DeMarre Carroll understands a thing or two about the unimpeachable value of the three-point shot. His accuracy from behind-the-arc is a big reason why the Toronto Raptors handed him a $60 million contract this summer. Well, that, and the defensive prowess that earned him the nickname “Junkyard Dog.”
But when Mike Budenholzer took over the Hawks and instituted a Spurs-like, space-and-pace offense, that’s precisely when Carroll went from journeyman to one of the most prized free agents of 2015. He’s now hoping that new teammate DeMar Derozan will continue to add the three-ball to his repertoire and build on a trend he’s noticed with Derozan as he’s torn up the Drew League this summer. Here’s more from a recent interview Carroll did with Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun:
“He just (needs to) continue to keep working on it,” Carroll told the Toronto Sun recently.
“(NBA three-point leader) Kyle Korver told me the three-point shot is just more repetition. The more you shoot it, the better you’ll get at it. I feel like if DeMar will keep working on it, it will eventually come,” Carroll said.
DeRozan attempted about half as many threes last season as he had the year before, but came on late, hitting 34.8% of his attempts in the second half versus just 21% earlier on).
“I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of other things he worked on in his game and he’s a dominant offensive player (already),” Carroll said. “So I think if he adds that three-point to his game it’ll take us over the top.”
DeRozan could easily follow a similar path to Carroll. Just three years ago, Carroll was averaging just 28 percent from three, the same exact percentage DeRozan shot this season. But over the past two years, Carroll’s efficiency jumped to 36 percent the following year and 39 percent last season, while his attempts from outside skyrocketed as well.
DeRozan has veered dangerously into Rudy Gay territory from a couple of years ago. He takes far too many inefficient mid-range shots and has progressively converted a lower and lower percentage of those shots over the past few seasons. If DeRozan can improve his shot selection while simultaneously getting better from downtown, he could take a major leap this season, and that’s something for which Carroll’s tutelage could prove invaluable.
(via Toronto Sun)
