UNC Basketball: Tar Heels PJ Hairston Needs Better Shot Selection
By Matt Hamm
I want to start off by stating the obvious if I may. PJ Hairston has an absolutely sweet, sweet jumper. One day, he may be the best shooter the UNC Tar Heels have had since the great Wayne Ellington. I’ll go even further, this kids jump shot is so nice, he could become the best shooter in all of college basketball, one day. But for now, dude needs to slow his roll. He’s more than a great shooter, we’re not talking about Steve Kerr here.
Hairston is a very good ball handler who can create for himself and get to the rim. He also has a ton of athleticism and I’m tired of watching him live at the three point line. In transition, he’s got the potential to kill people with his out of no-where up’s. Hairston just seems to bounce off the floor and when he does, he gets up high and isn’t afraid to take it right at a defender. It’s almost like he needs to be forced into situations where he needs to take it to the basket or finish at the rim. I cannot recall any situations where he chose to take it 1 on 1. All or at least a large portion of his inside opportunities have come in transition or when Kendall Marshall finds him open.
PJ’s remedy after the jump
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PJ needs to start throwing a ball fake and driving hard to the cup and using more of his skills than just that jump shot. Don’t get me wrong, the team needs Hairston to knock down some three’s and be a big time shooter. I’m sure it’s a huge reason why Roy Williams recruited him in the first place. College is the place where athletes usually become basketball players. Hairstons case is unique that he’s more of a basketball player than an athlete. But what Roy needs to make him understand is that he is absolutely a big time athletic machine. Most of the time when players settle for the jumper it’s one of a couple things.
Player is overly confident in his jumper or player either cannot or doesn’t believe he can take it to the rim. Again, Hairston’s case is unique because he’s both of those “problems”. In reality, they aren’t problems at all. Hairston has a great jumper and he’s finishing when he has to finish at the rim. Molding a player like this has to be a coaches dream. Harrison Barnes became a much more efficient player this season after shooting too many jumpers and three pointers as a freshman. But Barnes didn’t have the ball handling skills Hairston does and he might not have the jumper. Barnes, a five star, pre season All-American, NBA Mock Draft lottery pick superstar is just more polished overall.
Measured in short bursts, Hairston is one of the top ball handlers UNC has. He moves without the ball almost as well as any player on the team. He’s excellent in transition, he’s one of the few that hits his free throws. He can get up with the best of them, including Barnes and Henson if you look at true vertical. Right now, we’re looking at a puppy version of what PJ Hairston can really be. With Dexter Strickland’s injury, Hairston has a great opportunity to become the sixth man of this team. Anybody remember a young man named Danny Green becoming a star in that role? Don’t look now, a few small improvements and more intensity and confidence in PJ Hairston’s game. And Roy Williams might just have himself a trick up his sleeve come March.
Keep It Heel!
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