Staying Positive, 'Process-Based' Key For Purdue Bench Among Shooting Struggles

Matt Painter usually searches out the positives when his players are going through struggles on the court. To those with an untrained eye, Purdue's lack of bench production in the scoring column in Tuesday's 75-73 loss to Michigan was viewed as a problem. Painter, however, viewed it through a different lens.

The Boilermakers finished Tuesday's game without a single point from the bench, as that unit missed all five shots it attempted. Rather than look at the percentages, though, Painter focused in on shot selection. To him, that's a better indication of whether or not his players are doing the right things.

"At halftime (against Michigan), in my head, I had those four shots that we got (before the end of the half). Right away, I'm like 'I like Cam (Heide)'s wide-open shot. I like Braden (Smith)'s pull-up three, just like Iowa.' We got good shots, but we didn't get stops," Painter said in a video posted by Boiler Upload. "And we were playing in transition because we didn't hit shots. But if we just make two of those good shots, we're perfectly fine."

Sophomores Myles Colvin and Camden Heide have been two guys that have particularly struggled with their shot over the last eight games. After scoring 14 points in a win over Nebraska, Colvin has totaled just 18 points in the last eight contests, making only seven-of-31 shots from the floor (22.6%).

Heide has attempted just 18 shots in that same stretch, knocking down six (33.3%). He's totaled 23 points over the last eight games for the Boilermakers.

Most of us would probably label those numbers as a "shooting slump." And while Painter is fully aware that attempts haven't been falling for those two, he attributes a lot of those shooting woes to a lack of attempts.

"It's like a Major League Baseball player, if you're in a slump and you get five at-bats every game for a month, that's a real-ass slump," he said. "But, if you're a guy who's a pinch hitter that's getting three at-bats per week and you go a full month, you have 12 to 14 at-bats and you're 1-for-14 and you're like, 'Ah, he can't do it for us.' Well, he's not getting consistent at-bats.

"The guys that come off the bench for us that haven't shot well, they don't get consistent attempts. So like, what you guys said the other night about getting other people that can score, it really doesn't matter unless they've shot a lot ... it's not fair to guys who get two shots per game."

For Colvin and Heide, that's been the case. Colvin is averaging just under four shots per game over the last eight contests. Throw out a three-of-11 outing against USC, and he's taken just 20 shots in the other seven games, fewer than three attempts per game.

With 18 shot attempts in the last eight games, Heide is taking just over two shots per contest.

Frustrating? Sure. But more for the players themselves than anyone else, including Painter. Instead, he's been encouraged by what he's seen in terms of the quality of shot attempts from his guys off the bench.

That's why he continues to stay positive with guys like Colvin and Heide. At some point, he knows those shots are going to fall — because they have in the past.

"As a coach, if you get mad at them for taking good shots and missing them, they're not going to know which way is up. You've got to be positive with them. Keep believing in them, because I do," Painter said. "The guys that took those shots — if you take a bad one, I let you know. I'm not a results-based guy, I'm a process-based guy, because a process-based guy gets better results.

"The guys who are struggling around the perimeter, I've seen them make shots. I've seen Myles Colvin come in against Xavier and Gonzaga and Ole Miss and shoot the ball well. He needs more attempts. But you have to get yourself out there more."

Both Colvin and Heide have had big moments for the Boilermakers this season.

Colvin scored 20 points and hit a game-winning bucket in Purdue's win over Ole Miss in the Championship Game of the Rady Children's Invitational. Although he finished the game against Alabama scoreless, he made a huge difference on the defensive end, helping the Boilers secure a huge win early in the season.

Heide hit a pair of huge 3-pointers in a win over Yale, ending the night with nine points and six rebounds. In Purdue's first Big Ten home game, the sophomore made five-of-eight shot attempts and finished with 15 points in an 83-78 victory over Maryland.

They've done it before. Painter believes they can do it again.

"At the end of the day, it's all about making guys understand being process-based, being efficient — but they've got to feel good about themselves, especially if you're a guy that shoots it," Painter said. "You've just got to keep putting in the work and believing in yourself."

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