Can you get your shot?

In his book Dark Witness Ralph Wiley recalled a time he took his son to a Bullets/76ers game. In doing so Wiley relayed a conversation about NBA players getting their shots. I could be way off on this one, but upon reading it I thought Wiley was being was both figurative and literal. With the former Wiley was trying to make the point that people such as his son need to get opportunities and then take advantage of them. In the case of the latter Wiley was stressing how important it is for a player to make his shots if he expects to last in the NBA. That brings me to this post, which I have been meaning to write for about two weeks now. Thankfully Ray Allen's recent buzzer beater finally pushed me over the edge and gave me some video to back up my point. So let's go to the clip, which I have posted below.

Eddie House tips the inbounds pass up in the air, Paul Pierce grabs it and throws it to Ray Allen, game over. Watch the clip again. Before Pierce even has the ability to make a pass Allen is moving to an open spot on the floor that just happens to line up perfectly with The Truth's line of vision. Coincidence? I think not. I bring this up because Allen does that all the time. And by that I mean he constantly moves without the ball into positions on the floor where he can make the defense pay. Eddie House does it too. Now watch the Gerald Green highlight clip below.

You should know that I am a sucker for the following:

1. freeTA42 YouTube clips.
   
2. YouTube clips that are made to prove a point about a player that an expert has previously criticized. Never mind that they are generally glorified highlight films. You may recall some fantastic Merill Hoge/Vince Young YouTube efforts from about a year ago such as this one. Take that NFL. Of course Young is now struggling mightily. Also I hope my inclusion of the Gerald Green mix does not offend Rick Kamla. You're the man Rick!
   
3. Gerald Green's jump shot.

However, even I can admit that Green spent a lot of his time with the Celtics sitting on the bench or drifting on the court. It has been even more noticeable with Green exiled in Minnesota and House and Allen constantly working to get great looks. But here's the question. Is moving without the ball something that can be taught or learned? I would say yes as long as a player is willing to learn. Although there may be different ceilings for players as some guys never develop a basketball IQ. But back to Gerald Green. Will his game eventually mature to the point that he will unleash his beautiful shot on a consistent basis and fill up the stat sheet? Or will Green end up on the And1 tour and spend the rest of his basketball playing days dunking? I honestly don't know. Right now he is averaging 3.6 points in just under ten minutes per game. Not good. And obviously Green has other flaws in his game. Defense comes to mind. However, as important as defense is in the NBA, there is always a place for a guy who can get his shot and make it.  Ultimately Green would probably learn a lot more from Allen and House than he will from Antoine Walker and company. Regardless I wish him the best. But for now Celtics fans should enjoy watching House, and more importantly Allen getting their shots. I am.