By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Following USA’s loss to France in the Olympic Games opener and the team finishing with a mere 36.2 percent on field goal attempts (25 – 69 overall including 10 – 32 3-pointers) even more questions were raised as to what causes this kind of shooting pains.
How can such super-elite scorers like Kevin Durant or Damian Lillard struggle at what they are masters of? One former NBA veteran believes that a big reason is the type of FIBA ball that these players aren’t’ familiar with.
“It’s a HUGE deal,” Raja Bell, an NBA player from 2000 to 2013 and a two-time All-Defensive Team member, said to CBS (before USA’s 120-66 bounce-back win over Iran) on the FIBA ball. “I’ve always said that FIBA balls affected my shot and other NBA players’ shots tremendously. I HATE that ball!”
NBA players like Luka Doncic (he had a historic 48-point game in a win over Argentina in his Olympics debut) or Evan Fournier (he torched Team USA with 28 points) didn’t seem to have any trouble delivering buckets with the exact same ball. But it can be argued that they had already played with it in prior international tournaments and are somewhat more used to its feel and touch.
One can’t say the same for the vast majority of Team USA players.
“It’s lighter, feels smaller, different texture,” Bell added. “I mean, when the art of shooting is based on muscle memory, and you change all the factors except the rim size and height, it’s going to be difficult.”
Regardless of how accustomed NBA players are to using the FIBA ball or not, USA had a much improved shooting day against Iran with 19-39 3-pointers en route to a blowout victory.
With the same kind of ball.
Photo: FIBA Basketball