Should Z be shooting 3s?

[bags27]

Well, of course she should! She has a terrific all-around game, and she's a pretty good 3 pointer for a big. They just haven't dropped yet. Here's a comparison with a couple of other recent centers:

Azura Stevens 3s her 2nd year at Duke 19-53 .358

Morgan Tuck's 3s her senior year 28-87 .322

Stef Dolson 3s her senior year: 8-27 .296

a player like Z, who can work from the outside toward the middle and the basket, needs the threat of the 3 to keep the defender honest.

 

[BostonCanuck]

She should, though not the one she took from about six feet beyond the arc early in a possession during the first half of tonight's game. Needs to be a "good" shot in the first instance.

 

[Roger G]

I would love to see them start falling for her. It's such a great dimension for a team to have a center who can pull their center out to the arc.

 

[Sonny44]

Well, of course she should! She has a terrific all-around game, and she's a pretty good 3 pointer for a big. They just haven't dropped yet. Here's a comparison with a couple of other recent centers:

Azura Stevens 3s her 2nd year at Duke 19-53 .358

Morgan Tuck's 3s her senior year 28-87 .322

Stef Dolson 3s her senior year: 8-27 .296

a player like Z, who can work from the outside toward the middle and the basket, needs the threat of the 3 to keep the defender honest.

I know Geno's answer.

 

[DefenseBB]

No, no, no and NO!

 

[rugbymate]

The answer is yes against AAC competition to see if she can find her range but come NCAA tourney time the experiment should be over if she doesn't dramatically improve her 3pt FG %....which currently stands at an abysmal 15.2% . The power of drawing out the opposing big is one of the goals as it lets Phee and Gabby feast.
Having said that, she is virtually unstoppable in the low post.

 

[NEforceUConn]

No, no, no and NO!

+1

 

[MilfordHusky]

Yes, but judiciously. She’ll get there. I just hope it’s soon.

 

[Ukonnfan]

Nope

 

[Charliebball]

absolutely.................just as long as she makes them...................

 

[iri10]

I'm good with her attempting two to three open, in-rhythm 3s a game. I don't especially want to see her taking as many attempts as our guards.

 

[EricLA]

My general opinion is no more than 1 a game. First, she should not be spending so much time roaming around the perimeter getting herself open. Second, her shooting is abysmal and even tho she apparently makes them in practice, she's horrible in games.

So for me the answer is no more than 1 a game. HOWEVER Geno clearly has given her the green light as she continues to launch from deep. And his opinion in this matter is the only one that counts...

 

[Monte]

Only in an emergency!

 

[Blueballer]

Only in an emergency.

I think it's the other way around. Until she makes them for a higher % the attempts will probably come in the flow of the offense when we have a lead or early in a close game. If she doesn't improve her makes I doubt you'll see her jacking them up in the Tournament. The emergency threes will most likely be shot by other people.

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

Not a big fan of Z for 3... and frankly Gabby seems to have trouble with the mid-range jump shots as well. When I see either of them go up for those shots I cringe... reminds me of my son when he was in High School; very good baseball player and high average hitter (varsity level from 9th grade on)...hit from the right side his whole life. Decided to become switch hitter before Junior season; worked hard on the left side...hit everything in the batting cage from both sides with more power from left. Worked with professional hitting instructor over the winter who said he would have never known lefty was not his natural side. When season started he couldn't hit anything from left side...and only saw right handed pitchers for first 4 games of the season. In 5th game he headed up to the plate to hit lefty and his coach said..no..other side. In the next 16 games in reg season he got at least one hit in every game, ended with 2nd best batting average on the team and led team in rbi.... on a Team that went to the VA State HS championship tournament. Bottom line... Z for 3 sounds great, and she reportedly hits them in practice...but the results in games has not been so good...and when she's at 3 point line, she's not under basket to fight for rebound... if there is time on the shot clock to get a better shot for her or someone else, then put the 3 away.

 

[UcMiami]

Yes. She just needs to start making a few!
And Gabby needs to continue shooting from 15' and out as well, but she too needs to start making them more consistently.

These are skills that both of them have proved they have, and they are needed to keep defenders honest and create better driving lanes for them to exploit. And they will be more important at the next level as well.

 

[TitleTown]

I don't care if Stevens makes another 3 pt shot this season, she has to continue to shoot them. Her shooting 3s forces the opposing defense to extend out to guard her, that opens up the lane for Collier and Williams to go to work. It also brings the defense out tighter on her so she can use her explosive first step and attack off the dribble. As long as she continues to shoot open, in rhythm shots, it's only a matter of time before they start falling for her. Will she ever be the next KML? No, but I can see her in the .350-.375 range and that is pretty damn good for your 6'6 Post.

 

[hussybulldog]

If 30s is up and no place the ball can be passed to..

 

[DefenseBB]

Yes, but judiciously. She’ll get there. I just hope it’s soon.

I admire your optimism, She’s 5-33 or .152 so by using your optimism Crystal Dangerfield should be posting up...as someone once said, birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim, 6’6” should be in the paint, 5’5” beyond the arc...just sayin.

 

[VaConnFan11]

70% inside the arc
10% outside the arc

Nuff Said!

 

[meyers7]

I admire your optimism, She’s 5-33 or .152 so by using your optimism Crystal Dangerfield should be posting up...as someone once said, birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim, 6’6” should be in the paint, 5’5” beyond the arc...just sayin.

Always like this one.


Old man's gotta be the old man. Fish has got to be the fish. Gotta be who you are in this world, no matter what.(Robert McCall - The Equalizer)

 

[chrissaran]

Z was 9 for 13. The four shots she missed were all 3s. She can draw the opposing center out to the foul line or to the 3 point line as a decoy. With Lou, Kia and Crystal, and occasionally Napheesa, there are more than enough 3 point shooters. When you're shooting 15% from the 3 line, it's not the best idea, especially when you're shooting 58% overall.

 

[BroadwayVa]

absolutely.......just as long as she makes them....

Her 3 from, no matter how far out, is excellent. She's rushing them mostly. Give her time to work within the Uconn system calm down and score.
You can bet your bippy ---Geno is NOT against AZ shooting the 3. at 35 percent that's a fair to midland (Tx) percentage for any position.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Always like this one.


Old man's gotta be the old man. Fish has got to be the fish. Gotta be who you are in this world, no matter what.(Robert McCall - The Equalizer)

I GOTTA be Me, I gotta be me.

 

[HopJim]

Her 3 from, no matter how far out, is excellent. She's rushing them mostly. Give her time to work within the Uconn system calm down and score.
You can bet your bippy ---Geno is NOT against AZ shooting the 3. at 35 percent that's a fair to midland (Tx) percentage for any position.

Depends on game and where we are in shot clock. While her ability to hit 3's, particularly in important games, is debatable, her layups are 99% unstoppable. Every time she went under basket last night she got and made a layup, several times getting fouled. There is a reason virtually every team lets her shoot 3's.