players who don't want to shoot puzzle me

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The problem with Elfrid Payton has been explained to me by now: he's an offensive liability because he obviously doesn't want to shoot. In which case, I never understand players who don't or won't just learn to shoot, after years in the league. They puzzle me. Assuming a player doesn't shoot because he can't, why wouldn't a player want to become a good shooter? Scoring is glamorous, and involves less pain and discomfort than playing defense or banging under the boards. Is learning to shoot competently so difficult that such players really can't learn?

Consider two point guards of much higher profile, Jason Kidd and Rajon Rondo. Both of them were also notoriously bad shooters. Why did they settle for it? I heard that Rondo settled for it because he was just arrogant; but Payton has nothing to be arrogant about.

If you think I'm naive, you can perhaps figure out (correctly) that I don't play basketball myself.
 

NashDishesDimes

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Not sure why were talking about the 13th man who should never see any playoff PT, but - i do agree CP has passed up shots at his spots (i think hes hurt), cam payne has had breathing room in spots where hes cleared for launch, Mikal seems oddly uninterested in dribbling and looking for a shot at all
 
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Not sure why were talking about the 13th man who should never see any playoff PT, but - i do agree CP has passed up shots at his spots (i think hes hurt), cam payne has had breathing room in spots where hes cleared for launch, Mikal seems oddly uninterested in dribbling and looking for a shot at all
Because I've been thinking this since months before playoffs started.
 

Phrazbit

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Payton's hesitation in shooting stems from him being a terrible shooter, he is bad at the rim, he is bad from 3 and he is also terrible at the free throw line. I think he processes the game slower than most, he can hide it on teams that play a plodding pace, like Thib's Knicks, but here in Phoenix with our ".5" philosophy he is a disaster. His sees the open man but is slow to send them the ball, he gets the open look but hesitates and bricks.

Defensively... he is a no where to be seen. I doubt he plays another meaningful minute for us, but if you look back at some of the earlier games, he is perpetually out of position and in need of being told who to rotate to.

I think some guys are just awful shooters and it isn't for lack of wanting to improve. In Kidd's case he did improve, before the recent explosion in 3 point attempts he was one of the all time leaders in makes. He was never a good pull up shooter but he became a very good catch and shoot guy.
 
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