The latest BS on ISH: the 90's didn't defend the 3-pointer

[3ball]

Teams attempted far less 3-pointers and had worse 3-pt efficiency in the 90's - so how did the 90's NOT stop the 3?

ALL eras defend good shooters tightly on the perimeter... So guys like Reggie Miller, Bird or Dale Ellis were guarded just as tightly as today.

Infact, they were guarded much tighter due to legal hand-checking, which is banned in today's game - the NBA's current hands-off rule requires space between defender and ballhandler, allowing for easier driving and shooting than previous eras.
.

[aquaadverse]

Seriously, welcomed to my ignore list. I've ignored exactly 3 people in 35 year
of following the NBA. Seek help.

[3ball]

Seriously, welcomed to my ignore list. I've ignored exactly 3 people in 35 year
of following the NBA. Seek help.
I'm glad the OP pissed you off that much.

[Spurs5Rings2014]

Seriously, welcomed to my ignore list. I've ignored exactly 3 people in 35 year
of following the NBA. Seek help.

:oldlol:

[3ball]

:oldlol:


ALL eras defend good shooters tightly on the perimeter... So guys like Reggie Miller, Bird or Dale Ellis were guarded just as tightly as today.

However, 3-point defense was a secondary concern against most 80's and 90's players because few were 3-point shooters and the 3-point-producing, drive-and-kick plays of today's game weren't common back then - POST-UPS were the staple of most offenses, so teams had to emphasize defending the paint instead of the 3-point line.
.

[bigkingsfan]

:oldlol:

[3ball]

:oldlol:
Now that teams have sufficient 3-point shooting personnel to drive-and-kick for 3-pointers (as opposed to 2-pointers), the drive-and-kick format has become more efficient than the post-up format.. This proves that the decline in post-ups is due to higher efficiency drive-and-kick made possible by 3-pointers, not defensive tactics.. In the absence of 3-pointers, no amount of defensive strategy could prevent post-ups from supplanting drive-and-kick..

Since post-ups, mid-range, off-ball and isolations were the only things left in the 80's without the 3-pointers needed to make drive-and-kick worthwhile, we can say with certainty that many of today's elite players would be lesser players back then - their 3-and-D skill sets exclude elite ability in any of the aforementioned areas.

.

[Cocaine80s]

:oldlol:

[ShawkFactory]

:lol

[nba_55]

:yaohappy:

[3ball]

.
Thread Cliffs:


ALL eras defend good shooters tightly on the perimeter - guys like Reggie Miller, Bird or Dale Ellis were guarded just as tightly as today.

Infact, they were guarded much tighter due to legal hand-checking, which is banned in today's game - the NBA's current hands-off rule requires space between defender and ballhandler, allowing for easier driving and shooting than previous eras.

However, 3-point defense was a secondary concern against most 80's and 90's players because few were 3-point shooters and the 3-point-producing, drive-and-kick plays of today's game weren't common back then - POST-UPS were the staple of most offenses, so teams had to emphasize defending the paint instead of the 3-point line.

But now that teams have sufficient 3-point shooting personnel to drive-and-kick for 3-pointers (as opposed to 2-pointers), the drive-and-kick format has become more efficient than the post-up format.. This proves that the decline in post-ups is due to higher efficiency drive-and-kick made possible by 3-pointers, not defensive tactics.. In the absence of 3-pointers, no amount of defensive strategy could prevent post-ups from supplanting drive-and-kick..

Since post-ups, mid-range, off-ball and isolations were the only things left in the 80's without the 3-pointers needed to make drive-and-kick worthwhile, we can say with certainty that many of today's elite players would be lesser players back then - their 3-and-D skill sets exclude elite ability in any of the aforementioned areas.

[livinglegend]

:D

[raprap]

:roll:

[Cali Syndicate]

I recall many players that had an open 3 would still take a quick dribble inside the arc for an uncontested 18-20 foot midrange. A lot of that was because many players outside of 3 pt specialists didn't practice that shot as much as players do today. It's not that the 3 wasn't a contested shot, it's overall even long Midrange was considered a more efficient shot. This not the case in today's game,it's clearly just a different style of offense now. Defense as well for this very reason

[Nilocon165]

:oldlol:




















ignored

[CuterThanRubio]

Post ANY uncut game footage from the 80s or 90s and I GUARANTEE there will be multiple opportunities for screenshots to PROVE that the MAJORITY of threes attempted were open by a few feet at minimum.

Players would switch on drives to the basket and completely ignore outside shooters.

[sdot_thadon]

:oldlol:

[Hey Yo]

2013:

Jordan's forgotten advantage over LeBron

"Michael Jordan's 3-point shooting was poor -- except during the seasons when the line was shorter.

After securing two consecutive NBA Finals MVP awards, LeBron James is finally drawing Michael Jordan comparisons that are actually favorable. In theory, time is on James' side as he

[diamenz]

curry > mj and it's not even close.

[ralph_i_el]

.
Thread Cliffs:


ALL eras defend good shooters tightly on the perimeter - guys like Reggie Miller, Bird or Dale Ellis were guarded just as tightly as today.

Infact, they were guarded much tighter due to legal hand-checking, which is banned in today's game - the NBA's current hands-off rule requires space between defender and ballhandler, allowing for easier driving and shooting than previous eras.

However, 3-point defense was a secondary concern against most 80's and 90's players because few were 3-point shooters and the 3-point-producing, drive-and-kick plays of today's game weren't common back then - POST-UPS were the staple of most offenses, so teams had to emphasize defending the paint instead of the 3-point line.

But now that teams have sufficient 3-point shooting personnel to drive-and-kick for 3-pointers (as opposed to 2-pointers), the drive-and-kick format has become more efficient than the post-up format.. This proves that the decline in post-ups is due to higher efficiency drive-and-kick made possible by 3-pointers, not defensive tactics.. In the absence of 3-pointers, no amount of defensive strategy could prevent post-ups from supplanting drive-and-kick..

Since post-ups, mid-range, off-ball and isolations were the only things left in the 80's without the 3-pointers needed to make drive-and-kick worthwhile, we can say with certainty that many of today's elite players would be lesser players back then - their 3-and-D skill sets exclude elite ability in any of the aforementioned areas.

Then MJ wouldn't be as good in this era. Glad you cleared that up. Don't bother responding, because since you don't watch modern basketball your opinion is moot.

[3ball]

2013:

Jordan's forgotten advantage over LeBron

"Michael Jordan's 3-point shooting was poor -- except during the seasons when the line was shorter.

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/62024/mjs-forgotten-advantage-over-lebron

:biggums:



MJ's jumpshooting stats destroy Lebron's - he shot TWICE as many jumpshots at greater efficiency than Lebron's best seasons:



.................eFG% All Jumpshots................ Midrange

Jordan 1997 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/893/stats/shooting/?Season=1996-97&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):. 51.2%, 727/1528........... 48.9%, 588/1202

Lebron 2004 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2003-04&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):. 35.6%, 324/998............ 33.2%, 183/551
Lebron 2005 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2004-05&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):. 39.9%, 400/1136.......... 36.0%, 217/602
Lebron 2006 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2005-06&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):. 41.7%, 423/1166.......... 38.4%, 242/630
Lebron 2007 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2006-07&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):. 39.5%, 372/1066.......... 35.1%, 204/581
Lebron 2008 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2007-08&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):. 39.4%, 338/1001.......... 36.4%, 185/508
Lebron 2009 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2008-09&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):. 42.2%, 366/1024.......... 36.8%, 193/525
Lebron 2010 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2009-10&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):. 43.4%, 356/970............ 38.8%, 188/444
Lebron 2011 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2010-11&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):. 45.4%, 393/968............ 44.6%, 217/487
Lebron 2012 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2011-12&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):. 43.7%, 290/726............ 42.3%, 188/444
Lebron 2013 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2012-13&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):. 49.0%, 333/784............ 43.2%, 174/403
Lebron 2014 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2013-14&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):. 47.0%, 288/736............ 38.5%, 126/327
Lebron 2015 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2014-15&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):. 43.1%, 280/788............ 37.0%, 127/343
Lebron 2016 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2015-16&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):. 39.0%, 181/543............ 37.1%, 96/259





Jordan had a better 2-point jumpshot than Curry's - he shot far better than Curry on jumpshots inside the 3-point line, on FIVE times the volume:



......................MJ 1997 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/893/stats/shooting/?Season=1996-97&SeasonType=Regular%20Season)...................Cur ry 2015 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/201939/stats/shooting/?Season=2014-15&SeasonType=Regular%20Season)............ Curry 2016 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/201939/stats/shooting/) <--- links to nba.com data

8-16 ft......... 51.8%, 682 fga........... 46.8%, 126 fga........ 50.0%, 90 fga

16-24 ft....... 48.2%, 495 fga........... 39.4%, 218 fga........ 45.1%, 113 fga




Overall midrange % (all shots inside the 3-point line but outside the paint)


JORDAN 1997:. 49.3%, 1202 fga

CURRY.. 2015:. 41.1%, 285 fga
CURRY.. 2016:. 45.0%, 160 fga

LEBRON 2015:. 37.0%, 343 fga
LEBRON 2016:. 37.1%, 251 fga


CLIFFS: MJ is one of the best jumpshooters of all time - his jumpshooting destroys Lebron's, and his 2-point jumpshooting is better than Curry's - these are the facts, whether you like them or not.
.

[3ball]

Then MJ wouldn't be as good in this era. Glad you cleared that up. Don't bother responding, because since you don't watch modern basketball your opinion is moot.


6'3" Westbrook and 6'4" Wade were scoring champs despite bad 3-point shooting AND midrange efficiency!!!

Otoh, Jordan had GOAT midrange efficiency (see previous post) and was taller, stronger, with more hops and athleticism.. If he played today, he'd be the best player you ever saw, by far..

Honestly, there's TONS of players with bad 3-point AND midrange efficiency that are great scorers in today's game (Lebron, Wade, Butler, Derozan, Westbrook and more).

You simply DON'T need good 3-point shooting OR midrange to score well in today's game!!!!!.... The wide open spacing and hands-off defense allows athletic players to get to the rim easier than ever before - MJ would benefit from this, while still having GOAT midrange efficiency!!

[3ball]

in the 80's and 90's, the MAJORITY of threes attempted were open by a few feet at minimum.



NBA.com's stats show that 99% of 3-pointers are taken with the defender at least 2 feet away, 80-85% are taken with at least 4 feet of room (open), and about half of all 3-pointers are taken with over 6 feet of room (wide open).

The parethetical descriptions above are the NBA's descriptions of those distances - here's the stats for the best 3-point shooting team (Warriors) and one of the worst (Grizzlies):



.......................................3-point attempts per game with Closest Defender:


............................0-2 feet (very tight)..... 2-4 feet (tight)...... 4-6 feet (open)..... 6+ feet (very open)

Warriors 2016:................0.6 (http://stats.nba.com/league/team/shots/#!/?sort=FG3A&dir=1&ShotDistRange=&CloseDefDistRange=0-2%20Feet%20-%20Very%20Tight)...................... 5.6 (http://stats.nba.com/league/team/shots/#!/?sort=FG3A&dir=1&ShotDistRange=&CloseDefDistRange=2-4%20Feet%20-%20Tight)....................12.6 (http://stats.nba.com/league/team/shots/#!/?sort=FG3A&dir=1&ShotDistRange=&CloseDefDistRange=4-6%20Feet%20-%20Open).....................12.1 (http://stats.nba.com/league/team/shots/#!/?sort=FG3A&dir=1&ShotDistRange=&CloseDefDistRange=6%2B%20Feet%20-%20Wide%20Open) <-- links to data

Grizzlies 2016:................0.1 (http://stats.nba.com/league/team/shots/#!/?sort=FG3A&dir=-1&ShotDistRange=%3E%3D10.0&CloseDefDistRange=0-2%20Feet%20-%20Very%20Tight).......................2.3 (http://stats.nba.com/league/team/shots/#!/?sort=FG3A&dir=-1&ShotDistRange=&CloseDefDistRange=2-4%20Feet%20-%20Tight)......................8.1 (http://stats.nba.com/league/team/shots/#!/?sort=FG3A&dir=-1&ShotDistRange=&CloseDefDistRange=4-6%20Feet%20-%20Open)......................7.9 (http://stats.nba.com/league/team/shots/#!/?sort=FG3A&dir=-1&ShotDistRange=&CloseDefDistRange=6%2B%20Feet%20-%20Wide%20Open)



The stats show that in today's game, most 3-pointers are open or wide open - this shouldn't be a surprise because with MULTIPLE players standing behind the line on every play, the defense is stretched out and can't make timely rotations most of the time.. In previous eras, only 1 player would be standing behind the line, so defenses didn't need complicated rotations and a defender could hug his man at the 3-point line easier without needing to come off him.

However, 3-point defense was a secondary concern against MOST 80's and 90's players because few were 3-point shooters and the 3-point-producing, drive-and-kick plays of today's game weren't common back then - POST-UPS were the staple of most offenses back then, so teams had to emphasize defending the paint instead of the 3-point line.

But now that teams have sufficient 3-point shooting personnel to drive-and-kick for 3-pointers (as opposed to 2-pointers), the drive-and-kick format has become more efficient than the post-up format.. This proves that the decline in post-ups is due to higher efficiency drive-and-kick made possible by 3-pointers, not defensive tactics.. In the absence of 3-pointers, no amount of defensive strategy could prevent post-ups from supplanting drive-and-kick..

Since post-ups, mid-range, off-ball and isolations were the only things left in the 80's without the 3-pointers needed to make drive-and-kick worthwhile, we can say with certainty that many of today's elite players would be lesser players back then - their 3-and-D skill sets exclude elite ability in any of the aforementioned areas..

[ralph_i_el]

6'3" Westbrook and 6'4" Wade were scoring champs despite bad 3-point shooting AND midrange efficiency!!!

Otoh, Jordan had GOAT midrange efficiency (see previous post) and was taller, stronger, with more hops and athleticism.. If he played today, he'd be the best player you ever saw, by far..

Honestly, there's TONS of players with bad 3-point AND midrange efficiency that are great scorers in today's game (Lebron, Wade, Butler, Derozan, Westbrook and more).

You simply DON'T need good 3-point shooting OR midrange to score well in today's game!!!!!.... The wide open spacing and hands-off defense allows athletic players to get to the rim easier than ever before - MJ would benefit from this, while still having GOAT midrange efficiency!!

I was sarcastically using your own logic to prove how dumb it was. Obviously MJ was better than wade and westbrook guys. Stop shitting on great players that you don't even watch because they aren't as good as the #1 guard of all time.

Also, on what planet do you live on where Wade and Westbrook have bad midrange games?

Also, LeBron is has shot over 40% on midrange for half his damn career. PLUS, MJ took way more spot up 2's, whereas LeBron is spoting up for 3's......which he shoots at a much better rate than MJ.

[3ball]

Obviously MJ was better than wade and westbrook guys.



FYI - Westbrook, Wade, Lebron, Butler and Derozan all have BAD midrange efficiency for most of their careers - the stats prove they're BAD midrange shooters, whereas MJ's midrange efficiency and volume was GOAT:



.......................Midrange Efficiency

M Jordan. 1997 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/893/stats/shooting/?Season=1996-97&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):.. 48.9%.. 588/1202

Westbrook 2016 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/201566/stats/shooting/?Season=2014-15&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):. 36.9%.. 164/445
Westbrook 2016 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/201566/stats/shooting/):. 42.4%.. 129/304

D Wade.. 2006 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2548/stats/shooting/?Season=2005-06&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):... 38.4%.. 174/403
D Wade.. 2012 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2548/stats/shooting/?Season=2011-12&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):... 39.5%.. 115/291
D Wade.. 2013 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2548/stats/shooting/?Season=2012-13&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):... 38.9%.. 144/370
D Wade.. 2016 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2548/stats/shooting/):... 36.4%.. 143/393

Derozan. 2016 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/201942/stats/shooting/):... 37.5%.. 183/488

Butler. 2016 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/202710/stats/shooting/):....... 35.9%.. 113/315

Lebron.. 2004 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2003-04&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):.... 33.2%.. 183/551
Lebron.. 2005 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2004-05&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):.... 36.0%.. 217/602
Lebron.. 2006 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2005-06&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):.... 38.4%.. 242/630
Lebron.. 2007 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2006-07&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):.... 35.1%.. 204/581
Lebron.. 2008 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2007-08&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):.... 36.4%.. 185/508
Lebron.. 2009 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2008-09&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):.... 36.8%.. 193/525
Lebron.. 2010 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2009-10&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):.... 38.8%.. 188/444
Lebron.. 2011 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2010-11&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):.... 44.6%.. 217/487
Lebron.. 2012 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2011-12&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):.... 42.3%.. 188/444
Lebron.. 2013 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2012-13&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):.... 43.2%.. 174/403
Lebron.. 2014 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2013-14&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):.... 38.5%.. 126/327
Lebron.. 2015 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2014-15&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):.... 37.0%.. 127/343
Lebron.. 2016 (http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/2544/stats/shooting/?Season=2015-16&SeasonType=Regular%20Season):.... 37.1%.. 96/259


None of these guys are anywhere NEAR the shooter Jordan was.. :confusedshrug:






Also, LeBron is has shot over 40% on midrange for half his damn career.


Lebron only has 3 seasons where he shot over 40% from midrange - the stats are posted above, there's no need to lie or make stuff up.. His midrange efficiency has been poor for most of his career, just like Wade, Westbrook, Derozan and Butler.

Infact, those guys have poor efficiency from midrange AND 3-point range.. But even though none of them are good shooters, they're still the NBA's best wing scorers because today's wide open spacing and hands-off defense allows good athletes to get to the rim easier than ever before.

Today's wide open game would benefit Jordan's athleticism the same way, except he also had GOAT midrange efficiency, which would be a massive advantage over his aforementioned, non-shooting peers.





Also, on what planet do you live on where Wade and Westbrook have bad midrange games?


Westbrook, Wade, Lebron, Derozan and Butler have BAD midrange efficiency, especially compared to Jordan's goat midrange efficiency.. Just look at the stats above - they tell the story pretty clearly.

Infact, those guys have poor efficiency from midrange AND 3-point range.. But even though none of them are good shooters, they're still the NBA's best wing scorers because today's wide open spacing and hands-off defense allows good athletes to get to the rim easier than ever before.

Today's wide open game would benefit Jordan's athleticism the same way, except he also had GOAT midrange efficiency, which would be a massive advantage over his aforementioned, non-shooting peers.





Stop shitting on great players that you don't even watch because they aren't as good as the #1 guard of all time.



^^^ This post implies that Jordan is only the best GUARD, but imagine your favorite player averaging 5-7 more ppg on better efficiency - that was MJ compared to Lebron:



Career Playoffs - PER GAME:

JORDAN: 33.4 ppg.. 1.7 oreb.. 4.7 dreb.. 5.7 apg.. 3.1 tov.. 2.1 spg.. 0.9 blk.. 48.7 fg.. 56.8 ts.. 118 ORtg
LEBRON: 28.2 ppg.. 1.5 oreb.. 7.2 dreb.. 6.7 apg.. 3.5 tov.. 1.7 spg.. 0.9 blk.. 47.3 fg.. 56.5 ts.. 114 ORtg


Career Playoffs - PER 100 POSSESSIONS:

JORDAN:. 43.3 pts.. 2.2 oreb.. 6.1 dreb.. 7.4 ast.. 4.0 tov.. 2.7 stl.. 1.1 blk.. 48.7 fg.. 56.8 ts.. 118 ORtg
LEBRON:. 36.5 pts.. 2.0 oreb.. 9.3 dreb.. 8.6 ast.. 4.5 tov.. 2.2 stl.. 1.2 blk.. 47.3 fg.. 56.5 ts.. 114 ORtg


Career Finals - PER GAME:

JORDAN: 33.6 ppg.. 6.0 rpg.. 6.0 apg.. 2.8 tov.. 1.8 spg.. 0.65 bpg.. 48.1 fg
LEBRON: 26.4 ppg.. 9.6 rpg.. 6.9 apg.. 4.0 tov.. 1.8 spg.. 0.54 bpg.. 44.6 fg



There's never been a number 1 option that scored 5-7 more ppg on better efficiency that wasn't considered the FAR better player.

Jordan's massive scoring edge on superior efficiency is far more valuable than Lebron's 1.0 assist edge (with more turnovers) and 2.5 def rebound edge (MJ had more offensive rebounds).

Lebron's assist edge is particularly meaningless considering he achieves his assists by lowering his TEAMMATES' assists and playmaking, as the stats show (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=11709473&postcount=1).

Furthermore, Jordan scored 10 more ppg than his 2nd option for every playoff series of his career AND led the team in passing (MJ led the Bulls in assist percentage for both 3-peats (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=11713121&postcount=49))... Lebron was never required to do that - he has several series where he wasn't even the team's leading scorer.
.

[G0ATbe]

Kobe, Curry > MJ

[CuterThanRubio]

NBA.com's stats show that 99% of 3-pointers are taken with the defender at least 2 feet away, 80-85% are taken with at least 4 feet of room (open), and about half of all 3-pointers are taken with over 6 feet of room (wide open).

The parethetical descriptions above are the NBA's descriptions of those distances - here's the stats for the best 3-point shooting team (Warriors) and one of the worst (Grizzlies):



.......................................3-point attempts per game with Closest Defender:


............................0-2 feet (very tight)..... 2-4 feet (tight)...... 4-6 feet (open)..... 6+ feet (very open)

Warriors 2016:................0.6 (http://stats.nba.com/league/team/shots/#!/?sort=FG3A&dir=1&ShotDistRange=&CloseDefDistRange=0-2%20Feet%20-%20Very%20Tight)...................... 5.6 (http://stats.nba.com/league/team/shots/#!/?sort=FG3A&dir=1&ShotDistRange=&CloseDefDistRange=2-4%20Feet%20-%20Tight)....................12.6 (http://stats.nba.com/league/team/shots/#!/?sort=FG3A&dir=1&ShotDistRange=&CloseDefDistRange=4-6%20Feet%20-%20Open).....................12.1 (http://stats.nba.com/league/team/shots/#!/?sort=FG3A&dir=1&ShotDistRange=&CloseDefDistRange=6%2B%20Feet%20-%20Wide%20Open) <-- links to data

Grizzlies 2016:................0.1 (http://stats.nba.com/league/team/shots/#!/?sort=FG3A&dir=-1&ShotDistRange=%3E%3D10.0&CloseDefDistRange=0-2%20Feet%20-%20Very%20Tight).......................2.3 (http://stats.nba.com/league/team/shots/#!/?sort=FG3A&dir=-1&ShotDistRange=&CloseDefDistRange=2-4%20Feet%20-%20Tight)......................8.1 (http://stats.nba.com/league/team/shots/#!/?sort=FG3A&dir=-1&ShotDistRange=&CloseDefDistRange=4-6%20Feet%20-%20Open)......................7.9 (http://stats.nba.com/league/team/shots/#!/?sort=FG3A&dir=-1&ShotDistRange=&CloseDefDistRange=6%2B%20Feet%20-%20Wide%20Open)



The stats show that in today's game, most 3-pointers are open or wide open - this shouldn't be a surprise because with MULTIPLE players standing behind the line on every play, the defense is stretched out and can't make timely rotations most of the time.. In previous eras, only 1 player would be standing behind the line, so defenses didn't need complicated rotations and a defender could hug his man at the 3-point line easier without needing to come off him.

However, 3-point defense was a secondary concern against MOST 80's and 90's players because few were 3-point shooters and the 3-point-producing, drive-and-kick plays of today's game weren't common back then - POST-UPS were the staple of most offenses back then, so teams had to emphasize defending the paint instead of the 3-point line.

But now that teams have sufficient 3-point shooting personnel to drive-and-kick for 3-pointers (as opposed to 2-pointers), the drive-and-kick format has become more efficient than the post-up format.. This proves that the decline in post-ups is due to higher efficiency drive-and-kick made possible by 3-pointers, not defensive tactics.. In the absence of 3-pointers, no amount of defensive strategy could prevent post-ups from supplanting drive-and-kick..

Since post-ups, mid-range, off-ball and isolations were the only things left in the 80's without the 3-pointers needed to make drive-and-kick worthwhile, we can say with certainty that many of today's elite players would be lesser players back then - their 3-and-D skill sets exclude elite ability in any of the aforementioned areas..

A defender would never hug his man at the three point line in previous eras, though.

Like I said, post ANY game footage from the 90s and I'll expose the truth!

It's funny because this wasn't intended to be my gimmick when I started posting, but after paying closer attention to it I really found something I could run with.

Nothing but FACTUAL EVIDENCE over here!

No arbitrary stats, just visual proof!

LMAO!!! The first thing I heard Marv say when I started skipping ahead was "Jordan, wide open!"

The shrug game doesn't seem so impressive anymore after reviewing the tape.

http://s7.postimg.org/6bam9ye1j/open.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/6bam9ye1j/)

http://s29.postimg.org/nyye22gab/JOKE.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/nyye22gab/)

OH MY GOODNESS, DREXLER DIDN'T EVEN PUT A HAND UP! HAHAHA

http://s11.postimg.org/7iycc3r8f/wtf.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/7iycc3r8f/)

Once again, multiple feet away, no contest.

http://s18.postimg.org/chyt3z8ad/why.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/chyt3z8ad/)

Hey, look, another UNCONTESTED, WIDE OPEN THREE!

http://s30.postimg.org/htwopg3rx/hello.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/htwopg3rx/)

There isn't even a defender in the frame, they completely ABANDONED him beyond the arc, after he hit five of them, you can't tell me 90s defense isn't total GARBAGE!

This was in the FINALS, the best teams, and everyone is getting open looks with ease, what a joke.

http://s10.postimg.org/jjn9v87ol/illustrate.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/jjn9v87ol/)