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Free throws or 3-pointers? Which are more important to a team’s success? We asked a few coaches and here’s what they had to say.
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Free throws or 3-pointers? Which are more important to a team’s success? We asked a few coaches and here’s what they had to say.
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Steve Scull
Antietam Boys Basketball
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“While 3's are certainly nice to have, I believe free throws are more important to a team's success. It is always your goal as a team to get to the foul line more often than your opponent and outscore them there. Oftentimes, if you’re getting there more, it means you are breaking down your opponent's defense with dribble penetration, running your offense efficiently, and taking high-percentage shots. The teams that get there more are usually also more sound defensively; they are not picking up the cheap fouls that add up and put their opponent in the bonus early and often. Not to mention how critical free throws are at the end of a tight game, to seal a victory.”
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Scott Heiter
Kutztown Boys Basketball
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“I feel three-pointers are a valuable weapon, giving a team the ability to get back in a game and also giving a team the opportunity to open up a lead during the course of a game. But if we define success as playing in February and March or winning close games, there will certainly be nights where the ability to convert free throws often determines the actual outcome of the game. Many times the last minute or two comes down to who takes care of the ball the best, and the game becomes a foul-shooting contest.”
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Barbara Dancy
Reading High Girls Basketball
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“In regards to the three-point shot, it really depends on whether your offense is geared towards living and/or dying by the 3 and whether or not that is your team’s style of play. However, foul shooting is key because not only is it essential at times in relation to wins and losses, but it also places the other team at a disadvantage. If a team can be successful from the free-throw line, where do you go to slow or stop a game? The other piece to receiving free throws is that the other team's players are receiving those fouls.”
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Bryan Bossler
Daniel Boone Girls Basketball
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“The three-point line has revolutionized the game. It can bring your team back in a hurry or shoot your team right out of the game. But I still believe it comes down to whether or not your team can make free throws. When your team needs to finalize a game and show the true test of character--can they step to the line and stick them?”
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