The Modernization of NBA Offenses and Why Small Ball Is Here to Stay
NBA
Andrew Fenichel / Author
The small-ball era in the NBA isn’t actually about how tall your center is. What’s it actually about? Here’s an update on where the league’s offensive revolution stands in 2021.
From George Mikan to Wilt Chamberlain to Bill Russell to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Hakeem Olajuwon to Shaquille O’Neal, the NBA was a big man’s league for many years.
From 1950-2009, 51% of MVP winners were centers and 33% of top-three picks were centers. That’s not to say we didn’t have smaller superstars like Julius Erving, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant emerge during this time.
But seemingly everything changed starting in the 2010s.
Enter: “small ball.”
The Golden State Warriors popularized the term with their “death lineup” in the middle of the decade, playing 6-foot-6 Draymond Green at center and stretching opposing defenses with perhaps the two greatest 3-point shooters in NBA history in Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Small ball became known as playing without a traditional center and shooting a lot of 3s.
But is that really all there is to it? Why does it work? Is it the present and future of the NBA or just a cultural fad like crocs and avocado toast? Let’s break it down.
1. 3-Point Shooting from All Positions
The most obvious modern basketball trend has been the rise of the 3-pointer.
The reason for the increased volume is definitely influenced by analytics. In fact, it’s really a simple math problem: Why shoot a midrange jumper worth two points when you can shoot a “similarly difficult” 3-point jumper worth one point more? It all comes down to expected points per shot. A league-average 36% 3-point shooter would have to shoot 54% from midrange to justify taking a long 2-pointer.
Only one player in the entire NBA hit at least 54% of his 15- to 19-foot 2s in 2019-20 (min. two attempts per game): Khris Middleton.
Fascinatingly enough, players aren’t shooting a much higher percentage from deep compared to 20 or 30 years ago. They’re just shooting more. The league average 3-point percentage in 2005 was 35.8, and in 2020 it was…35.8. Now, don’t mistakenly claim that NBA players aren’t better shooters. The increased volume and the increased difficulty that many players shoot with, especially off the dribble (think of that Steph dribble combo step back 3 against the Clippers and Damian Lillard’s logo 3s), are factors that definitely count toward increased shooting ability.
However, zooming in reveals that one type of player has, in fact, gotten substantially better at shooting 3s: big men. Again, this isn’t necessarily a revelation. Some days, it’s Nikola Jokić’s world and the rest of us are just living in it. But it’s interesting to – well – step back and quantify it.
The prototype “old-school” NBA frontcourt was a la the New York Knicks of the late 1990s: a scoring small forward (Allan Houston), a bruising power forward that plays in the mid-post (Charles Oakley) and a tall defensive center (Patrick Ewing, although Ewing was obviously great offensively too). The “grit and grind” Memphis Grizzlies of the early 2010s also fit this prototype, with Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.
But in 2021, the classic Oakley/Randolph/Elton Brand/Karl Malone-type power forward has mostly disappeared and has been replaced by an extra wing, while centers are stretching the floor and shooting more 3s than ever.
The poster boy for the mid-2010s increase in big men shooting threes era is Brook Lopez. Drafted in the 2010 lottery by the Nets as a post-up big man, Lopez went from shooting 0.2 3s per game at 14.3% in 2015-16 to 5.2 3s per game at 34.6% just one season later. Talk about a ridiculous style transformation.
On the flip side, having a wing or guard that can’t shoot 3s can be even more of a negative for an offense than a good shooter is a positive.
Take Andre Roberson for example. Roberson, a 6-foot-7 wing that was one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA in the mid-2010s for the Oklahoma City Thunder, is a career 25. 3% 3-point shooter – and that might be overstating his ability. In the infamous 2016 Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors, the Thunder blew a 3-1 lead and lost in seven games, and a large reason was a key defensive adjustment the Warriors made against the Thunder.
The Warriors defender “guarding” Roberson would do the exact opposite, leaving Roberson open and daring him to shoot 3s in order to load the strong side against Kevin Durant and/or Russell Westbrook, which led to horrible shooting performances for both KD and Russ in games 5, 6 and 7.
Having a center like Lopez, Jokic, Kristaps Porzingis or Karl-Anthony Towns who can shoot 3s does a few positive things for the offense. One, it opens up the pick-and-pop game as a variation of the pick and roll, therefore making offense less predictable. Two, it spaces the floor and de-clogs the paint, which is great when you have an elite, heliocentric (aka ball-dominant/ “do-it-all”) offensive initiator. Which brings us to Part 2…
2. Lead Offensive Creator Height
An underrated aspect of small ball is actually, somewhat ironically, how much taller point guards – and more specifically, lead offensive initiators – have become. The days of 6-foot-1 Nate “Tiny” Archibald, 6-foot-1 John Stockton and 6-foot Tim Hardaway are long gone. It’s now the age of 6-foot-8 LeBron James, 6-foot-10 Ben Simmons, 6-foot-8 LaMelo Ball and 6-foot-7 Luka Doncic.
There are a few benefits to having a tall conductor of your offense’s train. In the high pick and roll, which is the predominant offense of the modern NBA, having a bigger ball handler that can see over the top of the defense to make cross-court skip passes is a huge plus, in addition to being able to bully smaller guards one-on-one.
“Positionless basketball” has become a hoops culture buzzword, and it’s definitely legit.
The Pelicans are embracing this concept in 2021, playing traditional point guard Lonzo Ball more off the ball and letting 6-foot-7, 284-pound Zion Williamson bring the ball up the court and run pick and rolls as the ball handler with 6-foot-4 JJ Redick setting the screen. Yes, it’s as amazing as it sounds.
The final primary benefit to having size at the “point guard” spot is…
3. Defensive Switchability
Perhaps the sexiest skill for any NBA nerd is defensive switchability – the ability to switch defenders on screens rather than play less effective but “safer” defensive coverages like drop coverage or the high hedge/early weakside rotation coverage.
In the 2020 NBA Finals, Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo, two of the best defensive big men in the NBA, were on display. Compared to most big men in the NBA who are too slow to stay in front of NBA guards, Davis and Adebayo are both athletic and nimble enough to switch the pick and roll and disable any potential positional mismatches.
The king of hunting these mismatches is Davis’ teammate, LeBron James. Especially in the playoffs, when any weakness will be attacked, LeBron will call for a high screen, force the defenders to switch, and then isolate against the weaker defender. This was a common technique in those NBA Finals battles against the Warriors, when LBJ would prefer to isolate against Stephen Curry rather than Andre Iguodala.
However, if you have an entire five-man lineup capable of switching every pick and roll and every off-ball screen, you can avoid any potential “mismatches” – both on the perimeter and in the paint.
This is why we’ve seen the decrease of “traditional” centers. Post-up offense is relatively inefficient unless you’re Joel Embiid-good, and most 7-footers get exposed playing pick-and-roll defense (think about Jahlil Okafor, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 draft and one of the best post players in basketball, who is now barely in an NBA rotation due to defensive liabilities).
In the 2000s, 26.6% of all minutes were played by players 6-foot-10 or taller. In the 2020s so far, that number is down to just 17.7%.
One of the potential downfalls of small ball is of course rebounding. In the Lakers playoff series against the small ball-system Houston Rockets in 2020, the Lakers, featuring a frontcourt rotation of James, Davis, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard, outrebounded the James Harden Rockets in every game by an average of 3. 6 rebounds and by 58 total boards in Games 3-5 to close out the series.
The perfect small-ball lineup would combat this by having traditionally tall centers who can rebound at a high level while also being athletic enough to switch on the perimeter. After trading away Clint Capella, the 2019-20 Rockets would often play 6-foot-5 P.J. Tucker at center. That’s just not going to cut it for 30-plus minutes a game.
Defensive switchability is also one of the reasons why tall two-way wings are so valuable. Wings that can create their own shot and play lockdown perimeter defense against multiple positions combine the best of both worlds. Players like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Paul George all fit this mold.
To a lesser extent, this is also where the “3-and-D” wing concept comes from. Wings that can play high-level, switchable defense while bringing the most valuable “role player” offensive skill – 3-point shooting – to the table are the ultimate companion to a superstar player at any position.
Imagine a future where every player is between 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-10, has the ability to shoot from the perimeter, handle the ball and switch on every screen. For some, that’s a version of basketball heaven.
4. The Future
So now, the questions that remain are: What does this all mean? Is this it for basketball innovation? Have we “solved” the puzzle and created the most efficient offense possible, and all that matters now is how good players can get in this system? Or is this just another era of hoops and in 20-30 years we’ll go through another revolution of NBA offenses?
The answer is, well, both. Sort of.
Predicting the future of basketball is almost impossible (can just about guarantee no one in the ’90s predicted that 30 years later the average NBA score would be 115-110 and that 7-footers would be launching shots from 30-feet out).
Unless the NBA adopts a new crazy gimmick like the 4-point shot from Ice Cube’s Big3 league, 3s aren’t ever going away – they’re too valuable and efficient. However, the overall usage of the 3-pointer will likely stabilize. It’s hard to imagine teams will be jacking up 90% of their shots from downtown in 10 years.
There’s a strong argument that the biggest changes the current offensive revolution we’re seeing will bring will be to the point guard position and scouting.
Because of how dynamic taller guards and wings are with the ball, it takes something extraordinary for a smaller point guard like Trae Young, Kemba Walker or, looking ahead to the 2021 NBA Draft, Sharife Cooper, to be anything better than a net zero defensively. And if the goal of team building is to win an NBA championship, that’s a massive problem.
On the other side of the coin, the early-career success of taller offensive initiators like Doncic and LaMelo Ball and the value that elite two-way wings like Leonard and Tatum have for all of the reasons described above are going to push scouting/draft decision-making in that direction.
The “best player available” draft strategy will progressively become “the best player available given the current style of the NBA,” and therefore a 3-and-D wing like Devin Vassell or a tall guard that can shoot 3s and play both on and off the ball like Tyrese Haliburton will be seen as more valuable than a more traditional center like James Wiseman.
5. TL;DR
The future of the NBA is tall small ball. Or maybe it’s small tall ball? Whatever. Either way it’s exciting, and the NBA offensive revolution hasn’t quite reached – well – peak small.
Research support provided by Sam Hovland. Design by Matt Sisneros.
Thinking about Small Ball Strategy
Home › Coaching Philosophy › Thinking about Small Ball Strategy
On offense, Small Ball can help create mismatches in speed and agility through on-ball screens and driving actions (Photo Source: USAG- Humphreys)
Coach RichesPosted on Posted in Coaching Philosophy, Defensive Philosophy, Offensive Philosophy, Team Defence, Team Offence — No Comments ↓
On offense, Small Ball can help create mismatches in speed and agility through on-ball screens and driving actions (Photo Source: USAG- Humphreys)
Small Ball is the name given to a style of basketball were height and low post play is at a minimum. Small Ball has evolved because a number of reasons in the modern game of basketball as the sport spreads across the globe. Obviously, at the junior level Small Ball is all about just not having access to genuine Centres and Power Forwards. At the professional level Small Ball has been the basis for a theme of play that pits high intensity and effort base game play, against the traditions of the five players, with five distinctive roles.
Because Small Ball has now become a recognised philosophy within the sport of basketball a whole myriad of strategies and layers within this style of play have developed as a consequence. The richness of strategy has now developed so far that for many coaches this is the only way to play. Therefore, there are some characteristics of Small Ball and we will explore these now.
Extended Defence
Filling a court with players who lack height means that a coach must compensate with other attributes. Some of these are commonly speed, agility and intensity. All of which make extending a team’s defence into the full court a natural progression. Teams using a strategy of Small Ball can frequently and quickly move through the full range of defensive coverage variations that are available on a basketball court.
Match-up Defence
Because Small Ball basketball allows for very similar body types to be on the court at once matching up on defence can be approached with a little more flexibility (within reason). This means that match-up defences (like zones or presses) can be used with a great deal of success. Opposition offenses must learn to truly beat a system rather than attacking the weakest player on the defensive team.
Switching
One of the fantastic aspects of Small Ball defence is that switching can be a strength, and not a weakness. When playing with like players the ability to switch in many different defensive scenarios becomes a very easy and significant advantage. Small Ball in this context allows for better defensive coverage that in turns allows a more pressure focused defensive mindset to be employed.
Run and Gun
The phases of Fats Break, Primary, and Secondary Transition can be played at a very high tempo when playing Small Ball. This I because players as highlighted earlier need to be able to compensate with some other attributes rather than height. Think of this as finding ways to compete. So instilling a pushing the ball up the floor mentality with quick shooting opportunities help work to the strengths of Small Ball.
High Post
Just because a team employs a strategy of Small Ball does not mean that all offense from within the keyway goes out the window. One of the more favourable locations through which to still generate offense from, if undersized, is in the High Post. Facing up to the basket for high post players will assist with engaging an opponent outside of their comfort zone if they mostly guarding players in back to the basket positions. Add to this high post game play like catch and shoot, fake, fake and drive, and counters and a traditional keyway defender can be in all sorts of trouble.
Small Ball provides an opportunity for teams to try to magnify their strengths while reducing the exploitation of their weaknesses. This is really an underpinning value for all teams; it is just that with Small Ball the areas of disadvantage are a little easier to see.
About Coach Riches
Coach Riches has been working within the sport, business and education industries for many years. During this time he has built an extensive number of formal and informal qualifications. A firm believer in training and development designed to help people reach their full potential, relevant o their needs and functional to their industry environment.
Tags: Basketball, Defence, Defense, Full Court, Offense, Philosophy, Play, Small Ball, Strategy, Style, Style of Play, Training
Where and how to play basketball in summer
Briefly about everything you need to know about playing basketball in summer
Author: David Davletgareev
Summer is the perfect time to experience the best of ball games. Due to the transience of the warm season in Russia, in summer the playgrounds are full of basketball fans, which means you can always find partners to play.
Basketball courts can be found not only in courtyards, but also in many parks. Now in Russia, open areas with a rubber coating are increasingly appearing - they are less traumatic than with options with a hard asphalt surface. In addition, they are much more pleasant to play (better rebound, not so painful to fall).
Basketball 3 on 3 (one ring game) is gaining momentum. Specialized streetball grounds are already appearing in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The best platform for testing your basketball skills today is the legendary Moscow “Rizhka” site, where you can play with the best streetball players in the country.
If you are new to basketball, here are some basic tips on how to behave on the field:
Learn to dribble. This is almost the most important skill in the game. To hone it, you will need training in dribbling (dribbling).
Improve your passing skill. There are 2 basic chest passes. The first is passing the ball to a teammate without bouncing off the floor. The second is a bounce pass, where you hit the floor once before passing. This pass is the hardest to intercept for defenders.
Upgrade your throwing skill. Throw the ball with your fingertips and practice your throw every time. Don't always make tricky throws, figure out which ones are too hard for you and focus on the easier ones. At the end of the throw, straighten your arm fully and keep your elbow above your eyes as you release the ball.
Practice rebounding. Rebounds at the right time can decide the outcome of a game. Your team will not earn points without possession of the ball.
Understand your role. Do not focus only on earning points - this is a typical beginner's mistake. Instead, focus on how you can be more helpful to the team.
Remember that this is a team game. Put the interests of the team ahead of your own.
Learn the game. You need to learn everything about your position and game strategy. The combination of strategy and technique will make you a strong player.
Learn all the rules. Knowing all the rules and their subtleties, you can get an advantage in many game moments.
Keep a low stance. Good defenders play with their knees bent, in a low stance.
Prepare your body. Physics is as important in basketball as technique. Train constantly.
A basketball is something without which the game will not start. His choice must be approached responsibly. To do this, you need to answer a few simple questions:
What surface do we play on?
With whom?
What is our budget?
Basketballs are divided into two categories: for halls and outdoor areas. A typical outdoor surface is asphalt, where any material wears off quickly and needs to be replaced. There is no point in buying an expensive leather ball - you will ruin it in a couple of weeks of playing. A rubber or synthetic ball (such as microfiber) is much better.
Synthetic leather balls are great for indoor play. These balls fit much better in the hand.
7 - adult balls. Their - 760 mm (circle size). These are the men's basketball teams.
6 - women's balls. Size - about 730 mm. They are played by women and boys under 16 years old.
5 - children's balls. Size - about 700 mm. These balls are recommended for children's teams up to 16 years old.
3 is a very small ball, its size is about 570 mm. Suitable for younger kids.
The ball should be inflated so that it can be pushed a little with your thumb - 3-5 millimeters. If the ball is under-inflated, then there is a risk that he descends. If, on the contrary, it is pumped over, then bumps will form on the ball, the geometry of the ball will be violated.
Rebound. A ball thrown from shoulder level must bounce to the waist. Less and more is not good.
The basketball must be round.
The ball must not have any breaks in the coating and no exposed cord.
Enjoy the summer season playing basketball!
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Basketball practice hacks: how to score goals for beginners
Even if you are a novice basketball player, we will not give you a training plan, but we will tell you why the ball flies anywhere but into the ring and into your hands. It's all about technique: even with regular training and perseverance, novice adults and children often make simple mistakes. It's a shame, let's fix it. Below are 11 life hacks on how to hone your technique to increase the likelihood of a goal for your team.
Basketball Shot Rules for Beginners
1. Hands up
In pursuit of the attacker, raise your hands, even if you are standing with your back to the pass, and even more so if the ring is in front of you. Your raised hands will increase the chance of intercepting the ball from the opponent by 2 times. Don't overlook this little thing!
2. Throw from the shield
Even Tim Duncan did not neglect them! A square is drawn on the basketball backboard. If you are standing opposite the ring, then aim at the middle of the upper part of the square, if you are standing on the side, then at the corner. If you hit this square, then the ball is at 90% of cases will fall into the ring. The law of physics and no cheating!
3. Look at the ring, not the ball
Practice driving the ball with your hand, not your eyes, develop tactile control. Your eyes should be on the hoop while dribbling and be aware of the position of your body in relation to the hoop. Then you will be able to take the correct posture, and the throw will be effective.
4. Dribble with your fingertips only
The palm should not touch the ball, only the pads of the fingers. Dribbling should become familiar to you, like an extension of your hand. Then you can change its trajectory at any time and you will have more chances to score goals. Practice with the ball constantly.
5. Throw with one hand
If you throw the ball with two hands, you reduce the chance of hitting the basket. All the efforts of the throw are in one hand (in the right for right-handers, in the left for left-handers). The other hand only holds the ball, the leading one holds it with the fingers, not the palm.
6. Do not jump when protecting the ring
Jumping is the main mistake of rookie defenders. To intercept the ball and block the shot, simply stick out your hands. When you are in a jump, the attacker will easily bypass you.
7. Don't look back
When you dribble, don't look back, but dribble and aim for the ring, focus on shooting (or passing to another player on your team).
8. Bring the throw to automatism
Incorporate the most basic basketball techniques into your training plan and bring the shot to automatism. Throw first from a distance of half a meter from the ring, gradually increasing it. Learn to throw the ball so that it hits the hoop without touching the edge.
Throw the ball with all fives and jump
Throwing Rules:
Head in the center of the body - if tilted, accuracy is lost.
Look at the ring: mentally build a trajectory. If you are far away, the ball flies in a curved curve with a maximum height of 2 meters above the hoop.
A strong hand is in front and throws, a weak hand is on the side and directs, only holding the ball. The elbow of the throwing hand must be in line with the ring.
The ball must rest on the fingers without touching the palm. The fingers are as far apart as possible and grab the ball.
Throwing arm bent 90 degrees, forearm perpendicular to the floor. If you bend less, then you get not a throw, but a throwing of the ball horizontally.
The main thing in the throw is the position of the body and its balance. Place your feet apart and parallel to each other: it is important to orient them in the middle of the basket. Then the direction of the body during the jump will coincide with the direction of the throw, and the ball will fly straight into the ring. When the feet are uneven, the ball flies in the wrong direction or does not reach (although the throw was normal).
Take a deep breath and release as you exhale.
How to hold the ball and shoot in basketball
How to throw correctly: straighten your arm, point your wrist up, and with your hand set the ball to rotate in the opposite direction from the flight.
They’re just shooting more. The league average 3-point percentage in 2005 was 35.8, and in 2020 it was…35.8. Now, don’t mistakenly claim that NBA players aren’t better shooters. The increased volume and the increased difficulty that many players shoot with, especially off the dribble (think of that Steph dribble combo step back 3 against the Clippers and Damian Lillard’s logo 3s), are factors that definitely count toward increased shooting ability.
The “grit and grind” Memphis Grizzlies of the early 2010s also fit this prototype, with Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.
3% 3-point shooter – and that might be overstating his ability. In the infamous 2016 Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors, the Thunder blew a 3-1 lead and lost in seven games, and a large reason was a key defensive adjustment the Warriors made against the Thunder.
Lead Offensive Creator Height 
Yes, it’s as amazing as it sounds.
This was a common technique in those NBA Finals battles against the Warriors, when LBJ would prefer to isolate against Stephen Curry rather than Andre Iguodala.
6 rebounds and by 58 total boards in Games 3-5 to close out the series.
However, the overall usage of the 3-pointer will likely stabilize. It’s hard to imagine teams will be jacking up 90% of their shots from downtown in 10 years.
Small Ball has evolved because a number of reasons in the modern game of basketball as the sport spreads across the globe. Obviously, at the junior level Small Ball is all about just not having access to genuine Centres and Power Forwards. At the professional level Small Ball has been the basis for a theme of play that pits high intensity and effort base game play, against the traditions of the five players, with five distinctive roles.
All of which make extending a team’s defence into the full court a natural progression. Teams using a strategy of Small Ball can frequently and quickly move through the full range of defensive coverage variations that are available on a basketball court.
Small Ball in this context allows for better defensive coverage that in turns allows a more pressure focused defensive mindset to be employed.
Add to this high post game play like catch and shoot, fake, fake and drive, and counters and a traditional keyway defender can be in all sorts of trouble.
Due to the transience of the warm season in Russia, in summer the playgrounds are full of basketball fans, which means you can always find partners to play. 
To hone it, you will need training in dribbling (dribbling). 
If, on the contrary, it is pumped over, then bumps will form on the ball, the geometry of the ball will be violated. 
Below are 11 life hacks on how to hone your technique to increase the likelihood of a goal for your team. 
Your eyes should be on the hoop while dribbling and be aware of the position of your body in relation to the hoop. Then you will be able to take the correct posture, and the throw will be effective. 
When you are in a jump, the attacker will easily bypass you. 
