Thomas Bryant is letting it fly
Thomas Bryant last season established himself as one of the best young offensive centers in the league. He did this by shooting a preposterous 80 percent at the rim and by sprinkling in a stretch element by spacing the floor (34% on 3’s). This season he has replaced a good portion of these tasty rim opportunities with mid-range looks.
He is even firing up these long-twos early in the shot clock, with defenders tightly in his airspace. The results have been mixed, but the emphasis on these shots has chipped away at Bryant’s efficiency. He has gone from a top of the league-level of true shooting percentage to merely good. This is a big deal given his defensive shortcomings.
The bottom line is that in this so-called “year of development” it’s healthy to allow young guys like Bryant to expand their games. I would, however, like to see him replace some of these mid-rangers with 3’s when he returns from his stress reaction injury in his foot.