5 Reasons the Blazers Should Draft Shabazz Muhammad
By David MacKay
Dec 18, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard/forward Shabazz Muhammad (15) takes a free throw in the second half of the game against the Long Beach State 49ers at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA won 89-70. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
5) Free Throws
Now, Muhammad is far from prolific in this department. He only shot 71.1% in college. BUT, and this is a big but, he was able to consistently get to the line, averaging nearly 6 attempts per game. I cannot count how many times last season I saw the Blazers hesitate to drive, settling for ill advised threes when the shot clock reached 2 or 3. It muddles their pacing, extends scoring droughts, and lets opponents escape the penalty longer than they should. Muhammad’s ability to draw the contact is an essential quality for the Blazers; especially when games start to slip from their fingers.