Adjusting to long-range game

Three-point shot taking over NBA

LOS ANGELES Small ball is king in the NBA.

Or whatever you want to call it. The smalls are tall, often 6-foot-9 or even taller, and many of them are blessed with crazy athletic skills.

But the days of a super-sized league and dominant big men are over.

Teams must adjust or be buried in an avalanche of three-pointers. Defending the three and making the three are priorities on a nightly basis.

The Milwaukee Bucks are not immune to the trend. They lead the league in points in the paint (49.5 per game), thanks in large part to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s ability to get to the basket, but have improved with the long ball.

Last season they ranked last in the NBA in three-pointers attempted and made. This season they rank 25th in attempts (23.1, up from 15.6 a year ago) and 23rd in three-pointers made (8.6, up from 5.4).

They remain far off the pace of the league leaders, the Houston Rockets, who are averaging an incredible 40.6 attempts and 14.7 makes from beyond the arc.

The Bucks’ trade for Tony Snell in October added a solid three-point threat to the lineup, and Khris Middleton’s return gives them another player who can space the floor and keep defenses honest.

Rookie Thon Maker, currently the Bucks’ starting center, fits the trend of athletic big men who can knock down long-range shots. He should get even more comfortable as he gains experience in the next few seasons.

“The league is changing,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. “Teams are playing a lot of guys that can shoot the three . ... And also you’ve got to be able to guard small. It’s just the way the game is going right now.”

Kidd has tried different lineups, using point guards Malcolm Brogdon and Matthew Dellavedova in tandem at times and sometimes going with three guards when he has veteran Jason Terry in the game.

But he also has used two big men together in certain situations, putting Greg Monroe and John Henson on the floor at the same time.

Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau said he is seeing big lineups and small lineups featured in the same game, requiring quick adjustments.

The Bucks played the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, a team that has relied on pounding the ball in the paint to Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph.

But first-year coach David Fizdale is trying to get the Grizzlies to adapt. They used 6 three-pointers from Vince Carter as a launching point for their 113-93 victory over Milwaukee. Both teams employed the three effectively, with the Bucks hitting 14 of 26 attempts and the Grizzlies 14 of 27.

“It’s just that everybody’s 4 (power forward) and smaller are so fast,” Fizdale said. “And now you’ve got these young 5s, (Joel) Embiid, KarlAnthony Towns. These guys are doing what Marc (Gasol) is doing, except they’re young, athletic, high-flying.

“They’re shooting threes; they’re doing all of this stuff. It’s really tough to play two bigs for long stretches because the threes (three-point shots) just don’t equal twos.

“It’s what you give up on the other end because your big can’t keep up with a smaller guy. It’s not working, what you’re beating them up for down there on the other end.

“These teams nowadays can foul you, send you to the line and hope you miss one. Just come down and bomb another three.”

The Bucks’ opponent Wednesday, the Los Angeles Clippers, allowed Utah to hit 10 consecutive three-pointers in the second half Monday in a 114108 loss in Salt Lake City.

Roster decisions are being made with the new game in mind. The Bucks signed Dellavedova and Mirza Teletovic to freeagent deals in the off-season, in part to improve their perimeter shooting.

They are still hoping second-year guard Rashad Vaughn can become a threat although his shooting has been inconsistent. Antetokounmpo continues to work on his three-point shot but is not yet hitting it on a regular basis. Jabari Parker markedly improved his three-point game this season before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

Fizdale said Middleton’s presence makes the Bucks a much more balanced unit.

“He’s another Swiss Army knife-type,” Fizdale said. “You see he’s getting his legs underneath him now and they’re changing as a team.

“He really complements Giannis really well. He can stretch the floor and it allows Giannis to do everything he wants to in the paint.”

L.A. drive: The Bucks play the Clippers and Lakers on Wednesday and Friday as they continue their six-game road swing.

Milwaukee practiced on the UCLA campus Tuesday after having its six-game winning streak snapped by the Grizzlies.

“Big trip,” Brogdon said.