(01-03-2020, 12:07 PM)Thukydides Wrote: I said it in another thread. I identify two triggers, that make Luka shoot those threes: 1) He feels, he´s hot. 2) He is gassed.
You're missing a third trigger that, when capitalized upon, I back completely.
Luka uses the 3 off the dribble as a viable weapon that opens up his driving game. If the defender sags too far or hedges in other ways to defend the drive, Luka shoots the 3. He scores at a decent clip on that shot and so it brings the defender back up on him on subsequent possessions so that Luka can blow him and get into the lane.
When Luka shoots the 3 off the dribble when triggered by a sagging or hedging defender it is absolutely the right play.
Fans are kind of double minded about this. We criticize Ben Simmons for his inability to punish sagging defenders and then call Luka's 3s off the dribble "hero ball".
This forum historically has mistakenly criticized Barea for the same thing. The best pnr ball handlers make this read and punish defenders for sagging and hedging, and end up with more opportunities to drive because if it.