USA TODAY International Edition
Big men get in on three- point action
In a league headlined by dynamic guards — Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Stephen Curry, to name a few — the belief that NBA big men are a dying breed is as common as ever. But that’s hardly the case.
While those gritty, back- tothe- basket power forwards and centers might be few and far between in today’s NBA, big men aren’t on their way to extinction. They’re just evolving, following the NBA’s three- point shooting trend.
“The NBA has always evolved from different eras,” Bill Cartwright, a three- time NBA champion center who played from 1979 to 1995, told USA TODAY Sports. “( It) certainly ( evolved) from the ’ 60s to ’ 70s and then the ’ 80s and ’ 90s when I played. It went from a more physical game to a more open game. … Right now, ( the NBA has) this open floor, Golden State Warrior, Cleveland Cavalier game. It’s entertaining; it’s just not great basketball for us old guys to watch.”
There was the 1960s — when Wilt Chamberlain’s low- post dominance forced the league to widen the lane and Bill Russell orchestrated the winningest career in NBA history.
The ’ 70s and ’ 80s — when Kareem Abdul- Jabbar’s sky hook became the greatest weapon in sports and Moses Malone’s relentless rebounding earned him the “Chairman of the Boards” moniker.
The ’ 90s and 2000s — when Shaquille O’Neal shattered backboards with his brute force, Hakeem Olajuwon overwhelmed defenders with his endless bag of tricks and Dirk Nowitzki revolutionized the power forward posi- tion with his silky smooth fadeaway jumper.
And then there’s today — an era full of “unicorn” big men such as Anthony Davis, Kristaps Porzingis, Karl- Anthony Towns, Joel Embiid and DeMarcus Cousins, who have all added perimeter play to their repertoire, which helps spread the floor and open up the lane.
This season, NBA players 6- 10 and taller have taken 6,962 threepointers and have made 2,444 ( 35.1%). At this point last season, they had taken 4,387 and made 1,522 ( 34.6%). Ten years ago? NBA players 6- 10 and taller attempted 2,995 three- pointers over the course of the entire season and made 1,021 ( 34%).
Looking at some of the league’s top three- point shooting big men, the trend is just as clear.
Cousins attempted eight threepointers in the 2014- 15 season. He has attempted 264 this season. Brook Lopez — 10 attempts in 2014- 15, 252 this season. Marc Gasol — 17 attempts in 2014- 15, 197 this season. Davis — 12 attempts in 2014- 15, 84 this season.
Of course, as is the case with any trend, there are outliers.
The more traditional big men — such as Dwight Howard, Hassan Whiteside, DeAndre Jordan and Steven Adams — have taken a combined three three- pointers this season. Marcin Gortat has taken 19 over the course of his 10 NBA seasons. Tyson Chandler has taken 10 in 16 seasons.
Though big man three- point shooting is tending upward, Cartwright wouldn’t be surprised if the NBA follows a different trend a few years down the road.
“My feeling is, it will evolve again, to where now guys are back to posting up,” Cartwright said. “Like I said — ( today’s NBA is) entertaining, it’s three- point shots, it’s drives and dunks. Who knows what it’s gonna be in the next five or 10 years.”