A three-ring circus: In the NBA, 3-pointers hotter than ever

[Tugg Speedman]

The NBA is a better place to measure this as it is a universe of 30 roughly equal teams.  College is harder to measure this because there are 320+ D1 schools of wildly different talent levels and styles.

So if the trend is to take, and make, more 3s, it is a fair bet it is a trend at all levels of basketball.  Look no further than college basketball most prolific 3-point team last year ... MU, and the most prolific shooter, Howard.

But not just a trend, but a surging trend as highlighted below.

Does anyone see a reason for this trend to reverse?  While I don't think this is a bad thing, does anyone see college or the NBA moving back the 3-point line?


A three-ring circus: In the NBA, 3-pointers hotter than ever
May 2, 2017, 4:56 PM ET

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/ring-circus-nba-pointers-hotter-47166015

Houston took an NBA playoff record 50 3-point attempts on Monday, compared with 37 tries from 2-point range. Before this season, no NBA team ever had that sort of discrepancy — at least 13 more 3s than 2s — in a game, regular-season or playoffs.

The four teams with the most 3-pointers in the NBA this season — Houston, Cleveland, Boston and Golden State — are all still in these playoffs. And there were more 3s made in the first round than ever before, 846. Back in 2012, in the exact same number of first-round games as what was played this year, teams made a combined 496 3s.

That's a 71 percent increase, in just five years.

In the first 37 seasons of the NBA having a 3-point shot, there were 31 instances of teams taking more from behind that arc in a game than from 2-point range.

The oddity isn't so odd anymore. It's happened 33 times already this season, and counting.

"We won't hesitate on shooting them," said D'Antoni, whose Rockets smashed the NBA records with 1,181 made 3s and 3,306 attempts during the regular season. "We won't miss five in a row and go, 'You know what, we're going to turn one down to drive it.' No. If they're open, they shoot it. If they're not, we drive it."

Sure enough. On Monday, the Rockets scored 126 points, zero coming on field goals from the space between the lane and the 3-point line. They made 40 baskets — 22 were 3-pointers, 13 were dunks or layups, four were shots inside the lane from 6 feet or closer, and the other was a 14-footer from just inside the foul line.

It's not just Houston that's 3-happy. It's everyone. Boston, in its storied history, had one playoff game where they made 16 or more 3s before this season — and the Celtics went into Tuesday with three already in these playoffs.

[warriorchick]

NM

[#UnleashSean]

Mid range game is pretty much dead. It's very rare that a mid range shot is better then backing up 3 feet for an extra point, or driving it to the lane for an easier shot and a very high chance of drawing a foul.

[GooooMarquette]

How much further back could they move it?  You're already almost out of bounds if you're right behind the line toward the corner.  The only real options would be to eliminate the corners altogether, or move back the arc at the top of the key, but then have a long, narrow alley along the sidelines. 

Either way, history seems to indicate that players will just keep practicing shooting further and further out.

[GGGG]

The NBA (and the NCAA) should not move back their three point lines any further.  Now that teams have figured out how to effectively utilize the three point shot (are you listening Phil Jackson?), the game is more entertaining than ever.  Taking the three point shot out, or making it less of a threat, means going back to the boring isolation games or encourages teams to play zones without fear of reprisal.  No thanks.

[MU82]

The NBA (and the NCAA) should not move back their three point lines any further.  Now that teams have figured out how to effectively utilize the three point shot (are you listening Phil Jackson?), the game is more entertaining than ever.  Taking the three point shot out, or making it less of a threat, means going back to the boring isolation games or encourages teams to play zones without fear of reprisal.  No thanks.

Agreed.

It is amazing how good these guys are - and women, too. Shooting 3s is something women - and even fairly young girls - can do as well as the men/boys. A girl on the middle-school team I coach made 29 threes as a 6th/7th/8th grader - probably as many as the rest of our conference combined - and she became a well-known "weapon" in our league. Opposing coaches had to change their defenses to account for her, and that opened up things for others on our team. It makes for fun strategic situations, and it's entertaining as well as effective.

Five years ago, the old-schooler in me bristled at guys seemingly passing up layups to throw the ball out to the arc, or players pulling up for a 3 on a fast-break. But it's now just part of the game, and very enjoyable.

Threes can be great equalizers for teams without a bunch of 5-star studs, and they can help teams quickly rally when facing double-digit deficits.

I like it that a guy like LeBron, who was a mediocre 3-point shooter, has worked hard to make that an effective part of his game. He has hit several back-breaking or momentum-stealing 3s in this year's playoffs. I'm sure that if Jordan were playing today, he'd incorporate more 3s into his game, as he was famous for isolating something to improve upon each year and doing so.

I wouldn't change a thing with 3s. I think it's one thing basketball on all levels has gotten "right"!

[#UnleashSean]

Wait is that saying she averaged 29 threes or that she made 29 in three years.