The Zion Problem

Infoman said

Not if you don't attempt any they don't... The percentage don't matter as much as the threat.... Hell - take a couple pull up 10 foot jumpers for christs sake... anything to vary your game and make a defense not know with 100% certainty what's exactly coming...

If Zion makes 11 shots in a game on 18 attempts... it's going to be 24 points... If SGA makes 11 shots on 18 attempts in the same game... It's going to be 34 points... this is just math, and we are doing old math that no longer works...

Time to move on...

Click to expand...

That’s where we fundamentally disagree. I think the percentages do matter when teams consider the threat. NBA teams are not going to alter their coverages and game plan because a player (who is a top-tier inside scorer) shoots 20% from 3, especially at low volume.

I also think the math is a lot closer than you think between SGA’s and Zion’s points per shot attempts. Over the past 5 seasons (beginning of Zion’s career and SGA’s 2nd year with OKC), Zion actually averages more points per shot attempt than SGA. This season, Zion is averaging the same points per shot attempt as Trey Murphy, who takes 8.4 threes per game on 36%.
*stats from cleaning the glass.com)*

SGA does average more PPSA this season, but even still, it’s a number Zion has surpassed twice in his career.

I understand what you’re saying, but I disagree that the math is ridiculously out of our favor (especially if Zion actually got the foul calls he should) or that there’s no way to build around a player like Zion. We just see it differently.

That being said, questions about his injury history are hard to argue against.