In the last installment of The Specialists we took a look at a few players to target if you're in need of blocks, steals and three-pointers. I'm sure we'll return to those categories at some point in the near future, but for now this post is going to focus on the free-throw. Not just FT%, but also free-throws made.There are currently four players in the league who attempt more than 10 free-throws per game -- Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and LeBron James. You can argue that Dwight Howard's 57.6 FT% on 10.3 attempts is his Achilles' heel, while in contrast Carmelo Anthony, the 3rd overall player in standard formats, is elevated by his 86.0 FT% on 10.5 attempts. His ability to hit 10-plus foul shots at such a high rate lightens the burden of having Emeka Okafor and his 49.0 FT% on 3.3 attempts. Combined, Okafor and Anthony post a 76.2 FT%. By contrast, having Steve Nash and his 93.6 FT% on 3.4 attempts coupled with Okafor brings their combined free-throw rate to just 70.8-percent. But you're not going to find many bulk free-throw shooters who hit 85-percent from the line on the wires. So think about mixing quantity with quality at this point.
Free-Throw Percentage
Randy Foye is hitting 95.9-percent of his free-throws on just 1.9 attempts, but we have seen him get to the line more frequently, attempting 3.9 per game last season. Sure he's in a different situation in Washington, but with Mike Miller out for a month or more, Foye stepped in and hit 6-of-6 attempts in his first game as Miller's replacement. If he can get to the line 3-to-5 times per game, as the league leader in FT% he could help immensely.
Darren Collison is hitting 93.3-percent of his free-throws on 2.7 attempts in New Orleans. Now, however, in his new role as the starting point guard Collison is attempting 3.6 per game, hitting 94.4-percent. Over his last three games he's attempted 5.3 free-throws, hitting all but one attempt. Until Chris Paul returns, Collison could be a nice add in the FT% category.
Carl Landry has a nice touch from the line hitting 88.9-percent on 3.9 attempts per game. Not bad for a power forward. Landry has made 15-of-16 attempts over his last three games, and it hasn't only been his free-throw shooting that has him jumping off the wires.
Chris Douglas-Roberts is the hottest name in free agency. All talk has been about scoring, but with the 5.1 free-throw attempts he's taking this season, hitting 88.2-percent of those attempts, CDR has proven to be great value from the line. I'm less concerned about the return of Courtney Lee as others may be, but it is a fair point since we haven't seen a healthy New Jersey team since October 30. And even now, it won't look like the early makeup of the Nets as they've since lost Yi Jianlian. I'm adding Douglas-Roberts for plenty of reasons, including his above-average free-throw shooting.
Courtney Lee is coming back this week. Prior to his injury, he was taking 4.8 attempts, making 86.2-percent of them. Again, we'll have to see how the touches are distributed when Lee returns, but I suspect that he'll hit his stride and continue to progress as one of the young core pieces of the Nets future. What I'm trying to say is, he'll shoot and shoot often
.C.J. Watson is close to returning from the dreaded swine flu. Before the cold sweats came, he was hot -- define hot... -- from the line hitting all three of his attempts. I know, it was just three attempts, but given the way Don Nelson flips his rotation, Watson could return and play a semi-significant role for the Warriors. Last season, Watson attempted 2.5 free-throws per game hitting 87.5-percent of those shots. He's not an instant add, but Watson could be a guy to look at down the line.
Free Throws Made
Dahntay Jones has been a fantasy contributor across the board, but his 5.2 FTM makes him a prime target in this format. Jones' versatility helps to ease the worry about playing time once the Pacers start to fill out their roster with a healthy 15 players. Jones is hitting 78.1-percent of his attempts, which isn't bad by any means, but while we're looking for bulk here all that matters is that he continues to get to the line. If you've watched him play this season, I'm sure you're with me in finding it hard to believe that he'll remain anything but aggressive going forward.
Corey Maggette loves having the ball in his hand. And no one has ever questioned whether or not he's going to maximize his time out on the court. As of now he's hitting 4.8 free-throws on 6.3 attempts -- good for 76.3-percent shooting. Considering that Maggette's minutes are down this season, he's still getting to the line 6.3 times in 24 minutes. Though over the past three games, his minutes have gone over 30 per game, resulting in 7.0 FTA in that span. The Warriors continue to play shorthanded, so look for Maggette to approach the 7.5-8.0 attempts per game mark, hitting about 6.0-6.5 per game. You won't find a much better bulk free-throw shooter on the wires.
Al Thornton is hitting 3.5 free-throws per game, making 76.5-percent of his attempts. But if you're paying attention to the Clippers -- I'm sorry -- then you know that Thornton has stepped up his game, averaging 21.8 points over the last five and making 5.8 free-throws per game in that span. Not only is he an add from a scoring standpoint, but he's one of the top adds for free-throws made.
