NBA: "There's no basketball anymore. There's no beauty in it...

[midnightpulp]

People were ing when Snaq was bowling over people in the post...commenting that his play was “ugly” basketball. How is this any different?

Post-play is still a more difficult skill to learn than shooting 3s (and thus more interesting to watch). Shaq wasn't ugly basketball. Great footwork and fine passer. He lacked touch, sure, but he was a pretty refined big and not just a "bully." Also there was only one Shaq. There's dozens of chuckers in the league.

[ambchang]

It's not just about the Warriors. All the contending teams play the same binary strategy of basketball that centers offense around an outside/in gameplan to either generate 3s or layups/dunks (which are a result of the spacing from teams having to step out onto the perimeter more than ever before). In short, basketball is totally 3 point centric today. All offense basically starts from there.

Skills have broken the game precisely because of that defensive strictness on the perimeter. Modern NBA perimeter players fueled by analytics have figured out how to exploit it to the maximum. And since the 3 is worth 50 percent more points, there's no reason to heavily focus your skillset and gameplan anywhere else. Sure, it always help to have a couple of post-plays and a good midrange shooter to throw in a curveball now and then, but teams are primarily looking three, three, three and then layup if the lanes are there.

For example, the end game execution in the Warriors/Rockets game last night was comical. 1 point game at the 5:39 minute mark and both teams proceeded to shoot a combined 8 three point attempts from then on. At that point in the game, points are more important than PPP. You just want a lead to maintain pressure, and shouldn't be worried at this point that a 3 made 40 percent of the time is worth more than a 2 made 50 percent of the time. The plan should be to get the highest percentage shots possible. Thompson, for instance, shot a terrible contested corner 3 with 5:24 left down 1. Just ugly basketball. This is how obsessed the league is with the 3. I switched the game at that point . It really does feel like watching rec league.

I agree it’s a three point chucking league now and it’s an ugly product. However I think it’s a rule enforcement issue (allowing rough interior play but not on the perimeter, leading to easier perimeter shots than scoring in the paint; not calling moving screens to open the perimeter for open shots) and a follow the leader league (Durant joining the warriors).

Houston still hasn’t won a le using analytics. The warriors were looking like one and dones before Durant joined.

[R. DeMurre]

Golden State has done a lot of things right besides understanding the math of shooting threes. Moving Iguodala to the Ginobili-like 6th man role was smart, but then also having him replace the center in the Death Lineup shows their flexibility. Taking a chance with an undersized PF like Draymond-- who measured 6'5.75" in bare feet at the combine-- in the draft was obviously a good move. Having Jerry West lead the pitch to Durant was smart as . They're a smart bunch of guys. They emphasize ball movement and easy looks-- something OKC still hasn't figured out. It's not like they sat down and just said, "Oh, let's shoot a load of threes!"

[lefty]

Golden State has done a lot of things right besides understanding the math of shooting threes. Moving Iguodala to the Ginobili-like 6th man role was smart, but then also having him replace the center in the Death Lineup shows their flexibility. Taking a chance with an undersized PF like Draymond-- who measured 6'5.75" in bare feet at the combine-- in the draft was obviously a good move. Having Jerry West lead the pitch to Durant was smart as . They're a smart bunch of guys. They emphasize ball movement and easy looks-- something OKC still hasn't figured out. It's not like they sat down and just said, "Oh, let's shoot a load of threes!"

Exactly, the problem os that everybody else think they can play like GS while they don’t have the right personel, which leads to ugly 3 pt chucking

In the 90s a few teams tried to emulate the Bulls triangle offense but failed miserably

[pad300]

Golden State has done a lot of things right besides understanding the math of shooting threes. Moving Iguodala to the Ginobili-like 6th man role was smart, but then also having him replace the center in the Death Lineup shows their flexibility. Taking a chance with an undersized PF like Draymond-- who measured 6'5.75" in bare feet at the combine-- in the draft was obviously a good move. Having Jerry West lead the pitch to Durant was smart as . They're a smart bunch of guys. They emphasize ball movement and easy looks-- something OKC still hasn't figured out. It's not like they sat down and just said, "Oh, let's shoot a load of threes!"

Yeah, but with the even rules enforcement that some people are discussing here (paint vs perimeter fouls, moving screens), the "smart" moves of an undersized PF and the emphasis on long distance shooting would be much less effective.

[spurraider21]

Was it ever really any different though tbh? The team who wins eFG has almost always won. And before the advent of the 3 point shot it was the same way tbh. In a game where the objective is to score points, the team who gets the most points per shot is usually going to win.

before the 3 point shot, eFG% and FG% were the same thing

[Play Boban]

before the 3 point shot, eFG% and FG% were the same thing

I’m not stupid.

[spurraider21]

I’m not stupid.

Whatever you say little guy!

[Play Boban]

Whatever you say little guy!