Wall Street Journal profile on Pine City, MN HS team who only shoots 3s and lay-ups

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BleedGopher

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per the Wall Street Journal:

PINE CITY, Minn.—Jake Rademacher made a mid-range jumper in a recent high-school basketball game. But as soon as the ball left his hands, even before it banked in, Rademacher knew it was a bad shot. And his team doesn’t take bad shots.

Pine City High School seeks out only the most valuable shots in basketball: from underneath the rim or beyond the 3-point line. They play as if they’re allergic to all the space in between.

On the night that Rademacher accidentally made his shot from the mid-range, Pine City attempted 64 field goals, and 62 were layups or threes. It was a remarkably ordinary game for the Dragons. Mid-range shots—the sport’s least efficient—account for only 4.2% of Pine City’s attempts. That’s lower than any NBA team or Division-I men’s college team and likely every high-school team in the nation.

“In all honesty,” said Pine City coach Kyle Allen, “that’s even higher than we want it to be.”

Pine City has become so obsessed with efficiency that its players don’t bother looking at the basket if they’re not in the paint or behind the arc. It can be jarring to watch them play this way. But it’s why this high-school team in rural Minnesota might be the future of basketball.

The understanding of how basketball shots are valued has radically shifted in recent years and upended strategy at every level of the game. It explains why the sport has evolved in favor of players who can make 3-pointers and teams built around taking advantage of high-percentage shots. It also suggests where the sport is going—except the Pine City Dragons are already there.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-basketball-team-that-never-takes-a-bad-shot-1485788165?mod=e2tws

Go Gophers!!
 

So this is what it's like to have an offensive identity.
 

I'm not going to subscribe to the WSJ to read the rest of the article, but am interested in what their record is. Anyone happen to know?
 


If the game were to really go that direction, move the 3 pt line out. Couldn't imagine a more boring game to watch.
 


Mid-range is the least efficient for the average team. Wouldn't that change if you never shoot from mid-range? The other defense will give you a lot more room and in turn defend the paint and the arc better.

There's a reason that other teams don't do this.
 

You have to look at this situationally. You have to have players with 3-point range in order to pull this off. I remember Flip Saunders getting criticized for his teams shooting mid-range jumpers, but for Terrell Brandon, the mid-range jumper was almost like a layup to him.
 





This was my exact strategy in Double Dribble on the old Nintendo back in the 80's.
 

I am kind of torn this, I think it's a cool idea...and certainly acknowledge that layups and 3's are the best shots in basketball...but I kind of feel like High School ball should still have an element of skill development to it. If Pine City has a 6'0 point guard, he's going to need a floater in his game if he's going to play in college, likewise a 6'7 or 6'8 kid is going to need some post moves and a face up jumper. If their kids aren't developing these skills in practice and getting opportunities to attempt them in games, it stunts their growth as players. I would guess very few kids from Pine City would end up playing after High School, but I do think that should at least be considered. That said, I would have much preferred playing this style as opposed to running variations of Flex for six years through Jr High and High School.
 

EG#9 said:
I am kind of torn this, I think it's a cool idea...and certainly acknowledge that layups and 3's are the best shots in basketball...but I kind of feel like High School ball should still have an element of skill development to it. If Pine City has a 6'0 point guard, he's going to need a floater in his game if he's going to play in college, likewise a 6'7 or 6'8 kid is going to need some post moves and a face up jumper. If their kids aren't developing these skills in practice and getting opportunities to attempt them in games, it stunts their growth as players. I would guess very few kids from Pine City would end up playing after High School, but I do think that should at least be considered. That said, I would have much preferred playing this style as opposed to running variations of Flex for six years through Jr High and High School.
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This is a really good point but it depends on the school?
What is the purpose of a high school coach?

Win basketball games? I'd say yes
Develop young men? I'd say yes
Create college basketball players by developing skill? I'd say yes but secondary to 1 and 2
 

EG#9 said:
I am kind of torn this, I think it's a cool idea...and certainly acknowledge that layups and 3's are the best shots in basketball...but I kind of feel like High School ball should still have an element of skill development to it. If Pine City has a 6'0 point guard, he's going to need a floater in his game if he's going to play in college, likewise a 6'7 or 6'8 kid is going to need some post moves and a face up jumper. If their kids aren't developing these skills in practice and getting opportunities to attempt them in games, it stunts their growth as players. I would guess very few kids from Pine City would end up playing after High School, but I do think that should at least be considered. That said, I would have much preferred playing this style as opposed to running variations of Flex for six years through Jr High and High School.
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I think the bolded part is the key. If I remember correctly (read it a week ago) the article says that they don't have a single player on the team taller than 6'2". So given the cards that a basketball coach is dealt in rural Minnesota, you've got to make due with what I would imagine is a pretty weak pool of talent from year to year. Guessing there's not a ton of emphasis on preparing/developing players for college basketball.
 



strategy

It sounds very interesting. And since opposing teams aren't used to defending it its probably pretty successful. If it were to catch on I could see a shot blocker in the lane and 4 guys guarding the 3pt line.



GoGophersUMN said:
Mid-range is the least efficient for the average team. Wouldn't that change if you never shoot from mid-range? The other defense will give you a lot more room and in turn defend the paint and the arc better.

There's a reason that other teams don't do this.
Click to expand...
 

Good shots are ones you make at a high percentage. That means you are open, in good shooting position and capable of making the shot. Layups aren't good shots if they get blocked. 3-pointers aren't good shots if they are air balls. Effective FG percentage plays a role, obviously (only need to make 33% of treys to yield the same points as 50% from 2, so a 20 footer is certainly a better shot than a 19 footer, everything else being equal. But if you can shoot 50% from 12-15' but only 25% from 20+' you're better off with the midrange shot.
 

EG#9 said:
I am kind of torn this, I think it's a cool idea...and certainly acknowledge that layups and 3's are the best shots in basketball...but I kind of feel like High School ball should still have an element of skill development to it. If Pine City has a 6'0 point guard, he's going to need a floater in his game if he's going to play in college, likewise a 6'7 or 6'8 kid is going to need some post moves and a face up jumper. If their kids aren't developing these skills in practice and getting opportunities to attempt them in games, it stunts their growth as players. I would guess very few kids from Pine City would end up playing after High School, but I do think that should at least be considered. That said, I would have much preferred playing this style as opposed to running variations of Flex for six years through Jr High and High School.
Click to expand...

I respectfully disagree. 6'7 and 6'8 kids with back to the basket skills are a dime a dozen. Find me a kid with that size that can shoot the 3 and you are preparing him for college. If these kids can play defense and be above average shooters, college coaches would find them. It's been widely agreed upon that the mid range game has been missing for years. Why pretend to have it?

I think this falls into the same category as the HS football team in Arkansas(?) that never punts.
 



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