NBA big men at heart of three-point shooting revolution
In a league headlined by dynamic guards — Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Stephen Curry, to name a few — the notion that NBA big men are a dying breed is as common as ever. But that’s hardly the case.
While those gritty, back-to-the-basket power forwards and centers might be few and far between in today’s NBA, big men aren’t on their way to extinction. They’re just evolving, following the NBA’s three-point shooting trend.
“The NBA has always evolved from different eras,” Bill Cartwright, a three-time NBA champion center who played from 1979 to 1995, told USA TODAY Sports. “(It) certainly (evolved) from the ‘60s to ‘70s and then the ‘80s and ‘90s when I played. It went from a more physical game to a more open game. … Right now, (the NBA has) this open floor, Golden State Warrior, Cleveland Cavalier game. It’s entertaining, it’s just not great basketball for us old guys to watch.”
There was the 1960s — when Wilt Chamberlain’s low-post dominance forced the league to widen the lane and Bill Russell orchestrated the winningest career in NBA history, epitomizing what it means to be a champion.
The ‘70s and ‘80s — when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s sky hook became the greatest weapon in sports and Moses Malone was dubbed the “Chairman of the Boards” for his rebounding prowess.
MORE NBA:
Klay Thompson Q&A: Talking All-Star, Warriors' potential, his dog Rocco
Oakley ban lifted, but ex-Knick wants apology
NBA Development League to become Gatorade League
The ‘90s and 2000s — when Shaquille O’Neal shattered backboards with brute force, Hakeem Olajuwon overwhelmed defenders with an endless bag of tricks and Dirk Nowitzki revolutionized the power forward position with his silky smooth fade-away jumper.
And then there’s today — an era full of “unicorn” big men such as Anthony Davis, Kristaps Porzingis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Joel Embiid and DeMarcus Cousins, who all have the three-ball in their arsenal.
This season, NBA players 6-10 and taller have taken 7,072 three-pointers and have made 2,482 (35%). At this point last season, they had taken 4,387 and made 1,522 (34.6%). Ten years ago? NBA players 6-10 and taller attempted 2,995 three-pointers over the course of the entire season and made 1,021 (34%).
Looking at some of the league’s top three-point shooting big men, the trend is just as clear.
Cousins attempted eight three-pointers in the 2014-15 season. He has attempted 267 this season. Davis — 12 attempts in 2014-15, 85 this season. Brook Lopez — 10 attempts in 2014-15, 262 this season. Marc Gasol — 17 attempts in 2014-15, 200 this season. Al Horford — 36 attempts in 2014-15, 189 this season.
Of course, as is the case with any trend, there are outliers.
The more traditional big men — such as Dwight Howard, Hassan Whiteside, DeAndre Jordan and Steven Adams — have taken a combined four three-pointers this season. Marcin Gortat has taken 19 over the course of his 10 NBA seasons. Tyson Chandler has taken 10 in 16 seasons. Rudy Gobert has taken three in four seasons.
But as we've seen over the course of league history, trends come and go as the NBA's landscape alters. New playing styles emerge, analytics advance, calendars turn, the cycle continues.
As far as Cartwright is concerned, that aforementioned back-to-the-basket big could be back before we know it.
“My feeling is, it will evolve again, to where now guys are back to posting up ... Cartwright said. “Like I said – (today’s NBA is) entertaining, it’s three-point shots, it’s drives and dunks. Who knows what it’s gonna be in the next five or 10 years?”
Follow AJ Neuharth-Keusch on Twitter @tweetAJNK