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Love it or Hate it: The 3-Pointer Effect


Love it or hate it, the way the game is played in the NBA is much faster now than ever before. People could debate if D’antoni’s system back when he was the head coach of the Phoenix Suns, or Steve Kerr’s high-octane offense with the Golden State Warriors, with Steph Curry leading the charge, started the trend of three-pointers being a point of emphasis in today’s game. Still, whatever conclusive answer there may be to this debate the league will continue on with this new brand of identity. Execution-wise, teams have adjusted to this breed of offense either through ball screens, isolation plays, ball movement, etc. However, many have argued that this style of play has somehow ruined the sport itself, when compared to how it was played before, either through the importance of the two-point shot or scoring under the basket through post-ups or penetration. When arguments are made about the 3-point shot effect in basketball culture, the majority of the responses revolve around the preference for a slower, more systematic approach to the game. Although, let’s not act as if teams have not been unique with the integration of the 3-point shot in their plays and schemes, just look at how the playoffs are played with competitions going back to a slower-paced style of play. With all of these in mind, how huge has the impact of the 3-point shot been in the NBA?


Level of Competition


If the pace of the offense around the league has increased with the number of 3-pointers being launched, the defensive sets of teams have no choice but to adjust their schemes in how they are going to guard shooters on the floor without fouling, along with avoiding mismatches and other offensive sets that the opposing team will implement against them. Through the games played, some teams even debate on how many 3-pointers they are willing to allow due to the inability or the lack of manpower to quickly adapt to an opponent’s shotmaking.


Some teams provide quality spacing with enough shooters in their roster, centers with shooting, or stretch four players forcing the frontcourt of opponents to defend the 3-point line away from the basket, fact remains that defensive adjustments are much more challenging to implement now than before. According to John Schumann, he discussed how during Van Gundy’s first tenure as head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, wherein he preferred to have rim protection be the priority of the defense with no drop coverage adjustments, saw the team giving way to 16.3 3-pointers allowed with a disastrous 29th ranked defense. This is not to say that rim protection shouldn’t be a defensive priority for a team, especially if that is something opposing teams can exploit as a weakness, but also adjustments and versatility must be considered in key match-ups. Through all of this, it presents basketball as a sport that forces teams to adjust their style of play and identity in order to have a chance in competing at an elite level.


Importance of Overall Shooting


It’s a no-brainer to say that scoring is important in basketball, obviously, but it has never been more evident now with how the game is being played, which determines the level of success for a team along with their ability to defend the 3-point line. There are players with a lack of shooting that have struggled to either remain in the league or to steer clear from being in the trade block, even when they are still capable of playing and contributing to a team.


An example would be Dennis Smith Jr., the 9th overall pick of the Dallas Mavericks during the 2017 NBA Draft, who was projected to be the face and cornerstone of the Mavericks franchise. Currently, he is playing for the Portland Trailblazers after being traded by numerous teams from the Detroit Pistons, and to the New York Knicks. One can argue it can be due to him being a career 40.2% shooter on the field and a 31.2% shooter from the 3-point line. This is in no regard to devalue Smith Jr’s level of production on the floor, but his weaknesses on the offensive side of the ball, along with being a liability on defense, cause teams to evaluate his value of production on the floor.


Future of the League and the Sport


Basketball is one of the most accessible sports to take part in, but there has always been a stereotype towards non-athletic players compared to physically gifted ones. Now, the dynamics of the game have changed immensely with players having the ability of great shooting no longer considered an afterthought to athleticism. With the current style of play valuing and focusing more on the fundamentals of shooting and spacing, and will continue to be the case for years to come in the league, it then sets a benchmark for aspiring players and athletes to work on their jump shot as a way to have an edge in any competition or league that one plays in. This is not to say that the value of shooting fundamentals was ever forgotten or devalued in the league, but the trend of the 3-point shooting adding an edge for teams with the goal of competing at an elite level further highlights the importance of this fundamental and to further elevates it in its current state. However, this blog is not enough to justify whether the 3-point shot is good or bad for the league, and that’s okay. One can have different preferences on how they want their basketball to be played, whether it's the’90s era or the early 2000s era. The fact of the matter is, that basketball is a constantly evolving sport, and so far, the quality of competition still remains intact with teams continuing to increase their level of play. Basketball, in any form it takes, will still remain what the sport has always been about, elite level of competition.


Sources:

https://www.nba.com/news/3-point-era-nba-75

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/2/12/22279459/nba-make-miss-3-point-shooting

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithde03.html


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