One thing has always been missing from Jamie Dixon’s Pitt basketball teams in the past and that’s been the ability to shoot the ball consistently from the perimeter.
Sure there have been some snipers that have wore a Panthers uniform in the past, but never has Dixon had a team that has the potential to be as lethal as this Pitt team can be from the outside.
Through six games, all wins, Pitt is shooting the three ball at a 40.7 percent clip (44-for-108). That number also includes a program worst 0-for-11 performance in their second game of the season against Fresno State. Take that outing out of the equation and the panthers are knocking it down at a 45.3 percent clip which would make them the 12th best shooting team in the nation.
Overall Pitt is shooting 51.9 percent from the floor, but their ability to knock down shots from behind the arc at a high volume rate could make this Pitt team dangerous as they have become a very efficient offense.
“We spread the floor a little better because of our shooting,” Dixon said. “We’ve been No. 1 in the country in offensive efficiency so we haven’t been real easy to guard either.”
A big reason for Pitt’s early success has to go to the likes of Durand Johnson and Lamar Patterson, who have been lethal from behind the arc.
Johnson is shooting 40.6 percent from downtown and Patterson, who has been looking to score more often in recent games, has knocked down 46.7 percent of his attempts.
In addition to Johnson and Patterson, seven different Pitt players have already knocked down three-point shots on the season.
Pitt’s impressive performance behind the arc also takes into consideration that starting shooting guard Cameron Wright has made only 28.6 percent of his attempts and starting point guard James Robinson has drained only 36.4. Those are number that could increase as the season progresses and if they do, this Pitt team could become a very good shooting club.
However while it is true that the Pitt shooters are knocking down shots, a lot of the credit has to go to the Panthers’ point guards.
Robinson and Josh Newkirk have a great ability to penetrate and have the awareness to know where the shooters are at on the floor.
“We have a lot of great perimeter players and we have great guards who can penetrate, get in the lanes and find our shooters,” said Wright. “We have to give credit to our big men also who cause double teams and are able to pass out of traps. We just have great players and we are all unselfish and we make big plays for each other.”
It’s early in the season and this Pitt team has yet to face legitimate tough competition so it’s too early to crown this offense as a great one.
Having said that though, all the pieces are in place for this Pitt offense to be one of the best the panthers have had in Dixon’s tenure.
If they can keep shooting the ball this well from the perimeter, this Panthers team could be a surprise in the ACC.
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