Bigs at the line

[joober jones]

Last year, Brimah was an excellent free throw shooter, sinking them with 82% accuracy. This year, he's shooting at 46%.

In the 2013-14 season, Phil Nolan was shooting 77% from the stripe and in 14-15, he plummeted to 28%.

The main common factor between Brimah junior to senior year and Nolan sophomore to junior year seems to be the intentional addition of weight/bulk. When Nolan lost some of it, his FT% rebounded in a huge way, finishing out 2015-16 shooting 82%.

Obviously getting stronger isn't going to necessarily make you a worse free throw shooter. Hilton Armstrong bulked up in a big way and his foul shooting improved consistently with every season. I'm probably just grasping at straws here, but perhaps there's something in the methods being employed when it comes to strength and conditioning that's having some negative effects.

 

[August_West]

Brimahs whole shot is different why he changed I'll never figure out

 

[King Husky]

Yes, this is the explanation for Brimah's severe drop-off in FT% this year. I too have been thinking about this lately. I am 99% sure what happened is that he developed his chest/pecs in way that was disproportionate to his other muscles with which he learned how to shoot, and this is a KILLER to shooting form. It makes your shot a pull to the left side (if you're a right-handed shooter). It's a shame because he actually used to have a pretty good stroke at one point! But at least he's rebounding better now due to the added strength.

How to correct it? Build up your lats and stop doing chest!

 

[tykurez]

Brimah only played in 25 games last year and only took 34 FTs. He's already taken 35 this year. Last year is not a good indicator of his percentages. He was a 65% shooter at the line in 2014-2015 when he took 103 of them.

 

[Kenny11]

Brimah's shot motion is completely different and it looks horrible. It has nothing to do with bulking up. If you are practicing your shot and playing basketball in the off season, while bulking up with weights, your shot will not get screwed up. I have no idea why none of our media guys have asked Ollie about Brimah's new free throw shooting motion. It is a very reasonable question.

 

[mauconnfan]

Brimah only played in 25 games last year and only took 34 FTs. He's already taken 35 this year. Last year is not a good indicator of his percentages. He was a 65% shooter at the line in 2014-2015 when he took 103 of them.

But he had a much better stroke last year and looked to be on track to being solid even if extended to 100 FT's, at least 70% plus. This change to basically 1 hand is puzzling at best. And now you're happy to see him make 1 of 2. This is not a good FT shooting team and we are accustomed to being really good, it's early and I'm sure they are working hard hopefully it pays off when needed.

 

[LIUCHusky]

But he had a much better stroke last year and looked to be on track to being solid even if extended to 100 FT's, at least 70% plus. This change to basically 1 hand is puzzling at best. And now you're happy to see him make 1 of 2. This is not a good FT shooting team and we are accustomed to being really good, it's early and I'm sure they are working hard hopefully it pays off when needed.

Since his first free throw this year I have been asking myself why is he shooting it with his left hand entirely off of the ball. Makes no sense to me.

 

[ucp990411]

I can't believe he has been coached to make the change. His form was fundamentally sound and now it is awful. I think it would be a question for KO. What were his FT percantages in our losses?

 

[gtcam]

I can't believe he has been coached to make the change. His form was fundamentally sound and now it is awful. I think it would be a question for KO. What were his FT percantages in our losses?

And you know the coaches have coached him to shoot this way, please let us know...............................
I think it has something to do with his physical change/build-up

 

[Dogbreath2U]

It looks to me that he is not grasping the ball with his shooting hand, the ball just slides off as he shoots. Didn't he have a finger injury? Whatever, it's probably about focus.

 

[Jaker]

Stop kidding yourselves, AB has never had a shot.

 

[tykurez]

It looks to me that he is not grasping the ball with his shooting hand, the ball just slides off as he shoots. Didn't he have a finger injury? Whatever, it's probably about focus.

He had a finger injury and surgery on his left shoulder 2 years ago.

 

[ucp990411]

And you know the coaches have coached him to shoot this way, please let us know......
I think it has something to do with his physical change/build-up

What I meant was I would be shocked if he was coached to change his release. The question for KO is why did Amida change his release? I put this on Amida, not the coaches. Because of his physical change? LOL.

 

[mauconnfan]

What I meant was I would be shocked if he was coached to change his release. The question for KO is why did Amida change his release? I put this on Amida, not the coaches. Because of his physical change? LOL.

Have to agree it's not on his "size" he's not that much bigger anywhere to have this be the issue. Something triggers this when he gets to the line, I am quite sure he'd prefer to go back to what worked. Much like a hotter in a slump he sometimes develops a hitch in his swing losing bat speed, goes to the cage and BP where he has no issues as he works on it outside of game day. Game day it reappears until the slump is over.

I expect him to begin shooting it like last year in the next few games, or else he's just completely lost.

 

[dogpause]

He seems very cocky and lackadaisical at the line. Last year his form was great and he was slow and methodical.

 

[Giddyup5]

Also grasping at straws but could it be from some of the feedback he got from his nba work outs?

 

[dennismenace]

He seems very cocky and lackadaisical at the line. Last year his form was great and he was slow and methodical.

I noticed this too. Not just the form which as mentioned is bad, he just doesn't look focused and seems careless. I hope the coaches help him with this. We need to make as many free throws as possible. Still can remember UK Squid when asked why he didn't foul late in the NC game and he said "because they never miss". Hard to argue with him that year. It was like having one of those lights out bullpens in baseball where if you don't get to the starter by the sixth inning it's all over. Puts a lot of pressure on opponents.