Three point shots are ruining the game

[Admin]

I have always been of the opinion that the 3pt shot was a critical part of basketball and couldn't imagine the game without it. 

This season has nearly sapped the joy of watching the game from me as we now have numerous teams who have all 5 positions shooting 3's and more and more teams are simply running the court and spacing it to shoot a 3 every time down. Where's the strategy in that? How is that fun to watch as a fan? A player or a team can simply get hot from 3 and if the other team can't match that then good luck to them. Case in point being tonight's game where the Celtics were getting the doors blown off of them as should be expected playing a much more talented team on the road and without arguably their best player. Kevin Love goes crazy from 3 putting up 10 attempts in the first half and the game looks to be over. In the 2nd half the Cavs can't buy a bucket from deep while the Celtics go insane and come back to win the game via the 3pt shot. Last year the Cavs beat the bricks off of us with their relentless 3pt attempts. The Rockets simply decided to try and make every shot attempt a 3 this year. The Warriors have turned around their entire team by having dominant 3pt shooting. 

Is that how the game was meant to be played? What's going to stop that from being the strategy for all teams in the future? It's turning a great game into an arena football type of experience. 

Am I the only one who can see himself actually stopping watching the NBA in the future because of the lack of strategy and inside play? I mean seriously who the hell over 13 years old wants to watch 2 teams go back and forth firing 3pt shot after 3pt shot? 

[CP61]

I can see your point, but I also like watching the 3 point shot. As a guy who wasn't big into basketball until the last 5 years, this is what the game is to me. Which is why I think the Hawks have to get rid of Dwight and build around shooters. He's a relic of a different era now. 

[Wurider05]

you just feel this way because ours weren't going in this season.

[TheTruth]

Nah, I'd still watch. Some things to chew on:

1) Since the 2010-2011 season, both Finals foes have ranked in the top 10 in 3pt shooting percentage during the regular season all but thrice, and each of those three times featured a combatant who did land in the top 10. Finals champ in bold with 3pt regular season percentage in parentheses:

2010-2011: Mavs (11) vs Heat (7)

2011-2012: Thunder (11) vs Heat (10) - Spurs were #1 (Knocked out by Thunder in WC Finals)

2012-2013: Spurs (4) vs Heat (2) - Warriors were #1 (Knocked out by Spurs in WC Semis)

2013-2014: Spurs (1) vs Heat (12)

2014-2015: Warriors (1) vs Cavs (5)

2015-2016: Warriors (1) vs Cavs (7)

2016-2017: Probables: Warriors (3) vs Cavs (2)  - Spurs were #1 (Likely to be Knocked out by Warriors)

In fact, the 2009-2010 season was the last season that didnt feature the two NBA finalists as both ranking in the top 10 in 3pt percentage (they were #17 and #24). This year, we were #23 at 34.1% The Spurs led the bomber raid from downtown at a 39.1% clip.

Since 2013-2014, if you didn't land in the top 10, you didn't make it to the Finals. 

2) This will undoubtedly force more teams to rely on their starters to provide at least a threatening competency and proficiency from the 3 pt line - especially from non-centers. The days of the offensively-challenged Tony Allen, Thabo Sefalosha, Andre Roberson etc. types being starters are likely to be phased out soon.

Our end of season starting lineup of: Dennis (34.0% 3pt reg season), Hardaway Jr. (35.7% reg season), Prince (32.4% reg season), Millsap (31.1% reg. season), Howard (0%), and Bazemore inexcusably logging still too many minutes (34.6% reg. season) combines to form a collective below-average bunch that can't quickly challenge big deficits (especially when the inside game is getting shut down or isn't efficient) with dead-eye shooting from distance, or conversely, widen leads with more regularity.

3) Teams will not only find more value in bigs that can truly stretch the floor - but they will be more inclined to start them over traditional bigs. This has meant trouble for the plodding glass-eating Centers for a little while now, but they usually found a home due to tradition and the need for an inside game. It's like the NFL in a way - it has become a much more passing league, but you still need to be able to run the ball if for nothing else to establish some sort of balance and have something to go to when your passing game is off or if bad weather is at hand. Diversification is still a good thing.

4) Quality perimeter defenders who can shoot the 3 or develop the 3 ball will become the most important players in the league as offense continues to shift further and further away from the basket.

5) More and more players will have to develop a 3 pt shot - even Centers. Traditional bigs will eventually become backups, and those that can shoot the 3 competently and rebound at least at an acceptable level will start. God help defenders if the Center has any semblance of a post game, too. Guards and Forwards who can't shoot the 3 will become liabilities unless they are elite at other skills. 

This is where I see the NBA going. Not sure if I love the idea yet, but it will force players to become more well-rounded, and teams will certainly begin to be constructed differently.

 

Edited May 22, 2017 by TheTruth

[bleachkit]

Well it's part of the game, no going back now. Maybe they should make  it count less, like 2.5 points instead of 3.

[macdaddy]

10 hours ago, Dolfan23 said:

I have always been of the opinion that the 3pt shot was a critical part of basketball and couldn't imagine the game without it. 

This season has nearly sapped the joy of watching the game from me as we now have numerous teams who have all 5 positions shooting 3's and more and more teams are simply running the court and spacing it to shoot a 3 every time down. Where's the strategy in that? How is that fun to watch as a fan? A player or a team can simply get hot from 3 and if the other team can't match that then good luck to them. Case in point being tonight's game where the Celtics were getting the doors blown off of them as should be expected playing a much more talented team on the road and without arguably their best player. Kevin Love goes crazy from 3 putting up 10 attempts in the first half and the game looks to be over. In the 2nd half the Cavs can't buy a bucket from deep while the Celtics go insane and come back to win the game via the 3pt shot. Last year the Cavs beat the bricks off of us with their relentless 3pt attempts. The Rockets simply decided to try and make every shot attempt a 3 this year. The Warriors have turned around their entire team by having dominant 3pt shooting. 

Is that how the game was meant to be played? What's going to stop that from being the strategy for all teams in the future? It's turning a great game into an arena football type of experience. 

Am I the only one who can see himself actually stopping watching the NBA in the future because of the lack of strategy and inside play? I mean seriously who the hell over 13 years old wants to watch 2 teams go back and forth firing 3pt shot after 3pt shot? 

This is the truth.   It's killing the game.   15 years ago good teams got blown out very rarely.   Now half the games are blowouts because someone gets hot from 3.   And frankly I go to fewer games because i don't want to see blowouts in either direction really.   We watch for the drama of it all right.   I mean no kid grows up fantasizing about hitting the second quarter 3 to put the team up by 30.   You fantasize about the last second game winner.   

It may just be a transitional time though.   BK was sort of on to something with versatile players but he didn't place enough importance on shooting ability.   

[bird_dirt]

Can @kg01 or @JayBirdHawk find a nice "Get off my lawn!" gif here for @Dolfan23?

[benhillboy]

It does blow but what you gonna do.  There are a few players you can enjoy who still appreciate the art of mid-range shooting like McCollum, Irving, and Butler.  

I pretty much blame millenials for everything: Millenials at these advanced analytics conferences degrading anything that isn't an alley oop or 28 footer.  Millenials playing the game soft and lazily.  Millenials on the training staff urging players to stay out the paint for fear of repeated contact (or set a decent screen out of it) so their much cooler Gen X agents can get paid more longer.  AAU and one-and-done plays a part as well.  You millenials should be off my lawn by now.

Edited May 22, 2017 by benhillboy

[Guest]

1 hour ago, bird_dirt said:

Can @kg01 or @JayBirdHawk find a nice "Get off my lawn!" gif here for @Dolfan23?

If @Dolfan23 was a cool, semi-racist grandpa ...

ETA: I found some pretty cool ones but couldn't get them to show up.

[Admin]

37 minutes ago, benhillboy said:

It does blow but what you gonna do.  There are a few players you can enjoy who still appreciate the art of mid-range shooting like McCollum, Irving, and Butler.  

I pretty much blame millenials for everything: Millenials at these advanced analytics conferences degrading anything that isn't an alley oop or 28 footer.  Millenials playing the game soft and lazily.  Millenials on the training staff urging players to stay out the paint for fear of repeated contact (or set a decent screen out of it) so their much cooler Gen X agents can get paid more longer.  AAU and one-and-done plays a part as well.  You millenials should be off my lawn by now.

So much THIS!!! 

And not just the mid-range game but the post game as well. Kids these days have no idea how incredible it was to watch guys like David Robinson, The Dream, Ewing, Duncan, etc. put guys on skates in the post with their moves. In order to be a top flight C now you need to be able to pass like a PG, shoot the 3 like a wing and have almost zero moves with your back to the basket or the ability to do much other than a power move to the basket. 

Call me old or whatever but the NBA is going the way of Arena Football League football now. There's a reason there's real talk about a professional 3 on 3 league as it would create real games again instead of this crap where the only strategy is run to the 3pt line and take a shot or wait and have a guy set a pick so you can move around it to get an open 3. Whooppeee! 

9 hours ago, macdaddy said:

This is the truth.   It's killing the game.   15 years ago good teams got blown out very rarely.   Now half the games are blowouts because someone gets hot from 3.   And frankly I go to fewer games because i don't want to see blowouts in either direction really.   We watch for the drama of it all right.   I mean no kid grows up fantasizing about hitting the second quarter 3 to put the team up by 30.   You fantasize about the last second game winner.   

It may just be a transitional time though.   BK was sort of on to something with versatile players but he didn't place enough importance on shooting ability.   

Truth! I hope that it's transitional but combined with the death of the true big man over the past 20 years I just don't see it being something that's going to go away. 

[Admin]

16 hours ago, Wurider05 said:

you just feel this way because ours weren't going in this season.

Not at all. I absolutely hated when that became our style of play. I don't mind the 3pt shot at all when it is part of the play and it's simply an option and not the entire design of the play. Even then if it's just a play from the playbook then cool but when there's no reason to even have a painted area other than to separate players on FT shots then the game has devolved into something else and I am just not a fan regardless of the team(s) doing it. 

[Admin]

16 hours ago, TheTruth said:

Nah, I'd still watch. Some things to chew on:

1) Since the 2010-2011 season, both Finals foes have ranked in the top 10 in 3pt shooting percentage during the regular season all but thrice, and each of those three times featured a combatant who did land in the top 10. Finals champ in bold with 3pt regular season percentage in parentheses:

2010-2011: Mavs (11) vs Heat (7)

2011-2012: Thunder (11) vs Heat (10) - Spurs were #1 (Knocked out by Thunder in WC Finals)

2012-2013: Spurs (4) vs Heat (2) - Warriors were #1 (Knocked out by Spurs in WC Semis)

2013-2014: Spurs (1) vs Heat (12)

2014-2015: Warriors (1) vs Cavs (5)

2015-2016: Warriors (1) vs Cavs (7)

2016-2017: Probables: Warriors (3) vs Cavs (2)  - Spurs were #1 (Likely to be Knocked out by Warriors)

In fact, the 2009-2010 season was the last season that didnt feature the two NBA finalists as both ranking in the top 10 in 3pt percentage (they were #17 and #24). This year, we were #23 at 34.1% The Spurs led the bomber raid from downtown at a 39.1% clip.

Since 2013-2014, if you didn't land in the top 10, you didn't make it to the Finals. 

2) This will undoubtedly force more teams to rely on their starters to provide at least a threatening competency and proficiency from the 3 pt line - especially from non-centers. The days of the offensively-challenged Tony Allen, Thabo Sefalosha, Andre Roberson etc. types being starters are likely to be phased out soon.

Our end of season starting lineup of: Dennis (34.0% 3pt reg season), Hardaway Jr. (35.7% reg season), Prince (32.4% reg season), Millsap (31.1% reg. season), Howard (0%), and Bazemore inexcusably logging still too many minutes (34.6% reg. season) combines to form a collective below-average bunch that can't quickly challenge big deficits (especially when the inside game is getting shut down or isn't efficient) with dead-eye shooting from distance, or conversely, widen leads with more regularity.

3) Teams will not only find more value in bigs that can truly stretch the floor - but they will be more inclined to start them over traditional bigs. This has meant trouble for the plodding glass-eating Centers for a little while now, but they usually found a home due to tradition and the need for an inside game. It's like the NFL in a way - it has become a much more passing league, but you still need to be able to run the ball if for nothing else to establish some sort of balance and have something to go to when your passing game is off or if bad weather is at hand. Diversification is still a good thing.

4) Quality perimeter defenders who can shoot the 3 or develop the 3 ball will become the most important players in the league as offense continues to shift further and further away from the basket.

5) More and more players will have to develop a 3 pt shot - even Centers. Traditional bigs will eventually become backups, and those that can shoot the 3 competently and rebound at least at an acceptable level will start. God help defenders if the Center has any semblance of a post game, too. Guards and Forwards who can't shoot the 3 will become liabilities unless they are elite at other skills. 

This is where I see the NBA going. Not sure if I love the idea yet, but it will force players to become more well-rounded, and teams will certainly begin to be constructed differently.

 

Excellent talking points! 

I don't see the players as becoming more well rounded because of this evolution of the game. I see players as losing the ability to play with their back to the basket, to shoot from mid-range to the point where it's almost comical watching them not know what to do when they can't drive past their defender and they're stuck inside of the 3pt line. 

Would we ask QBs to be lead blockers or to line up wide and mostly be a decoy? That happened a bit with the wildcat until defenses caught on and could stop it. I truly hope that will be the case in the NBA but I don't see it because players from a young age are being taught to play this way. It's how you end up with the C's who can't make a shot in the post unless wide open (Zaza), operate with their back to the basket (almost any C), or are literally afraid of contact and rebounding (Al), or for the first time in their careers try and lead the break (Dwight). It's how you end up with guys like Bazemore who have no business handling the ball pretty much throwing the teams season away because he's being asked to do something that he simply cannot do. 

We are literally witnessing the death of the true PG, the defensive specialists and the true fundamental C. Absolute staples of the game for my entire life and they're essentially becoming dinosaurs. 

[hazer]

Take away 1 point for every 3-pointer missed. At'll fix that $hit :)

[AHF]

1 hour ago, benhillboy said:

It does blow but what you gonna do.  There are a few players you can enjoy who still appreciate the art of mid-range shooting like McCollum, Irving, and Butler.  

I pretty much blame millenials for everything: Millenials at these advanced analytics conferences degrading anything that isn't an alley oop or 28 footer.  Millenials playing the game soft and lazily.  Millenials on the training staff urging players to stay out the paint for fear of repeated contact (or set a decent screen out of it) so their much cooler Gen X agents can get paid more longer.  AAU and one-and-done plays a part as well.  You millenials should be off my lawn by now.

Pitino was preaching that in the early 1990's.  It has just taken the mainstream longer to embrace that concept.

[benhillboy]

1 hour ago, AHF said:

Pitino was preaching that in the early 1990's.  It has just taken the mainstream longer to embrace that concept.

That's interesting.  Does his Louisville team still play that style?  Might've been one of the reasons he didn't stick in the late '90s.  Maybe try it again, champ?  You don't even have to buy the cooch for the pros, they got it.

I'd be remissed to fail mentioning Derozan in my first post.  He's the Midrange King out this bi.  Most players don't take open ones, he prefers people hanging off him.

And these fools be killing me pump faking off the three point defender and sliding to the side for yet another three point attempt!  The traditional 17 foot lean-in just looks so much more professional and rhythmic.  If yo name ain't Kyle, Klay, Curry, or Kevin, cool it.

Edited May 23, 2017 by benhillboy

[benhillboy]

Two recent examples of the importance of the midrange shot stick out.  Pop eventually figured out how to severely limit the Rockets' offense knowing their hatred of the mid area. Conversely, Pop dared Lebron to shoot from 20 feet for most of Game 7 in Miami.  He had to have hit about 10 of them thangs.

[Admin]

2 hours ago, kg01 said:

If @Dolfan23 was a cool, semi-racist grandpa ...

ETA: I found some pretty cool ones but couldn't get them to show up.

I am not semi-racist! I hate everyone equally. I'm also anti feminism anti gay anti Semite and most of all anti dentite! I also hate sexists, bigots, the elderly, babies and Canadians. 

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Dolfan23 said:

I am not semi-racist! I hate everyone equally. I'm also anti feminism anti gay anti Semite and most of all anti dentite! I also hate sexists, bigots, the elderly, babies and Canadians. 

Yeah, I don't trust them dirty Canadans either.  What?  Hey, it's not called 'Canadia'.

[GameTime]

On 5/22/2017 at 2:16 AM, Wurider05 said:

you just feel this way because ours weren't going in this season.

Exactly. I'm sure most of us here loved 3 point shooting when Korver was breaking records in 14-15. You can't win a championship in this era without 3 pt shooting. I hope our future GM knows this.

Edited May 23, 2017 by GameTime

[Thomas]

11 hours ago, Dolfan23 said:

I am not semi-racist! I hate everyone equally. I'm also anti feminism anti gay anti Semite and most of all anti dentite! I also hate sexists, bigots, the elderly, babies and Canadians. 

That rant sounds like how a millennial really feels, your way too mature for that, right?