Rondo and free throws

#1
His terrible free throw shooting makes no sense at all.

He is supposed to be high IQ, study dedicated, work on the game wizard, and everything heard about him confirms that ... except that for some reason he cannot make himself to learn how to hit free throws?
Was there ever worse ft shooting guard in the league.

Thought that his lack of motivation was causing drop last year, but the drought continued this year.

Any stories from his past if this is due to mental, mechanical, being stubborn idiot... or whatever other issue?
 
I

Im Still Ballin

Guest
#2
That 6-10, super mutant wingspan and hands. No excuse though, Cousins and Rudy both have freakish wingspans as well. Rondo just can't seem to find the middle between backrimming it and shooting it short
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#4
Not really important why it is, it is. And its a major concern for the future. Think Lionel Hollins first used it against us some weeks ago, and I knew somebody else would. The issue is that this is precisely our floor general, the very guy we WANT to have the ball down the stretch. So its not even as if we can hide him in the last 2 minutes -- the whole point of having him is to have him steady us in the late minutes. This will always be out there though.

At least my disgust with this tactic predates us having a player who could become a victim of it.
 
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#5
I think you can take some solace in the fact everyone else is pretty clutch when it comes to crunch time, in our starting line up. I think it's an interesting concept if Rondo were to do better moving forward. If that were ever to come into fruition, our free throw game would be a beauty.
 
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#8
Why is this surprise? He's never been able to shoot at any point in his career and never will. It's what prevented him from being a superstar at his peak.

Basically, he needs to be at 50% on the "Hack a Rondo" plays. Someone did the math a few years back and It's a beneficial play for the offense at 1.0 PPP with upside for more. Tonight for instance he was 3/4 down the stretch... You take 1.5 PPP all day everyday.
 
#9
Why is this surprise? He's never been able to shoot at any point in his career and never will. It's what prevented him from being a superstar at his peak.

Basically, he needs to be at 50% on the "Hack a Rondo" plays. Someone did the math a few years back and It's a beneficial play for the offense at 1.0 PPP with upside for more. Tonight for instance he was 3/4 down the stretch... You take 1.5 PPP all day everyday.
Meh. 60% for his career isnt that bad. Goes up to 65% in the playoffs. His highest for a series is also 70%
 
#10
Meh. 60% for his career isnt that bad. Goes up to 65% in the playoffs. His highest for a series is also 70%
For a guard, t's absolutely atrocious. You hope for 60-65% out of the WCS and Kosta Koufos type of players; dudes with no ball skills. Not a skill-guard with some of the best on-ball skills in the game like Rondo has.There really isn't an excuse for why Rondo can't shoot, but that's been a known fact since he first came into the league. Just never learned how to do it properly and at this point isn't going to.
 
#11
Rondo's skill comes from his mind. I really can't even quite wrap my mind around what he sees at times because he is so far ahead of what is going on. Free throws seem easy to me, as it was really the ONLY thing I could do coming into the game. Three bounces, spin the ball so I could put my finger on the air hole, shoot. Easy. I struggled with screens, pick and rolls, reading the defense, how those x's and o's translated into those moving bodies on the court while playing. His grasp on the game floors me at times. There is nothing at the line for Rondo to dissect, analyze, get ahead of, it's just shooting a ball into a hoop. I will take genius, and except that his career averages are what we will get at the line.
 
#13
He can drop a dime through traffic from anywhere on the court but an uncontested 15' shot is just too much.

I don't understand it at all.
That puzzles me too, perhaps he shoots impulsively and his muscle memory kicks in naturally in the flow of the game and who knows what comes to his mind, when he's at the charity line.
 
#14
I'm not completely sure why this extreme of thread would be made after a night where Rondo made a statement that Hack-a-Rondo didn't work tonight...?

He's only 3 makes away from shooting 50%, which isn't great but even if he was shooting 70% it would have resulted in a whopping 10.6 points more over the season thus far.
How many points do his 203 Assists represent, again?
 
#15
When he was at UK, they did a video that showed his freakishly big hands. They explained that he has the hands of an NBA center. Therefore, the same hands size that helps him do that fake pass layup are that same hands that make free throws difficult.

I remember Tubby Smith legitimately tried getting him to switch to the granny shot and said he shot 75% with it out of 1000 shots. Can we get him to do it here? Lol.
 
#16
When he was at UK, they did a video that showed his freakishly big hands. They explained that he has the hands of an NBA center. Therefore, the same hands size that helps him do that fake pass layup are that same hands that make free throws difficult.

I remember Tubby Smith legitimately tried getting him to switch to the granny shot and said he shot 75% with it out of 1000 shots. Can we get him to do it here? Lol.
Hand size doesn't dictate shooting ability. Jordan had massive paws. Kawhi Leonard has some of the biggest hands in the NBA. I doubt Rondo's hands are bigger than Cousins'. Each of those guys were/are good free throwers. Shooting is mechanics and depth perception. Rondo's mechanics are not good (wide elbows, releases after the peak of his jump.) It's so deep in his muscles now, though, that he likely can't fix it.
 
#17
Watch Rudy Gay at FT line - great relaxed technique. Does not run up to get into position immediately (freezing himself) - far from it. After foul call Gay actually strolls toward center court sometimes within couple feet before turning back to get calm at FT line - taking his time. In the lane ref is not dabbling about but set in perfect position to release smooth single bounce of the ball. Not in any way distracted Rudy calmly takes deep breath, couple bounces, and swish. 80-85% accuracy this year and for NBA career. Rajon Rondo could learn lots from keying on Rudy Gay's approach to FTs - from moment foul called to moment standing at the line 100% ready.
 
#18
Hand size doesn't dictate shooting ability. Jordan had massive paws. Kawhi Leonard has some of the biggest hands in the NBA. I doubt Rondo's hands are bigger than Cousins'. Each of those guys were/are good free throwers. Shooting is mechanics and depth perception. Rondo's mechanics are not good (wide elbows, releases after the peak of his jump.) It's so deep in his muscles now, though, that he likely can't fix it.
Just to nitpick, Rondo doesn't jump during his free throws, and his free throws are the topic at hand.

I think the majority of us can live with him taking a couple open midrange jumpers a game (especially since he's a 40% shooter from 16ft to the 3pt line in his career). I think we all find it odd that he has been shooting 37% from 16ft to the 3pt line and 35% from three this season, but has only shot 42% from the stripe. It would be one thing if he knocks down threes at a 10% clip and midrange jumpers at a 20% clip while shooting 42% from the stripe, but his shooting percentages thus far are very much respectable which begs the question why can't he transfer it over to free throws?
 
#19
What I've never understood about guys who shoot atrociously at the FT line is that they seem to rarely make any changes to their approach/mechanics/etc. at the line. Hell, I would bet Rondo could still make 40% with his eyes closed up there. Try something different. Stand a foot to the side, shoot granny style, anything. Nothing is going to be worse than what he's currently doing.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#20
People talk about his large hands but doesn't Kawhi Leonard have them as well? I don't see him going out there and shooting a terrible percentage. It might be mental...who knows. He has good form and all but it just doesn't drop. You take the good with the bad because he does other good things out there to help masquerade the free throw shooting.
 
#21
The part that is really disturbing about his missed attempts, is how far 'off' they are. He hits the extreme "heel" of the iron, where it darn near banks in, it seems about 50% of the time.

The "big hands" thing is a non starter. This is the NBA, where ever since it was started, has always had tons of players with big hands. Jordan, Dr. J Erving, George Gervin,...the list is endless
 
#22
Has anyone ever done a "jump shot" at the line? I feel like he has good rhythm with his jump shots midrange and from 3, and would be a better shooter from the line if he shot like that.
 
#25
Rondo has a weird technique on his jumper in which his shooting elbow flares out a la Larry Bird. When he follows through his elbow turns in into correct alignment. It is an odd thing and fundamentally incorrect. I don't think his elbow flares out as much on his FTs. This could be one of his issues. He's not shooting FTs with same form as FGs.
 

rainmaker

Hall of Famer
#26
Has anyone ever done a "jump shot" at the line? I feel like he has good rhythm with his jump shots midrange and from 3, and would be a better shooter from the line if he shot like that.
Can't. Can't cross the FT line until ball hits rim.

Guess one could stand 2-3 ft behind the line and shoot a jumper but that'd be dumb. Whole point of being at the FT line is practicing shooting from the exact same spot. Repetition.
 
#27
Can't. Can't cross the FT line until ball hits rim.

Guess one could stand 2-3 ft behind the line and shoot a jumper but that'd be dumb. Whole point of being at the FT line is practicing shooting from the exact same spot. Repetition.
A jump shooter doesn't necessarily jump forward on a jump shot. Usually it is straight up and down. With exception being shots well beyond three point line.
 

rainmaker

Hall of Famer
#28
A jump shooter doesn't necessarily jump forward on a jump shot. Usually it is straight up and down. With exception being shots well beyond three point line.
Nope. That's just more generalized theory/instruction, go straight up and down.That's what you tell kids who are jumping all over the place. But if you were to put a quarter on the ground and go up with perfect form, you're going to land about 3-6" in front of it.

A natural jump shot has your feet floating forward slightly at the release/follow thru. And attempting to come down and land on that quarter every time you would shoot a FT is just dumb.
 

Capt. Factorial

trifolium contra tempestatem subrigere certum est
Staff member
#29
Nope. That's just more generalized theory/instruction, go straight up and down.That's what you tell kids who are jumping all over the place. But if you were to put a quarter on the ground and go up with perfect form, you're going to land about 3-6" in front of it.
Which is why IF one were to adopt a jump shot as a free throw, they'd have to start a step back from the line.
 

HndsmCelt

Hall of Famer
#30
Can't. Can't cross the FT line until ball hits rim.

Guess one could stand 2-3 ft behind the line and shoot a jumper but that'd be dumb. Whole point of being at the FT line is practicing shooting from the exact same spot. Repetition.
You are correct that it is repetition, but Rondo could choose a spot the appropriate distance from the line an practice the same shot from the same spot, I am not sure if that will help, but if it is simply a mechanics issue it might. Unfortunately I suspect the issue at least in part may be over thinking his mechanics on hist part and not trusting his own muscle memory.