Pace and Space: shooting skills and state of play in the modern NBA

As seen through examining draft selections, lineup changes and the best players in the NBA throughout different eras of NBA basketball, the progression and evolution of the physical measurables required by NBA players is clearly obvious

As seen through examining draft selections, lineup changes and the best players in the NBA throughout different eras of NBA basketball, the progression and evolution of the physical measurables required by NBA players is clearly obvious.

HT Image

However, these changes in talent selection from a physical standpoint have come about as various NBA coaches and franchises have undergone a drastic change in game tactics and strategy.

For example, recently Stephen Curry became just the third player in NBA history to make 2,500 career 3-pointers, along with historical sharpshooters Ray Allen and Reggie Miller.

Most notable in Curry’s accomplishment was that it took him 702 games to hit the landmark of 2,500 3-pointers, while it took Reggie Miller 1,288 games and Ray Allen 1,021 games.

While each of these players is generally regarded as among the pantheon of the greatest NBA shooters, what leads to such a wide discrepancy in the number of games it took them to reach 2,500 made 3-pointers?

Looking closely at the evolution of game strategy throughout the eras and it provides a clear answer.

The earlier eras of the NBA emphasised an extreme pace of play, as well as shots close to the basket.

In the 1970s, big men like Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were dominant due to their ability to convert a high percentage of dunks and shots close to the basket.

With the introduction of the 3-point line to the NBA game in 1979, a high pace was still prioritised with almost 20 teams playing more than 100 possessions per game consistently throughout the 1980s’ decade, dominated by Magic’s Lakers and Bird’s Celtics.

As basketball shifted towards more deliberate isolation play with the dominating play of Michael Jordan’s and Scottie Pippen’s Chicago Bulls, the pace of the game slowed considerably.

The presence of big men who could dominate in the paint with a slower tempo game, combined with the presence of defenses allowed to “hand check” meant that by the early 90s and throughout the decade, pace had slowed considerably to such a level that there were no teams playing more than 100 possessions per game by 1999.

The early 2000s’ Lakers’ dynasty of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant won championships while never exceeding 94 possessions per game, and the Detroit Pistons ended the Lakers dynasty with an average pace of 88 possessions per game.

This methodical and deliberate playing style was not conducive to a lot of 3-point attempts that could be generated by players playing in the open court.

In the mid-2000s, the slow pace of play throughout the NBA (90.5 possessions per game) led to an average of 16 3-point attempts per game by each team.

With the increased pace of play in the current era (2019 featured 102 possessions per game), there has been a dramatic spike in the number of 3-point attempts per team to almost 32 each game.

Hence, the term for the current era of basketball is “pace and space”, referring to teams that play a high pace and space their 3-point shooters all around the court.

As the NBA has evolved from this methodical playing style to a more free-flowing game, there has clearly been an uptick in 3-point attempts, as well as an extreme focus on individual player’s offensive efficiency, therefore, also prioritising shots close to the basket.

This evolution has led to players re-writing the record books with regards to 3-point shooting volume and makes, which has drastically altered the skills necessary to play in the NBA today.