11-14-2022, 05:48 PM
(11-14-2022, 05:15 PM)mvossman Wrote: He is shooting roughly 46% from 3. Historically he has shot wide open 3s at less than 40% so there should be a limit to how much improved shot quality will improve his numbers. I think he will be a better shooter in Dallas than he is for his career, but I would not expect him to shoot the 41% he shot last year, let alone the 46% he is shooting now.
My point is that it does not make a lot of sense to compare a small sample of a young player who we knew got better as the season went on to a small sample of an older player starting off hot who does not have the growth/development potential of the younger player.
Any certainty that this MUST just be small sample size skewing things, and a future slump is inevitable to revert him to the mean, is very misguided. No way to know that until it's over.
It has to be recognized that players CAN improve their shooting. Not just young players. It's sometimes just a function of the willingness to work. or discovering some issue that needs correcting (and doing the work to make it happen). It remains to be seen if that's what is happening, but it is VERY possible.