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Here's a chart showing every NBA team's net difference in Wide Open 3-pt% from this year compared to last year.
20 teams have gotten better...the average team by about 1-1.5%.
PHX is shooting 1.1% WORSE on these shots, ranking 24th.
20 teams have gotten better...the average team by about 1-1.5%.
PHX is shooting 1.1% WORSE on these shots, ranking 24th.
Why are most NBA teams suddenly shooting better on wide open 3s? The most basic theory is simply that no or very few fans in the stands leads to more of a practice environment, benefitting shooters overall.
Why are we not seeing this trend with PHX though?
Why are we not seeing this trend with PHX though?
The most plausible explanation there is also a frustrating one...we need more time, and sample sizes are still small.
Given the profile of the Suns' roster, and the acquisitions they made over the summer, there's reason to believe that positive regression is still coming.
Given the profile of the Suns' roster, and the acquisitions they made over the summer, there's reason to believe that positive regression is still coming.
That being said, among the new acquisitions that the Suns play THE MOST:
1) Crowder isn't that good of a shooter (we've known this)
2) CP3 creates open 3s for others, but refuses to take them himself (for whatever strange reason)
Toying with rotations may be important.
1) Crowder isn't that good of a shooter (we've known this)
2) CP3 creates open 3s for others, but refuses to take them himself (for whatever strange reason)
Toying with rotations may be important.
The Suns have played Langston Galloway and E'Twaun Moore a combined 285 minutes...nothing compared to the 500+ played by Bridges and Crowder.
Obviously there's good reason for that (defense), but the point is that the Suns have better shooting weapons that they're not exhausting
Obviously there's good reason for that (defense), but the point is that the Suns have better shooting weapons that they're not exhausting
Unless those guys start playing more, we have to live with the vast, vast majority of wide open 3s on this team being taken by 4 guys:
Crowder
Bridges
Johnson
Booker
Unfortunately, hard to make the case that any of those 4 are "elite" shooters.
Crowder
Bridges
Johnson
Booker
Unfortunately, hard to make the case that any of those 4 are "elite" shooters.
So, yeah. A TL;DR I guess:
1) There's no scientific reason to believe the Suns will keep defying a leaguewide trend. Their shooting will *probably* improve, BUT:
2) They simply have a lot of okay shooters. Not many great ones.
1) There's no scientific reason to believe the Suns will keep defying a leaguewide trend. Their shooting will *probably* improve, BUT:
2) They simply have a lot of okay shooters. Not many great ones.
