I noticed that shot release doesn't seem to matter either when playing online. People always seem to be late, releasing just as they're about to hit the ground again.
Maybe they're actually releasing it well but you see it differently due to lag.
Agreed, and it doesn't seem to be consistent. I hate having an open lane to the hoop and then hitting shoot, expecting a lay-up but getting a short range jumper that misses 90% of the time.