The Role of the 3-Pointer in Today’s NBA
We’re in a new era of basketball. An era where averaging 110 points per game is not uncommon, where the big man isn’t valued as much as it used to be, and where the three-pointer is utilized more than ever. Way more than ever. The NBA first implemented the three-point line in the 1979–80 season, and since then team’s have taken more and more three-point shots every season. It is considered one of the most efficient shots in the game, especially with the number of sharp shooters in the league today, like Steph Curry, Kyle Korver, and JJ Reddick.
The NBA record for most three-pointers made in a season was broken for the third year in a row this season. The Houston Rockets made a total of 1181 three-pointers, passing the Golden State Warriors mark of 1077 that they set during the 2015–2016 season. The Rockets averaged an astonishing 40.3 three-point attempts per game. The next closest team was the Cleveland Cavaliers, who averaged six less than that. The result: the Rockets finished the season at 55–27, the third best record in the league. Three-pointers alone can’t win games, but some of the best teams in the league shoot a large number of three’s per game.
I gathered some data from TeamRankings.com on team points from three-pointers, and over the past few seasons it’s clear how much more teams are utilizing the three point shot. Some teams have understood the value of the high efficiency shot before it was really recognized. Mike D’Antoni’s 05–06 Phoenix suns, who made it to the Western Conference Finals, was the first team to average 30 points from beyond the arc per game, and the Orlando Magic, during their numerous late playoff runs in the late 2000’s, consistently relied on the three ball, but it is only as of recently that every team across the league has adapted this trigger-happy trend. The league average for points from three per game is up 3.5 points from last season to 29 per game.
The three-point line has changed the game of basketball — we’re seeing smaller lineups and the attack-the-rim style fast break is being replaced by pull-up three’s. There has been discussion for years about changing the 3-point shot, some people say the three-point line should be moved back, and some say we should get rid of the corner three, which is 1.75 feet closer than a normal 3-pointer. So is it time to change the rules of the game once again? What do you think?
