Skill & Shot Selection
The distinction between skill and talent is one coaches talk about consistently…
The author Dharmesh Shah defines it as this: Skill is something that’s learnable or the ability to do a thing, whereas talent is the rate at which you can acquire a skill. By that definition if you have a talent for music that means you will acquire musical skills faster than someone who does not.
In modern basketball, shot selection is a team skill most teams do not possess. The shots you take as an individual say a lot about the type of player you are… or better said “your shot selection is the mirror to your culture.” However, it is difficult because shot selection is both an individual and team metric simultaneously.
Here are some analytics to help:
From 6 feet to 25 feet, players shoot the same FG percentage (FG%). This is true from Varsity level HS to the NBA/WNBA. Aside from EOG (End of Game) or EOC (End of Clock) situations these shots should not be taken at the volume they are taken at the HS, AAU, or College level. Teams cannot sustainably win basketball games unless their Effective Field Goal Percentage *(eFG%) is greater than your opponent’s eFG%.. Effective Field Goal Percentage is a simple stat that accounts for the fact that 3’s are worth more whereas regular Field Goal Percentage does not factor in the value of a shot.
As coaches, that which we allow, we encourage. Take time before season kicks off to discuss and teach the learnable ‘skill’ of shot selection.
*How to calculate EFG (FGM + 0.5*3PM) / FGA
Graphics via @FastModel
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