The Last Shot

I think the idea of "who takes the last shot" is overblown. Who should take it? The guy who's open and has the best shot to make it. That's who.

Ideally, you want your superstar to take the big
shot, but you have to realize he can't always do it.

Recently in the playoffs, teams have been ripped for not letting a superstar like Kobe Bryant or LeBron James shoot the ball. Obviously, you'd love for your star to take the big shot. That opportunity isn't always there, however.  I don't think it's ridiculous to let another player shoot if he has a good look.

The Lakers were ripped when Steve Blake was wide open for a three at the end of Game 2 against the Thunder. Yes, he missed. But is a WIDE OPEN Steve Blake three really a worse shot than Kobe being double teamed? I don't think so.

By the way, what happened when Kobe got the ball with a chance to tie Game 4 in the closing seconds? He missed, too. Nothing is automatic, not even a superstar like Kobe.

LeBron James was ripped for passing to Mario Chalmers in Game 2 against Indiana. Letting Chalmers take a big shot is a terrible idea? I don't think so, not when he's open. Ask the Memphis Tigers. 

Sure, it would be great for James to get a good look and take it, but James is just as great creating for others as he is creating for himself. So, if a Chalmers three or a Wade jumper is wide open because James is double teamed, you have to consider that.

No one ripped Phil Jackson when he drew up something for Robert Horry. Or Derek Fisher. Did anyone blast Michael Jordan for letting John Paxson take a game-winning three against the Suns in the 1993 Finals? No. Why? Because he made it. Like Blake and Chalmers, he had a good look and it was a good play. He just made it. That's all.

As the Elliot Carver, the main villain in Tomorrow Never Dies, said, the distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success. In other words, we are ultimately judged on whether or not our decisions work. If Blake and Chalmers hit those shots, no one is complaining. But they missed. That's the way it goes. I'm not saying always go to your third or fourth options in the clutch. I'm saying don't be a slave to Plan A. It's not always there. So, if a team has to go to Plan B and it doesn't work, chill out. Sometimes, Plan B works just fine.