We talk periodically about blocked shots and how so often they’re just wasted opportunities. Why?
Because guys just throw the ball out of bounds and give it back to the other team.
Granted, it’s fun to throw
a shot into the fifth row and it projects a certain amount of power. All good fun.
But really, it’s a turnover. If you could tip the ball like Bill Russell taught everyone to do, that’s ideal. If you can just deflect it like Tim Duncan usually did, you have a solid chance of getting it back.
Most people don’t though. Most guys like to throw it as far as they can, only to give it right back to the other team and give them a chance to score again. It’s really dumb. It’d be great if basketball had style points but that’s not the case.
Actually if you did have style points, one of the greatest blocks you could possibly do, along with one of the most intimidating, is simply to go up and not block the shot, but just catch it. Because the reality is, if you can throw it, you can catch it. And if you can catch it, there’s no play in basketball that’s more deflating than just catching a shot.
Take this play by former Duke Blue Devil Mark Williams. Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton, who is 6-11 by the way, tries to drive on Williams and when he shoots, Williams waits for a second, gathers himself…then just goes up and plucks the shot out of the air.
You can have the rim-rattling dunks and whatever else, but nothing steals another man’s soul like just pulling his shot right out of the air. It’s an incredible play.
Plus Phoenix, for all intents and purposes, got a turnover and a chance to pick up points on their own end of the floor.
If you can’t control it, then tip it and try to get it on the way down. But whatever you do, for God’s sake, don’t just give it back to the other team when you could take it away. What a stupid thing to do. You might as well hold the ball on the baseline and drop it out of bounds.
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