Stephens

[njm8845]

I mentioned this in the Weatherford thread, but I felt this deserved a thread unto itself.

Stephens is not a poor shooter in any way. If you think that, then your standards are too high.

Here is a list of career 3% since 1992:
C. MARTIN 45.1
RY. SMITH 40.8
C. LUTZ 40.4
ROD. SMITH 40.3
M. WADDELL 40.2
K. LOWE 39.8
K. STEPHENS 39.2
R. HUMMEL 38.9
G. ROBINSON 38.5
E. MOORE 38

So Stephens has the 7th best clip of any shooter Purdue's had in the last 23 years. Of particular importance is the fact that he's right above Big Dog, Moore, and Hummel. Granted, they did much more than shoot the 3, but he's more prolific and more accurate than just about anybody in the past 4 decades.

Here is the number of 3's made since 1992:

E. MOORE 243
J. CORNELL 242
D. TEAGUE 239
R. HUMMEL 216
C. AUSTIN 212
C. MARTIN 179
K. GRANT 177
D. BYRD 173
RY. SMITH 169
W. DEANE 137
K. STEPHENS 137

So if Stephens stays on the same exact pace, he'll put as much distance between him and the second place guy (Moore) as there is between Moore and the 6th placed guy (Austin).

I don't know what people are expecting him to do. I think part of it is his fault. Because he has such a beautiful shot, it looks like everything he throws up should go in, and people are disproportionately disappointed when it doesn't.

 

[PaBoiler78]

I mentioned this in the Weatherford thread, but I felt this deserved a thread unto itself.

Stephens is not a poor shooter in any way. If you think that, then your standards are too high.

Here is a list of career 3% since 1992:
C. MARTIN 45.1
RY. SMITH 40.8
C. LUTZ 40.4
ROD. SMITH 40.3
M. WADDELL 40.2
K. LOWE 39.8
K. STEPHENS 39.2
R. HUMMEL 38.9
G. ROBINSON 38.5
E. MOORE 38

So Stephens has the 7th best clip of any shooter Purdue's had in the last 23 years. Of particular importance is the fact that he's right above Big Dog, Moore, and Hummel. Granted, they did much more than shoot the 3, but he's more prolific and more accurate than just about anybody in the past 4 decades.

Here is the number of 3's made since 1992:

E. MOORE 243
J. CORNELL 242
D. TEAGUE 239
R. HUMMEL 216
C. AUSTIN 212
C. MARTIN 179
K. GRANT 177
D. BYRD 173
RY. SMITH 169
W. DEANE 137
K. STEPHENS 137

So if Stephens stays on the same exact pace, he'll put as much distance between him and the second place guy (Moore) as there is between Moore and the 6th placed guy (Austin).

I don't know what people are expecting him to do. I think part of it is his fault. Because he has such a beautiful shot, it looks like everything he throws up should go in, and people are disproportionately disappointed when it doesn't.

I think that injury bothered him more than people think, in that Hawaiin tourney he was shooting well before the injury.

 

[Casey and his Brother]

It's more about shot selection with him. Of the 60% he misses, most don't have a prayer going in, because he's falling away from 30 feet. Take a dribble in, square up, and shoot in the flow of the offense.

 

[Purdue Grad in Texas]

I think it's also a little lack of consistency. K Stephens has had stretches where he's red hot.....then not so much. I think the injuries have been an obstacle, but I liked what I saw as improvements on the defensive end.....he has a great chance this year to take a big step......the opportunities are going to be there.

 

[Dan'l Boone]

It's more about shot selection with him. Of the 60% he misses, most don't have a prayer going in, because he's falling away from 30 feet. Take a dribble in, square up, and shoot in the flow of the offense.

I agree. While he makes some that defy reason, shot selection and squaring up to the basket are the main things he needs to work on.

 

[JohnHoosierr]

Most people that call him a bad shooter have probably never seriously dedicated themselves to any sport in their lives. Dude was the single reason we won at PSU last year, that game was almost a disaster and would have surely been a loss without him. And as you pointed out, stats clearly show he isn't a bad shooter. He's actually a very good one.

 

[SIBoiler2]

He's just two years in. The first year was such and abomination from a team standpoint that it was almost a throw away. I expect better health and physical and mental maturity to be a big factor in his game this year.

 

[BoilerDaddy]

I think it's also a little lack of consistency. K Stephens has had stretches where he's red hot.....then not so much. I think the injuries have been an obstacle, but I liked what I saw as improvements on the defensive end.....he has a great chance this year to take a big step......the opportunities are going to be there.

He was inconsistent, but part of that just goes with being a shooter. Even Steph Curry, maybe the best shooter in the NBA, just had a 2 for 15 three point shooting game in game 3 of the NBA finals.

 

[CRBoiler]

KS is one of the best shooters ever at Purdue, and he will likely end up #1 in 3's made by the time he graduates.

However, I agree with others that there are a couple ways he can significantly improve:
- Shot selection. Kendall has taken a lot of shots with plenty of time left on the shot clock where he was not in rhythm or not squared up or under too much pressure or way too far away from the basket to warrant a shot given the situation. What percentage of his misses have come from these ill-advised shots? I think if he can cut the relatively low-percentage shots from his game, his percentage will be well above 40%. It could go even higher than CM's if his decision making improves enough.
- Consistency. I don't think this is all about injuries. Some games KS is 60+% from 3 and others he is 1 for 17, and it all balances out to 39.2%, which is undeniably a very good number. I'm not an expert on how to work on consistency... I'm sure KS already puts up a million shots a year & he's got repetition covered in that regard. Maybe there is more he can do to build a consistent pre-game routine. Maybe he can train differently, with better simulation of in-game pressure and situations... Like I said, I don't know how, but if KS can get to be more consistent, it will make a huge difference. Maybe shot selection has something to do with it .

 

[Purdue Grad in Texas]

He was inconsistent, but part of that just goes with being a shooter. Even Steph Curry, maybe the best shooter in the NBA, just had a 2 for 15 three point shooting game in game 3 of the NBA finals.

Yeah, Daddy....I see your point. I think the inconsistency goes hand-in-hand with shot selection. JMO, I think some of the shot selection may have been due to the fact that for most of the time, K Stephens may have felt he was the only significant outside threat.....maybe just forcing things a little.

The kid can shoot it.....no question. I'm looking forward to seeing him play this year, for sure.....and see how he responds.

 

[SIBoiler2]

I also believe having more shooters on the team will help Kendall. First year here he was the 3 point offense and had a ton of pressure to hit since no other shooters existed outside the FT lane. Last year Mathias and Edwards helped a little. With their combined maturity and experience and throwing Cline into the mix it can only take more pressure off KS and a relaxed shooter is a better shooter.

 

[CRBoiler]

K Stephens may have felt he was the only significant outside threat.....maybe just forcing things a little.

I think there is some truth to this, especially during KS's freshman year, and that "I gotta be the man" attitude seemed to extend to this past season even though we added DM and VE.

This next season with Cline also joining (he won't redshirt - trust me), we should almost always have two really good shooters on the floor. Hopefully KS can make some better decisions on when to shoot vs. not in that context. I liked when KS decided to penetrate instead of shoot sometimes this year. If he could develop that more including stronger finishes (or dishing to the open man when nothing's there), KS could be a force to be reckoned with. I hope he does develop in these ways. It be great for him & his confidence, and so good for the team as well. Boiler Up!

 

[Tucsonboiler2]

He's just two years in. The first year was such and abomination from a team standpoint that it was almost a throw away. I expect better health and physical and mental maturity to be a big factor in his game this year.

since he arrived as a shootist he was unfamilliar with pass-first offences.A slow first step makes it easy to counter his drives. It is probable that he will continue to correct both of these weaknesses. If he corrects only one of them, he will get more open shots.

 

[Bob Sienicki]

Stephens is not a poor shooter in any way. ... Because he has such a beautiful shot, it looks like everything he throws up should go in, and people are disproportionately disappointed when it doesn't.

Make no mistake, Kendall - in some ways - is a remarkable shooter. But I might take exception to his shot being "beautiful." What I mean by that is that he still manages to hit a high percentage of shots, despite significant variations in his form, timing, and stance.

Over the years, as I coached and worked with younger kids, I have come across many different shooting techniques - all of which have been claimed to be the best - from shooting from the side (ala the Shot Doctor, who I have worked with) to sighting the ball directly above the dominant eye, like a rifle marksman sights down the barrel at his target. But despite the variances, I have always tried to stress the importance of consistency of stance, ball position, form, and motion. For regardless of how you stand, hold, or shoot the ball, if you can precisely duplicate the movements, from a given distance, the ball will arrive in precisely the same spot. And adjusting for distance should be simple and easily translated between visual perception and trained muscle memory.

Ultimately, it is my belief that the fewer muscles and moments of body torque one has to control, the easier it is for a shooter to duplicate his/her form and motion. Which is why Kendall is pretty remarkable, since his form and motion vary so much at times - from an occasional windup dip of the ball, to off balance releases, both forward/backwards and side-to-side. Yet he still manages to hit at a very effective rate - sometimes with uncanny precision.

All of which indicate to me that he has incredible visual perception combined with the ability to rapidly translate numerous subconscious muscle adjustments to compensate on the fly. And that is very rare and certainly not easy. Ultimately, that can eventually make him a very effective off-balance shooter - whether off the dribble or coming off a screen.

Yet his biggest challenge, IMHO, is how to develop consistency of form and motion in his spot-up game. Too often, his spot-up stance, form, and motion vary significantly - even when he is wide open. If he masters that, I agree that Kendall could easily become one of the best pure shooters Purdue has ever had.

JMHOAU

 

[alwaysaboiler]

I mentioned this in the Weatherford thread, but I felt this deserved a thread unto itself.

Stephens is not a poor shooter in any way. If you think that, then your standards are too high.

Here is a list of career 3% since 1992:
C. MARTIN 45.1
RY. SMITH 40.8
C. LUTZ 40.4
ROD. SMITH 40.3
M. WADDELL 40.2
K. LOWE 39.8
K. STEPHENS 39.2
R. HUMMEL 38.9
G. ROBINSON 38.5
E. MOORE 38

So Stephens has the 7th best clip of any shooter Purdue's had in the last 23 years. Of particular importance is the fact that he's right above Big Dog, Moore, and Hummel. Granted, they did much more than shoot the 3, but he's more prolific and more accurate than just about anybody in the past 4 decades.

Here is the number of 3's made since 1992:

E. MOORE 243
J. CORNELL 242
D. TEAGUE 239
R. HUMMEL 216
C. AUSTIN 212
C. MARTIN 179
K. GRANT 177
D. BYRD 173
RY. SMITH 169
W. DEANE 137
K. STEPHENS 137

So if Stephens stays on the same exact pace, he'll put as much distance between him and the second place guy (Moore) as there is between Moore and the 6th placed guy (Austin).

I don't know what people are expecting him to do. I think part of it is his fault. Because he has such a beautiful shot, it looks like everything he throws up should go in, and people are disproportionately disappointed when it doesn't.

Thank you for putting this in perspective and I think you are right that he has a shot that looks like it should go in every time. If he improves his shot selection, like he needs to, he could easily break all records. Fix the dumb passes.