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110 sats \ 9 replies \ @grayruby 9 Apr \ on: Why Dirk Nowitzki has changed how bball is played more than any other player Stacker_Sports
Great post and hard to argue your points regarding Dirk changing the way the game is played by big men.
Who do think were the other trendsetters in basketball who changed the way the game was played? Who do you think changed the game at other positions?
That is a good question. I think MJ in the sense that he showed you didn't need to build your team around a center. I don't think he necessarily changed how SGs play though.
Steph Curry for sure.
Vince Carter I think had a huge influence on the dunking side of things. His one dunk contest took it to the next level.
Maybe Magic and Bird?
I don't think any other C/PF is on my list as of now.
In general, I am trying to think of any shifts in a position and I am struggling to think of any. The game was played the same way for a long time and if you found a guy with certain talents you were happy to have them, but they weren't expected.
To @Undisciplined's point below, maybe Magic paved the way for guys like Pippen, Tayshaun Prince, Lebron, Durant, and other tall small forwards to play as facilitators. I think Bird probably had a similar influence.
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I always think of Steph, but I think your case for Dirk somewhat undercuts Steph's significance in creating the 3-point revolution.
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Steph wildly elevated the value of a certain type of player, but teams always had 3-point specialists who ran around off-ball.
What I'm wondering is whether emphasizing guys who play Steph's role has had a bigger impact on 3-point volume than the fact that every position shoots 3's now.
As a slight aside, do either of you have any idea why it took so long to realize that long two's were a low value shot? I feel like we figure that out as kids.
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I think Steph showed people that deep threes need not be considered a bad shot. I could be wrong, but I doubt Caitlin Clark is allowed to take logo threes several times a game if Steph didn't show it can be an effective shot.
The other part to this is based on the role of the big guys. Back in the day big guys on defense didn't have to worry about guarding the 3. This means SGs today can get to the rim easier and have less of a need for mid range.
This was really apparent watching Caitlin Clark during march madness. When she drove the bigs on the other team could stay down low making her shots around the rim really difficult. She doesn't have the best mid range game and it was telling.
So back in the day when you had Mutombo sitting around the rim it would be advantageous to shoot a pull up jump shot rather than attacking the hoop.
On the other hand, if someone drops in to help you can kick it. There is no reason to shoot a long 2 over a 3 on a drive and kick.
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I think maybe because players had a lot more autonomy in shot selection than they do now. No one was going to tell Jordan or Kobe not to take a 2 a foot in front of the 3pt line even if they knew it wasn't a high value shot. I think players these days are more used to and receptive to all the data and analytics than players of earlier generations. Could you imagine some Yale grad calculating expected value for the Bulls front office telling Jordan where to shoot from?
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The hardest thing about watching old games to me is watching guys shoot with a foot on the line. I get feeling more comfortable from a step inside the arch, but that's different than just seeming completely indifferent to the extra point.
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Kukoc played small and power forward
Bill Laimbeer didn’t shoot 3 but was a great outside shooter. He would benefit from today’s style of play
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