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Spinoff: the truth about the NBA's scoring explosion and NBA history
Posted on 2/9/24 at 2:34 pm
Posted on 2/9/24 at 2:34 pm
I see a lot of comments about how no defense is played now compared to the old days.
It's true that when adjusted for 3 point makes, scoring was way down 1996-2004 because pace was lower so teams had fewer possessions per game. They were grinding it out on offense in the halfcourt, which was not optimal for enjoying games IMO.
But that's not true for the 1980s through the early 1990s. People talk about the bad boy Pistons but if they took and hit as many 3's back then as they do today, scoring would have actually been higher than it is today.
3 point adjusted average team score for 1988-89 would have been 120 ppg compared to 116 ppg per team today and the other two Pistons championships would be 117 ppg per team.
It would be even higher for the earlier 1980s with 1984-85 at 123 ppg.
The truth is that the reason scoring is up over the 1980s and early 90s is because teams learned three point math and offenses are geared to efficiently get 3 point shot attempts.
I'd like to see defensive rules tightened but it's not like this era is an outlier with scoring.
Basketball reference historical numbers
It's true that when adjusted for 3 point makes, scoring was way down 1996-2004 because pace was lower so teams had fewer possessions per game. They were grinding it out on offense in the halfcourt, which was not optimal for enjoying games IMO.
But that's not true for the 1980s through the early 1990s. People talk about the bad boy Pistons but if they took and hit as many 3's back then as they do today, scoring would have actually been higher than it is today.
3 point adjusted average team score for 1988-89 would have been 120 ppg compared to 116 ppg per team today and the other two Pistons championships would be 117 ppg per team.
It would be even higher for the earlier 1980s with 1984-85 at 123 ppg.
The truth is that the reason scoring is up over the 1980s and early 90s is because teams learned three point math and offenses are geared to efficiently get 3 point shot attempts.
I'd like to see defensive rules tightened but it's not like this era is an outlier with scoring.
Basketball reference historical numbers
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Posted on 2/9/24 at 2:41 pm to Diseasefreeforall
The 3 pointer is worth too much relative to its difficulty today. It distorts the game.
Posted on 2/9/24 at 3:05 pm to TheWalrus
It really isn’t that hard. Just move the line to where 33%fg from 3 or lower is the norm. Then teams will stop shooting so many.
Posted on 2/9/24 at 3:21 pm to Diseasefreeforall
The game is called differently now. Refs won’t allow you to play defense and that was a directive sent down from the top to increase scoring.
Posted on 2/9/24 at 3:50 pm to extremetigerfanatic
quote:
It really isn’t that hard. Just move the line to where 33%fg from 3 or lower is the norm. Then teams will stop shooting so many.
This would probably hurt defenses even moreso with more space for offense to operate.
Posted on 2/9/24 at 3:51 pm to JohnnyKilroy
It would encourage the midrange jumper and post play.
Posted on 2/9/24 at 4:21 pm to Diseasefreeforall
Most casual "back in my day" NBA fans would be shocked to learn that the 1980's was the absolute worst decade for defense.
Posted on 2/9/24 at 4:30 pm to PrimeTime Money
It’s a talent issue as well.
Now that the game is global it is a lot more talented than the 90’s.
The most talented points of the last 50 years were the mid 80’s prior to expansion and now. From the 90’s until about 2010 the game was watered down then the world’s talent began entering the NBA.
Now that the game is global it is a lot more talented than the 90’s.
The most talented points of the last 50 years were the mid 80’s prior to expansion and now. From the 90’s until about 2010 the game was watered down then the world’s talent began entering the NBA.
Posted on 2/9/24 at 4:48 pm to Boodis Man
quote:
Refs won’t allow you to play defense and that was a directive sent down from the top to increase scoring.
I’ve been watching a lot of games the last few weeks, and I’ve actually been shocked how often fouls aren’t called. Plays last night between AD and Joker that were borderline violent, the refs just let it go. I was pleasantly surprised
Posted on 2/9/24 at 7:50 pm to drunkensailor89
quote:
I’ve been watching a lot of games the last few weeks, and I’ve actually been shocked how often fouls aren’t called. Plays last night between AD and Joker that were borderline violent, the refs just let it go. I was pleasantly surprised
No, that can't be true. There's no defense in the NBA anymore EVAR
Posted on 2/9/24 at 8:26 pm to JohnnyKilroy
quote:
This would probably hurt defenses even moreso with more space for offense to operate.
This is asinine. The offense would have the same amount of court to operate as they do now, with just a lower percent of the court being worth 3 pts.
Posted on 2/9/24 at 11:27 pm to LSUtwolves
Raise the rim.
Posted on 2/10/24 at 2:09 am to Boodis Man
quote:Except free throw attempts and personal fouls per 100 possessions along with free throw to field goal attempts ratio have been at historical lows over the last 7 years. In the mid 80s at the peak, teams shot about 8 more free throws and had about 5 more personal fouls per 100 possessions, and 6 more free throw attempts per 100 field goal attempts.
The game is called differently now. Refs won’t allow you to play defense and that was a directive sent down from the top to increase scoring.
Obviously shooting more 3s plays a role, but teams also shoot fewer midrange shots, and the focus is on 3s or layups.
So maybe they call too many fouls now, but this idea that this is a recent phenomenon, is not only not supported by the data, the exact opposite appears to be true.
Posted on 2/10/24 at 2:33 am to TheWalrus
quote:
The 3 pointer is worth too much relative to its difficulty today. It distorts the game.
I mean you have a women's college basketball player nailing 3s from the logo today and making all 3s at a 40% clip.
Did Shaq even hit free throws at that rate? I don't know what's going on.
But the game used to be more condensed... And therefore WAY more contact.
This post was edited on 2/10/24 at 2:34 am
Posted on 2/10/24 at 7:08 am to mizzoubuckeyeiowa
49 players right now with over 40% from 3.
Kawhi and KD at 45% with over 5 attempts/gm
Kawhi and KD at 45% with over 5 attempts/gm
Posted on 2/10/24 at 7:18 am to Diseasefreeforall
They also started resetting the shot clock to 14 instead of 24 after a brick.
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