2008 Woodie Awards
O'Neal, Kidd Trades Did Not Work Out
NBA
Joe Colombo
Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: Sports
So this is my last column. Actually, all the PGA and NBA columns I have written for the past three semesters aren't even supposed to be my columns. If there's no picture of the sports writer above the column text, then it's not a personal column (The Daily Campus has never taken my photo - seeing my mug on the page would cut readership in half, anyway). Yet, I've written each column for The Daily Campus as if they were personal. It's how I feel I get my opinion across the best, and that's what columns do: they provide a gateway for a writer to express opinion. My only restriction is that it must be about the sport I'm assigned. And it's great.
With that being said, I could use this last opportunity to express myself to reveal my NBA champion, but it's still a little bit early considering the quarterfinals are still in progress. On another note, I figured a nice way to end my NBA columnist stint and days at The Daily Campus would be to talk about a couple of different things about the sport where "amazing" happens.
First, we have Shaquille O'Neal. He stinks. Well, not really. But the man can't shoot free throws.
I don't understand how he can have an M.B.A., be a volunteer police officer, and be one of the NBA's greatest players ever, yet still be shooting 52.4 percent from the free-throw line in his career.
In the 2007-2008 season, O'Neal shot just above 50 percent with the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns. What was his field goal percentage, you ask? It's around 60 percent. Given nearly all of his field goal attempts are dunks or from inside six feet from the basket, a player still should never be a better shooter from the field than from the line.
In six of his 16 seasons in the league, he has shot below 50 percent from the line. Four of those seven were consecutive - 2003-2004 through 2006-2007. Yeah, we know it must be hard to hold a basketball for O'Neal because he has hands bigger than most people's heads. But if O'Neal practiced more, there's no reason why he can't be a 60 percent to 70 percent free throw shooter.
With that being said, I could use this last opportunity to express myself to reveal my NBA champion, but it's still a little bit early considering the quarterfinals are still in progress. On another note, I figured a nice way to end my NBA columnist stint and days at The Daily Campus would be to talk about a couple of different things about the sport where "amazing" happens.
First, we have Shaquille O'Neal. He stinks. Well, not really. But the man can't shoot free throws.
I don't understand how he can have an M.B.A., be a volunteer police officer, and be one of the NBA's greatest players ever, yet still be shooting 52.4 percent from the free-throw line in his career.
In the 2007-2008 season, O'Neal shot just above 50 percent with the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns. What was his field goal percentage, you ask? It's around 60 percent. Given nearly all of his field goal attempts are dunks or from inside six feet from the basket, a player still should never be a better shooter from the field than from the line.
In six of his 16 seasons in the league, he has shot below 50 percent from the line. Four of those seven were consecutive - 2003-2004 through 2006-2007. Yeah, we know it must be hard to hold a basketball for O'Neal because he has hands bigger than most people's heads. But if O'Neal practiced more, there's no reason why he can't be a 60 percent to 70 percent free throw shooter.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Bro
posted 5/01/08 @ 12:17 PM EST
An extremely well played tenure at UCONN--whatever network or agnecy wraps you up has acquired a gem
But the Lakers are going to beat the Spurs, then beat the Celts in 7
UnrivaledShogun
posted 5/01/08 @ 5:16 PM EST
Mark Cuban is like a spoiled kid with a lot of money. He was so desperate for a championship that he was willing to trade half of his team to aquire an old veteran. (Continued…)
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