the last shot?

Question

wade took a contested jumpshot in the final seconds of the game against the celtics. missed.

lebron took a 21 foot contested jumper at the end of regulation against the celtics. bricked.

i'm sure kobe has also done the same thing and also bricked.

why are these guys trying to recreate michael jordan's last shot for the bulls?

why a jumpshot? why not have someone send a screen so they can drive down the lane and possibly have someone free underneath when the defense collapses. or get fouled and win the game on the free throw line?

no. when the game is on the line, you put the ball in your best player's hands. i'm just asking why go for the jumpshot when there are better options in winning the game. these guys are renowned for their ability to break down the defense and finish at the rim even with the whole defense clinging on their arms.

Answer 1

I dont think they're trying to recreate anything or anyone... they're just trying to hit a winning jumper.

More often than not, they miss.... but guys like Kobe Bryant... LeBron James... Dwayne Wade... Gilbert Arenas... Paul Pierce/Ray Allen... they've all hit winning jumpers. It's not like they brick all the time. And on that note, it's not like Michael Jordan hit the winning jumper every time. It's just that we've seen so so so many highlights of the ones he did make, it just seems like he hit em all.


As far as your question regarding driving in and going for the layup/dunk/foul... LeBron James actually does do that quite often... but not all the time. And I think he needs to do that all the time because he's an incredible slasher and almost always gets the foul, gets a layup, or just dunks it down. Dirk Nowitzki often takes a post-up turnaround shot for the winner.

But I think a lot of players stray away from driving in because it usually takes away the 'openness' of a shot -- it's almost always gonna be contested. It's rare to see someone get an open layup in the final seconds... although James has gotten a couple (I remember he had one against Detroit and another against Toronto).

Plus, referees try and stay away from calling a foul within the final seconds. Even if you make contact, more often than not, they'll give a no-call if its the final shot n whatnot.
If you've watched a lot of games, you'll notice sometimes, during the final minute/seconds... how players drive in, get knocked down - throw up a wild layup shot - and get no call... then run to the referee and complain while the other team got the ball for a turnover... or in the case of a final shot, while everyone's leaving the court/stadium.

Players wanna stay away from contact as much as possible... because that kinda contact could ruin a shot, and still get no call... so they just take the jumpshot they think they can make. I would think players and coaches wanna stay away from relying on referees, so they take the jumper (usually contested, but not much contact).

Answer 2

did MJ patten the jumpshot in the closing seconds or something?

you do whats needed to win a game..someone who has accomplished so much and won games is someone to look upto for these guys and hence they do things similar to him

besides before MJ had a jumpshot, he modeled his game after his former teammate George Gervin and other athletic wing players like Julius Irving and Adrian Dantley

Kobe of course has the most success with the jumpshot with time running out more so than the others, but so what?

Wilt and other big men had success with the jumphook, many bigs do it nowadays to give themselves a better chance of scoring...is it wrong?

Answer 3

They are not trying to recreate anything. They are trying to win the game for their respective team. Jordan missed a bunch of shots too. They are all the superstars of their teams and are EXPECTED to hit whatever type of shot necessary to win. Sure, there are OTHER choices, but who wants to see Luke Walton[Lakers] or Damon Jones[Cavaliers] or Udonis Haslem[Heat] take the shot when you have the other guys? :)

Answer 4

Like Jordan theses are the best shooters on their respective teams. I'm sure their coaches wouyld prefer them to take the final shot, but would rather have them pass if contested.

Answer 5

Everyone wants to "Be Like Mike". He's considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest to play the game.

Answer 6

You miss a 100% of the shoots you dont take..

Answer 7

who do you think should shoot it then? or just not shoot it at all?

it's easier to just rise up and shoot, and those players are confident in their shot, it's not a shot they're just pulling out their ***, these are shots that they normally take during the course of the game anyway.

Answer 8

what do you mean???? there taking last second shots because there team is losing, there the best shotters on there teams, and thers like no time left.

Answer 9

cuz they know kg, the truth, gerald, and mj are all better than them so they have to show off to look good

Answer 10

maybe they aren't? but if it's so famous they might try to grasp the stars by recreating it.