NBA: the era of three-pointers

It seems that in modern NBA basketball, if a team does not have at least three good three-point shooters, its chances of winning are significantly reduced. In this modern era of basketball, long distance shots determine the outcome of games and championships.

Image from CBS Sports

Already the era of Slam Dunk, mid-range shots and strong body-to-body scoring seem to have taken a back seat to the determination of long-range shots. It reminded me of a time when only a couple of tall, strong players were needed to grab rebounds and score points around the rim, while three-pointers were extreme options, used by specialists, usually the shortest players on the team.

In modern basketball now the tallest and strongest of the teams must be more integral: not only grabbing rebounds, and scoring from around the rim, they must also be accurate in shooting behind the perimeter line, which determines whether a score is a two or three-pointer. As you can see this style of player definitely changed the strategy in the best basketball in the world.

This style of play is influenced by European and Argentinean players, who in the Athens and Beijing Olympics managed to decipher the style of the players of the so-called Dream Team of the United States composed of NBA players, always used to win the gold medal in these events. In both events, Europeans and Argentineans discovered that with a zone defense and long distance shooting it is possible to beat NBA players.

Obviously the NBA learned the lesson, opened the door to tall European players with good ball handling skills and good three-point shooting percentages, Luka Doncic being the maximum expression of this new era of long distance superstars coming from Europe. But also from the United States the influence of three-pointers is being felt with James Hardem and Steve Curry as the best exponents in the best basketball on the planet.

This evolution of basketball was necessary, the influence of foreign players in the NBA offers another vision to the game and new ways to see this sport. What will the NBA have in store for the future, I think that maybe they will move away from the line of three pointers because those far away shots that hit the baskets are no longer surprising, we will see in the future where this era of three pointers will go.