Swanigan the Sniper

[FirstDownB]

When interviewed recently, Biggie recently told the interviewer that he believed he was the best shooter on the team. The interviewer laughed, but Biggie stuck to his guns.

In Purdue's 7 "biggest" wins this season, here are Biggie's 3 point shooting numbers:

Iowa State: 3/6 (50%)
Vermont: 1/3 (33%)
Notre Dame: 1/2 (50%)
@MSU: 3/4 (75%)
@Maryland: 3/6 (50%)
Wisconsin: 2/2 (100%)
@Northwestern: 1/3 (33%)

For the entire season he is shooting .432 from 3, which is second on a team of very good shooters. He will be the third best 3-point shooter by percentage on the floor (for either team) on Thursday night against Kansas, well ahead of Kansas guard and 3 point specialist Devonte Graham who has attempted 227 shots on the season. For all the complaints about Biggie shooting the 3 ball, he has attempted only 81 all season. He is selective and when left open he is deadly.

So, please, let's put to bed the complaining every single time he shoots a 3. That 'feeling' you get is completely unsupported by statistics. Maybe Biggie's game does not fit your preconceived notion of what it should be. That's ok. Just accept it. His sniping is a part of the plan and big part of this team's success.

 

[TopSecretBoiler]

LOL who is complaining? Old man yells at cloud...

 

[FirstDownB]

LOL who is complaining? Old man yells at cloud...

I'm not into calling people out individually, but it has been an ongoing complaint all year, every single game. Both online and offline.

 

[njm8845]

LOL who is complaining? Old man yells at cloud...

I complained last year, when his percentage was poor.

I haven't heard anyone complain this year.

 

[boilernuke]

I'm not into calling people out individually, but it has been an ongoing complaint all year, every single game. Both online and offline.

Last year, yes. This year, not so much.

 

[FirstDownB]

If this doesn't apply to you then terrific! You are also probably more plugged in than 90% of fans just by being here. I've heard 2 different people this morning complaining about this very thing.

And, yes, I realize this message will not reach those people..

 

[TopSecretBoiler]

Biggie is playing about as well as a person can expect. We are riding his train to wherever his tracks take us. Boiler Up and enjoy the ride. We can go toe to toe (or size 22) with anyone.

 

[FirstDownB]

It's not just fans, either. It is also the "experts" on TV who should know better. Whenever Biggie misses his first outside shot, there is an obligatory mention that Purdue's opponent "would love to see him settle for that shot". But when he makes it its "well, he does have that shot in his arsenal". Just annoying and lazy. Ok, end of rant.

 

[Boilermaker]

It's not just fans, either. It is also the "experts" on TV who should know better. Whenever Biggie misses his first outside shot, there is an obligatory mention that Purdue's opponent "would love to see him settle for that shot". But when he makes it its "well, he does have that shot in his arsenal". Just annoying and lazy. Ok, end of rant.

The complaints I have heard usually qualify it with Biggie is more effective down low due to spacing, rebounding, drawing fouls, etc. There is some truth to that, but his 3 pt effectiveness is undeniable. I'd rather he be just the way he is than not take 3 pt shots.

 

[PurdueGator]

I would like to know what his % is when he is the option at the top of the key on the delayed break. That is when he is at his best.

 

[Dakota Girl]

I would like to know what his % is when he is the option at the top of the key on the delayed break. That is when he is at his best.

His three point percentage by situation was a graphic in the ISU game broadcast if I recall. if you recorded the game, it's in there.

 

[New Pal Boiler]

When interviewed recently, Biggie recently told the interviewer that he believed he was the best shooter on the team. The interviewer laughed, but Biggie stuck to his guns.

In Purdue's 7 "biggest" wins this season, here are Biggie's 3 point shooting numbers:

Iowa State: 3/6 (50%)
Vermont: 1/3 (33%)
Notre Dame: 1/2 (50%)
@MSU: 3/4 (75%)
@Maryland: 3/6 (50%)
Wisconsin: 2/2 (100%)
@Northwestern: 1/3 (33%)

For the entire season he is shooting .432 from 3, which is second on a team of very good shooters. He will be the third best 3-point shooter by percentage on the floor (for either team) on Thursday night against Kansas, well ahead of Kansas guard and 3 point specialist Devonte Graham who has attempted 227 shots on the season. For all the complaints about Biggie shooting the 3 ball, he has attempted only 81 all season. He is selective and when left open he is deadly.

So, please, let's put to bed the complaining every single time he shoots a 3. That 'feeling' you get is completely unsupported by statistics. Maybe Biggie's game does not fit your preconceived notion of what it should be. That's ok. Just accept it. His sniping is a part of the plan and big part of this team's success.

I agree. And it allows Isaac or Vince more space to post up.

 

[lbodel]

When interviewed recently, Biggie recently told the interviewer that he believed he was the best shooter on the team. The interviewer laughed, but Biggie stuck to his guns.

In Purdue's 7 "biggest" wins this season, here are Biggie's 3 point shooting numbers:

Iowa State: 3/6 (50%)
Vermont: 1/3 (33%)
Notre Dame: 1/2 (50%)
@MSU: 3/4 (75%)
@Maryland: 3/6 (50%)
Wisconsin: 2/2 (100%)
@Northwestern: 1/3 (33%)

For the entire season he is shooting .432 from 3, which is second on a team of very good shooters. He will be the third best 3-point shooter by percentage on the floor (for either team) on Thursday night against Kansas, well ahead of Kansas guard and 3 point specialist Devonte Graham who has attempted 227 shots on the season. For all the complaints about Biggie shooting the 3 ball, he has attempted only 81 all season. He is selective and when left open he is deadly.

So, please, let's put to bed the complaining every single time he shoots a 3. That 'feeling' you get is completely unsupported by statistics. Maybe Biggie's game does not fit your preconceived notion of what it should be. That's ok. Just accept it. His sniping is a part of the plan and big part of this team's success.

I don't mind good shots, he's definitely made some poor decisions (usually early in a possession) that aren't the greatest decision. He's fully free to attempt a couple a game, I don't care.

That being said, and I think you have to look a lot deeper into stats than I have the mind for (and I'm certainly not a basketball coach)...and this isn't about Swanigan as a person because I think this could apply to our entire team. But you have to find that sweet spot on the right number of 3s because even if you shoot great from 3, it's a lower percentage shot as a whole.

For example, I'll use the first half of the Iowa State game where shot the 3 ball well.

Purdue was 6/15 from 3....40%. That's 1.2 points per possession.

Purdue was 11/15 from 2....73%. That's 1.47 points per possession.

So if you take away all of our 15 3s that we scored 18 points on, if all of those were 2 point attempts - that would have been 22 points.... +4 points.

That being said, and this is where the coaching aspect of things come into play that I am not, is where that sweet spot lies. Obviously if you don't attempt a single 3 point shot, defenses will adjust and make it harder to get 2 point looks.

Looking at Swanigan specifically, he's shooting 43% from 3 - with limited attempts for sure. He's shooting 55% from 2.

Those attempts led to 105 points, whereas if all of those 3s were 2s instead, he would have scored fewer total points, even with a 10%+ difference in shooting percentage.

That being said, the flip of that is that because of the limited attempts over the season, he's starting to shoot it a bit more later in the season.

So yeah, I think him shooting 2-3 times a game is fine. The question is, and this is for our entire team, is when you are being efficient with it. I think we have done a good job of keeping those numbers fairly efficient for the most part (without looking at each game individually).

 

[New Pal Boiler]

I don't mind good shots, he's definitely made some poor decisions (usually early in a possession) that aren't the greatest decision. He's fully free to attempt a couple a game, I don't care.

That being said, and I think you have to look a lot deeper into stats than I have the mind for (and I'm certainly not a basketball coach)...and this isn't about Swanigan as a person because I think this could apply to our entire team. But you have to find that sweet spot on the right number of 3s because even if you shoot great from 3, it's a lower percentage shot as a whole.

For example, I'll use the first half of the Iowa State game where shot the 3 ball well.

Purdue was 6/15 from 3....40%. That's 1.2 points per possession.

Purdue was 11/15 from 2....73%. That's 1.47 points per possession.

So if you take away all of our 15 3s that we scored 18 points on, if all of those were 2 point attempts - that would have been 22 points.... +4 points.

That being said, and this is where the coaching aspect of things come into play that I am not, is where that sweet spot lies. Obviously if you don't attempt a single 3 point shot, defenses will adjust and make it harder to get 2 point looks.

Looking at Swanigan specifically, he's shooting 43% from 3 - with limited attempts for sure. He's shooting 55% from 2.

Those attempts led to 105 points, whereas if all of those 3s were 2s instead, he would have scored fewer total points, even with a 10%+ difference in shooting percentage.

That being said, the flip of that is that because of the limited attempts over the season, he's starting to shoot it a bit more later in the season.

So yeah, I think him shooting 2-3 times a game is fine. The question is, and this is for our entire team, is when you are being efficient with it. I think we have done a good job of keeping those numbers fairly efficient for the most part (without looking at each game individually).

So, if Swanigan shoots 100 2s and 100 3s, he would score 129 points on the 3s and 110 points on the 2s.

But you have to balance that with the fouls you aren't drawing when you shoot 3s. Not just fouling guys out, but also forcing them to play less aggressively when they get in foul trouble.

 

[Boilermaker]

So, if Swanigan shoots 100 2s and 100 3s, he would score 129 points on the 3s and 110 points on the 2s.

But you have to balance that with the fouls you aren't drawing when you shoot 3s. Not just fouling guys out, but also forcing them to play less aggressively when they get in foul trouble.

And the aforementioned spacing out the defense by keeping them honest around the 3 pt line, which makes 2 pointers easier.

 

[BoilerDaddy]

So, if Swanigan shoots 100 2s and 100 3s, he would score 129 points on the 3s and 110 points on the 2s.

But you have to balance that with the fouls you aren't drawing when you shoot 3s. Not just fouling guys out, but also forcing them to play less aggressively when they get in foul trouble.

I agree, but there are other factors as well, such as the relatively high number of turnovers when feeding the post.

Overall, I think that Swanigan's ability to hurt the other team in many ways is what makes Purdue hard to guard. He's terrific in the high post with his passing, his three point shooting opens up driving lanes, and his kick-outs from the low post lead to open threes for his teammates.

 

[FirstDownB]

I don't mind good shots, he's definitely made some poor decisions (usually early in a possession) that aren't the greatest decision. He's fully free to attempt a couple a game, I don't care.

That being said, and I think you have to look a lot deeper into stats than I have the mind for (and I'm certainly not a basketball coach)...and this isn't about Swanigan as a person because I think this could apply to our entire team. But you have to find that sweet spot on the right number of 3s because even if you shoot great from 3, it's a lower percentage shot as a whole.

For example, I'll use the first half of the Iowa State game where shot the 3 ball well.

Purdue was 6/15 from 3....40%. That's 1.2 points per possession.

Purdue was 11/15 from 2....73%. That's 1.47 points per possession.

So if you take away all of our 15 3s that we scored 18 points on, if all of those were 2 point attempts - that would have been 22 points.... +4 points.

That being said, and this is where the coaching aspect of things come into play that I am not, is where that sweet spot lies. Obviously if you don't attempt a single 3 point shot, defenses will adjust and make it harder to get 2 point looks.

Looking at Swanigan specifically, he's shooting 43% from 3 - with limited attempts for sure. He's shooting 55% from 2.

Those attempts led to 105 points, whereas if all of those 3s were 2s instead, he would have scored fewer total points, even with a 10%+ difference in shooting percentage.

That being said, the flip of that is that because of the limited attempts over the season, he's starting to shoot it a bit more later in the season.

So yeah, I think him shooting 2-3 times a game is fine. The question is, and this is for our entire team, is when you are being efficient with it. I think we have done a good job of keeping those numbers fairly efficient for the most part (without looking at each game individually).

Yeah I guess that's the whole point. Based on the stats I presented he is pretty consistently finding that sweet spot and it has been an important part of our big wins. Yet some people still hold their breath like it's Shaq out there chucking threes.