In an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, former NBA guard Jamal Crawford gave his honest take on why scoring has gone up over the past few seasons. According to Crawford, a lot of it has to do with the defense being held back by modern rules.
“I think it’s a combination of things,” said Jamal. “Obviously, I think talent from one to 12 is up across the board, but I also think the defender is a little bit handicapped. You can’t really touch a person. It’s freedom of movement, everybody wants to see the skills of the players, but the points right now are just unbelievable."
Defenders just can't guard players like they used to and it makes things a lot easier for teams offensively when any sign of physical contact (no matter how minor) is called for a foul. Whether it's on the ball or off, offensive players have more freedom of movement than ever to find an open shot and Crawford thinks that it's played a role in the uptick in scoring.
Of course, Jamal also believes that the explosion of the three-pointer has played a role and that the abundance of shooters has made it harder than ever to slow down the team from scoring.
"I think the power of the three-point shot and the fact that everybody can shoot the three-point shot, as far as being allowed to, there used to be some restraint like it’s reserved for guys who can really shoot it," Crawford added. "Now you have role players taking 14, 15 threes in a game, and that helps to score as well.”
Between the new rules tailored to prevent contact and the revolution of the three-pointer, it's no wonder why teams are dropping more points than ever and the trend is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
The NBA Is Investigating The Balance Of Offense And Defense Across The League
Defensive plats almost never get the same appreciation as a crossover dribble or highlight dunk but it's no less important to the product of the game.
For decades now, the league has tried to maintain a perfect balance between the two sides of the game, even changing the rules several times to try and find the ideal setting. But after Steph Curry entered the scene and broke defense as we know it, teams raced to emulate the formula.
Pretty soon, everyone was shooting threes and it's become a basic requirement for every player, in every position on the court. In modern times the three-pointer is more prevalent than ever and the league has tried to embrace the change by protecting the shooters.
But now, with players frequently dropping 70+ points and teams setting new records for offensive output, they are looking for new ways to try and tip the scales back the other way.
It remains to be seen what the NBA will do to address the fan concerns but it's no secret that they are happy with the direction of the game right now and nobody should be holding their breath on any significant changes.
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