There’s a lot of different slang within basketball, and one of the most commonly used terms is “point blank”. So what does it mean when an announcer says, “he hit the shot from point blank”?
The meaning of this is fairly straightforward and refers to making or missing a shot that is very close to the basket. So if a player is taking a layup or even a floater, the announcer will use the term “point blank” to describe how close or far away from the basket that shot was. We can describe these shots as being any shot within 5 feet of the basket, which is considered pretty close.
How Do Player End Up Getting Point Blank Shots?
Dominant Play
There are many ways to get open shots right at the rim. The first way is to be a big, dominant player like Lebron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo, who just can’t be stopped when they get to the basket.
Good Shooters
The second way, is by being a great three point shooter. An example of this is the best three point shooter in the world, Steph Curry, who gets to the basket at will due to their ability to knock down threes from all over the court. Defenses try way to hard to keep players like Steph from getting up a three point shot that they overplay and allow him to get an open “point blank” layup.
Good Off The Ball Players
Last but not least you have the players that play excellent off the ball, which allow them to get open shots in the paint. These players usually have good instinct as to when and where to cut, and make defenders play for over helping on the ball.
How Do Players Miss Point Blank Shots In Basketball?
These point blank shots are so close, it shouldn’t be a thing for players to miss them. However, this does happen here and there. Below we will go over the multiple reasons why players miss these point blank shots.
Ball Slips Out Of Their Hands
Over the span of the game, players tend to get sweaty. Therefor players miss sometimes because the ball slips out of their hand. Mistakes like these happen from time to time.
They Are Surprised They Are So Wide Open
It’s not that often that you get so wide open within a basketball game. Sometimes when players realize they are so wide open, they will rush, resulting in them missing the point blank shot.
It’s a Pressure Moment
Similar to our point above, if the time is running down and the point blank shot is to win the game, nervousness may kick in and you may overpower the shot, or rush. Resulting in a miss.
In Summary
Now that you know what point blank means in basketball, the next time you hear it while discussing basketball or watching a game you will know what it means.
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