Monday, November 08, 2004
Making an example
out of Curtis Stinson. An appropriate anecdote about player development in the US of A.The three-pointer in the Olympics became symbolic of the game's different directions. National teams from Argentina, Italy, Spain and Lithuania were about crisp passing, cutting, finding open three-pointers, and everybody on the floor with the ability to knock down the deep jumper.
College basketball is about Iowa State guard Curtis Stinson. He's a wonderful talent who was picked Big 12 freshman of the year last season. Stinson helped Iowa State to a 20-13 record and led an unexpected run to the NIT semifinals. Any team would want him.
Stinson shot 28.8 percent from behind the arc. In Big 12 games, he hit 21.9 percent.
It didn't used to be that way for Stinson. Growing up in the Bronx, Stinson would spend countless hours on the playground firing away from outside. As he grew up, he developed a deadly quick first step. Getting around defenders was no longer a problem, and the slash-and-drive became his game.
“I used to shoot it very, very well,” Stinson said. “But once I could start going to the basket, it was hard to stop me. It was the higher-percentage play, so I stopped shooting.”
