In the vibrant city of Las Vegas, the NBA Cup has drawn the big eyes of the league. However, some bulging eyes have also been fixated on box scores from non-Cup games. These scores tell a story of how the game has changed in recent years. On Friday night, the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets combined for a staggering 75 3-point misses, setting a new record. Then, on Sunday night, the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks made an astonishing 48 3-pointers. (Interestingly, the Warriors made 27 triples but still lost at home.) These extreme instances highlight the shift in the game's focus towards mathematics and away from aesthetics. The Warriors have been at the forefront of this 3-point revolution, and even with Klay Thompson now in Dallas and Stephen Curry approaching his twilight years, the 3-point shot remains a significant part of their identity. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics have embraced the darkness and made an average of over 50 3-point attempts per night. This approach has led to a 21-5 record this season and made them the favorites to repeat as champions.Coach Rivers' Perspective
Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers has observed both sides of this 3-point revolution. He said, "You know, I can watch Golden State play all night. They take a lot of 3s. [But] they move the ball. But I can also watch Boston play, and it's not because they take a lot of 3s. They play right. They move the ball. The ball moves to the right guy. They defend. They play together." The Celtics didn't win last year's title just by taking the most 3s. Their team defense and unselfish approach were crucial in their dominant regular season and playoff run.The Evolution of the Game
In 2014-15, the Warriors took 27 triples a night and didn't lead the NBA in that category, yet there was much talk about how they were changing the league for the worse. This season, 27 3-point attempts per night would be three attempts behind the league's lowest-ranked team in that category, the Denver Nuggets. Coach Rivers also noted that the game can look beautiful at times and awful at others. There are teams that just take shots without playing defense, and he doesn't want to watch them. This was evident in the Bulls and Hornets game, where poor decision-making or an overreliance on math led to a disappointing night. It makes one wonder if rule changes are needed, such as eliminating the corner 3 or moving the line back. So far, there hasn't been serious discussion from the competition committee, but the game is clearly trending in an ugly direction.Player Perspectives
Giannis Antetokounmpo entered a different NBA and mentioned players like Greg Monroe and Al Jefferson, whose low-post styles have been phased out. Antetokounmpo used to try to become a 3-point shooter, taking nearly five a game during his second MVP campaign (2019-20), but never reached a 30 percent shooting percentage. Now, he's better attacking the basket and has found a home in the 18-foot range, making him a more dangerous scorer. This season, he shoots below 50 percent in no game and has a career-high 61 percent accuracy. He takes fewer than one triple a game, the lowest mark since his third season before his first All-Star appearance. These plodding, back-to-the-basket centers have been moved to the perimeter and exposed for their lack of mobility against spread lineups.Balancing the Game
The NBA is always watching the ratings, which have been up for Cup games compared to regular-season games but down from last year. It seems the pendulum has swung too far in one direction. One wonders if the league will take drastic measures to make the game more varied and less about math equations. Coach Rivers said, "I thought last year, the game got more physical in the second half of the year, and I think fans actually enjoyed that. I think what we want is motion, movement, a physicality to the game, as well, and we like watching teams play. I don't think that will ever go away. And so the teams that do that, you enjoy watching, and the teams that don't, you don't."
