy.

 

[jdb50]

Alex missed open long shots but the other teams still have to account for him which opens up the rest of the team. His drives and rebounding and defense helped immensely in the win. He has always done the other things besides 3 point shots. He is the ultimate glue guy. Lets hope he gets his shot back as we will be very hard to beat.

 

[UCan3]

I was on Alex all game, but in reflection. the dude made a lot of nice floaters and played some ridiculously good defense on Kalkenbrenner.

Actually got me to thinking like this be a lineup that we go with moving forward with the season?

I know that sounds ridiculous, but we played a lot better with Karaban down low.

He caused a lot of turnovers because his hands were active, and he kept him away from the basket for the most part.

I’m at the point where I don’t care what it looks like from lineup perspective - if McNeilly can play the point and Karaban can play the center, put the lineup out there that gives us the best chance to win!

 

[Jaydumo20]

I think him realizing the NBA is slipping away for next season is part of the reason he's pressing so badly. He was the focal point with Liam out and that was something new for him which he couldn't handle. Now he's just bricking every wide open look from distance and can't even be trusted at the ft line. He's badly in his own head. He's a much better player than this if he would just go back to having fun playing ball.

I agree. I'm a pollyanna like @Deepster says but I actually have a system:
I ask myself "do I really see this [insert problem here] continuing for the rest of the year?. The answer has never been Yes.
Whether it was the atrocious defense, or
our awful January I asked myself "are we gonna stay at this level for the rest of the year?" My answer was - surely not. So I was optimistic. Did I ever really think wed be a bubble team? Nope
When it comes to Alex, my question is "for the rest of the year is he going to be this cold the entire time?" My answer is no.
If that's optimism so be it.

 

[J187Money]

The absolute worst thing that can happen to him (both for UCONN and his career) is that he turns into Ben Simmons. He will work it out, but he can only shoot his way out of this - so I don't like the result but I trust the process. And other than the 3pt shooting he played great!

 

[Spaceman213J]

I'm like everyone else hoping the slump ends the next game, but AK is a winner. McNeeley was great last night, but ask him who he wants on the floor with him on that roster. Karaban will be the first name you here because Karaban still does the winning things. After he missed the 3 3s on one possession, I watched him off the ball. He was out there hitting guys with screens, hunting contact to be exact.
I bet if you asked him, McNeeley would tell you he doesn't get 38 without Karaban moving and doing the little things on offense.
I wish Stewart, Ross and a few others would body guys up on screens.

Hurley may have found something with the big backcourt lineup with Ball and McNeeley bringing the ball up. Karaban helps out against the press to often being the guy in the middle or dropping into the backcourt and using his size to look over the press and find open men. The guy is just a winner, period.

 

[aceboon]

AK has always been streaky. The extent to how bad the shooting has been is new and the missed clutch ft's is something totally new but he had two 4 game stretches last season where he was 4-24 and 4-22 on three pointers.

this, which is why it's weird people keep talking about a November concussion that he was cleared from. last year against Marquette he shot 2/9, 1/6 from 3 and they won by 28. This year if he does that(which he has often) they'll lose the game by a possession or 2 and it's much more noticeable instead of it being masked by a dominant team around him like last year.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

People hating on Alex are going to eat crow before this year ends. I promise you that. He struggles when he feels that he must carry the team. But with Liam back and with Solo's ascension, that is no longer the case. Alex is going to be fine from 3. He already does everything else superbly.

 

[RuffRuff]

Lets be honest we all thought he was going to miss that free throw. Never thought I wouldn't want Alex at the line at the end of a game but here we are.

I didn't - was really surprised by it. He made a nice runner down the stretch that was really important. Felt like a nice opportunity to ice the ghosts away. Really hoping he can figure it out soon.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

He just needs to keep firing. As brutal as it was to watch that 0-3 possession in the moment I was encouraged that he pulled the trigger every time with no hesitation. The absolute worst thing to do is rein it in and get timid. It's like Jay Wright's mantra, shoot em up and sleep in the streets.

 

[superjohn]

this, which is why it's weird people keep talking about a November concussion that he was cleared from. last year against Marquette he shot 2/9, 1/6 from 3 and they won by 28. This year if he does that(which he has often) they'll lose the game by a possession or 2 and it's much more noticeable instead of it being masked by a dominant team around him like last year.

Yep, the other excuse is he's slow because his ankle is hurt. He had a tiny ankle thing and missed no time...he's always been slow.

Now people are haters of AK for pointing out how he's playing.

 

[UCTitleTown]

You people and your coddling. He’s 4 for his last 38. Process that. 4-38. It’s hurting the team.

That does not mean he shouldn’t be playing, we need his other contributions it just means he shouldn’t be shooting 3s.

Two games is a slump. More than that's a problem. Everyone knows he's a gym rat who takes a million shots on his own, so his shooting woes are hard to explain. My guess is fatigue from his expanded role.