Definition: A successful jump shot requires a fair amount of finesse. Shots taken too forcefully, or at too shallow an angle, or without any back-spin tend to hit the rim and backboard like a bird crashing into an upper-story window.
As with the bird, the results aren't pretty.
Such shots are often referred to as "bricks" -- for somewhat obvious reasons.
"Brick" as a metaphor for errant and ugly jump shot is so ingrained in the basketball lexicon, you'll often hear variations on the theme. A poor shooter might be referred to as a bricklayer or a mason, and a player on a streak of bad shooting might be "throwing up enough bricks to build a house."
