07-07-2022, 10:47 PM
(07-07-2022, 10:29 PM)sterlingmallory Wrote: This. A big guy like Shaq could bowl through everyone and dunk literally every possession and his team would still lose because he would give up wide open 3 after wide open 3 and since 3>2 there wouldn't be enough possessions for them to make up the difference in points. It's what we did to Phoenix this year in the playoffs, we gave up easy buckets at the rim to CP3 and others and just out-mathed them with our 3s.
I get the idea, but that isn't how math works. Even if he gives up shots at a higher %, the opposition still has to make them. If Shaq is hitting at 70%, he is outpacing someone who is hitting 40% on 3's. Even if he hit at 60%, which is close to his career avg, he still breaks even, but it still opens up all the free looks for HIS team when the defense has to collapse to prevent him from hitting 90%... which is what would happen if he was 1v1 on Draymond in the post.
The best shot in basketball is still a dunk. No one shoots a high enough % from 3 to beat the efficiency of a dunk. Also add in the fact that it is better for your defense if the opposing team is inbounding the ball that much, vs transition basketball off of misses/long rebounds.
It is just hypothetical, but I really do think that at some point, a dominant big will rise up again and take over against these small guys. Could you imagine what Hakeem could be like in today's game? OMG! Post moves galore and the ability to guard anyone. I just think that the pendulum has probably swung too far towards the perimeter game - or will in the not to distant future. Who knows... 3pt %'s could also rise to higher leaguewide avg's to compensate.