Archie is Staying Away from the 3-Point Line
[caption id="attachment_127230" align="aligncenter" width="500"]
I don't mind it if he's making plays like this.[/caption]
When UK wins by 10 at home and they make six 3-pointers, there shouldn't be much room for criticism correct? OK I'm not going to criticize Archie, but it has to be said, Why has Archie Goodwin only hit one 3-pointer in SEC play? Caught you off guard didn't it? I had no idea that this was even a thing until I became curious the other day; most of my attention was focused on Archie's passing rather than his shooting.
Archie came to UK heralded as a great scorer, but he obviously has had some early struggles playing in the limelight. However Archie is taking baby steps towards consistently scoring. He used to run at the rim and throw up some junk, hoping the ref would bail him out with a foul. When the whistle was actually blown, the result was often a missed foul shot. Archie now is beginning to hit his free throws (12-14 at Ole Miss) and is attacking the basket with some control, which in turn has helped him become a better passer.
What concerns me most with Archie's 3 point stats, is that he doesn't even take them anymore. Most games (including yesterdays), he tries a 3, then never goes back. You can look at this two ways: 1. At least he isn't missing a ton of shots. 2. If he isn't taking them, his confidence in his outside shot is obviously very low. Whether you like it or not, Archie Goodwin needs to put points on the board in order for Kentucky to succeed. If he doesn't believe that his shots will go in now, then he will not believe in himself, or be able to hit the big shots in crunch time (see Russ Smith).
Uncle Julius and Kyle Wiltjer have been successful from trey-land thus far, mitigating Archie's absence from downtown. Technically the Cats don't NEED Archie to play big from long-range, but they cannot have a SHOOTING Guard that is afraid to shoot an open shot.
I don't mind it if he's making plays like this.[/caption]
When UK wins by 10 at home and they make six 3-pointers, there shouldn't be much room for criticism correct? OK I'm not going to criticize Archie, but it has to be said, Why has Archie Goodwin only hit one 3-pointer in SEC play? Caught you off guard didn't it? I had no idea that this was even a thing until I became curious the other day; most of my attention was focused on Archie's passing rather than his shooting.
Archie came to UK heralded as a great scorer, but he obviously has had some early struggles playing in the limelight. However Archie is taking baby steps towards consistently scoring. He used to run at the rim and throw up some junk, hoping the ref would bail him out with a foul. When the whistle was actually blown, the result was often a missed foul shot. Archie now is beginning to hit his free throws (12-14 at Ole Miss) and is attacking the basket with some control, which in turn has helped him become a better passer.
What concerns me most with Archie's 3 point stats, is that he doesn't even take them anymore. Most games (including yesterdays), he tries a 3, then never goes back. You can look at this two ways: 1. At least he isn't missing a ton of shots. 2. If he isn't taking them, his confidence in his outside shot is obviously very low. Whether you like it or not, Archie Goodwin needs to put points on the board in order for Kentucky to succeed. If he doesn't believe that his shots will go in now, then he will not believe in himself, or be able to hit the big shots in crunch time (see Russ Smith).
Uncle Julius and Kyle Wiltjer have been successful from trey-land thus far, mitigating Archie's absence from downtown. Technically the Cats don't NEED Archie to play big from long-range, but they cannot have a SHOOTING Guard that is afraid to shoot an open shot.
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