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Shoot, It Don't Come Easy in the NBA

Damo Rudez can shoot a basketball, although for now we'll have to take other peoples' word for it. Well, their word and all those numbers in his statistical record.

He hit 44 percent of his 3-pointers last season over 36 games with Zaragoza, a Spanish team, and hit 52 percent of them in 16 Eurocup games. He hit 42 percent of his 3-pointers over 39 games in 2012-13. He hit 48 percent of his 3-pointers over 26 games with Cibona Zagreb in 2011-12.

The Pacers signed him to a two-year contract over the summer, with an option for a third, because of those stats. He handles the ball well for a 6-10 forward and is a fundamentally sound defensive player, but make no mistake: he's got an NBA contract because he can shoot.

That's why neither he nor coach Frank Vogel are too concerned about his latest shooting percentages in the pre-season. Through five test runs heading into Tuesday night's game at Minnesota, he's hit just 3-of-19 on 3-pointers (16 percent).

And that's why there was great relief in Saturday's victory over Dallas when, with 1:18 left, he drained a three that gave the Pacers a two-point lead, an integral part of their fourth-quarter comeback from a 13-point deficit.

“I was waiting for it, you know?” Rudez said. “A lot of my shots felt good, just went in and out. That's something that's been happening recently. The most important thing to me was stay calm, stay focused, believe in myself. As long as the coach keeps me on the court, that means he has faith in me and my teammates have faith in me and there's nothing left for me to do but continue shooting.”

Rudez shoots well in practice according to eyewitnesses, so his struggles can be explained by the typical adjustment that goes with joining an NBA team. Rudez played eight full seasons of professional basketball in Europe, but even that wasn't enough to prepare him for even exhibition games in the NBA. He's surprised by his recent shooting, but he understands it.

“I had an open mind coming here,” he said. “Just ready to soak it all in and learn every day. So far it's been a work in progress. I'm learning something new and getting adjusted. It's not easy. For sure, it's not easy. Everybody is so quick and everybody jumps high and everybody runs fast and everybody is strong, so for sure it's something I have to get accustomed to.

“There's not much science to it. I'm going to keep working on my shot like crazy and just keep believing in it and keep shooting.”

Solomon Hill can relate to Rudez's process. He's in his second NBA season, but experiencing similar frustrations. Hill hit 39 percent of his 3-pointers over his final two seasons at Arizona and 10-of-18 in Summer League play before his rookie season with the Pacers, but has struggled to make jumpers go down ever since. He hit 7-of-23 3-point attempts (.304) as a rookie, and is 0-of-6 in current pre-season play. He's 7-of-22 overall from the field, with nearly all of his makes coming around the basket.

Like Rudez, his shooting form doesn't seem to require tinkering. Like Rudez, he shoots well in practice. Like Rudez, he had a mini-breakthrough against the Mavericks, when he hit a 21-foot jumper midway through the fourth quarter. And like Rudez, he still has his coach's trust.

“I feel like every time he shoots it, it's going in,” Vogel said. “Like any newcomer to this league … there's always going to be an adjustment period. It's rare that guys come in their first year and shoot the ball lights out.”

The rookie stats for several Pacers who developed into either good or great 3-point threats verifies that. Paul George hit less than 30 percent from the 3-point line his first season. Danny Granger hit 32 percent. Austin Croshere hit 31 percent. Don Buse hit 21 percent. Roger Brown hit 26 percent. Rick Mount hit 29 percent. Billy Keller hit 27 percent.

Vogel plans to go with a 10-man playing rotation in the regular season, hoping that balance and depth can help make up for the loss of George and Lance Stephenson. Rudez likely will not be part of that rotation unless an injury creates an opening, but Hill likely will be. His defense and all-around skill set should be enough to buy him playing time. Should he start hitting shots with any regularity, all the better.

No doubt about it, Rudez and Hill have time to adjust to the bright lights of NBA arenas. But they don't have forever.