Gregg Popovich: Three-Pointers Are Non-Basketball Circus

[RealGM Wiretap]

Gregg Popovich continued to voice his displeasure over how the three-pointer has changed basketball.

"I still hate it," Popovich told reporters before the Spurs' 97-94 loss to the Toronto Raptors. "I'll never embrace it. I don't think it's basketball. I think it's kind of like a circus sort of thing. Why don't we have a 5-point shot? A 7-point shot? You know, where does it stop, that sort of thing.

"But that's just me, that's just old-school. To a certain degree, you better embrace it or you're going to lose. And every time we've won a championship, the 3-point shot was a big part of it. Because it is so powerful and you've gotta be able to do it. And nobody does it better than Golden State, and you know where they're at. So it's important. You can't ignore it."

The Spurs won the Finals in 2014 in large part due to their use of the three-pointer.

"I can't be stubborn just because I personally don't like it and think it mucks up the game. ... I still hate it," said Popovich after the 2014 Finals.

Via ESPN

[Starks]

+1000

[Jaivl]

-1000

[dicrapio]

-1
You absolutely need to hone to stay ahead of the game, but it's Greggy so I don't mind. He does have a point. It is circus-y/horse-y.
It should be acknowledged as a skill, regardless; it's a skill that is, by its own right, pretty respectable.

[oaktownwarriors87]

Go to a circus and you're more likely to see a 7 foot giant with very little basketball skills than a guy that can shoot a 3 pointer.

Just sayin'

[Rated T By CBRA]

Funny thing is, majority (if not all) of the players in the league right now never played the game of basketball WITHOUT the 3 point shot. To them the idea of NOT having it is probably ridiculous.

[Quotatious]

I would've NEVER expected Pop to say that, considering how much emphasis he puts on spacing and ball movement...

[madmaxmedia]

I wonder if not shortening the line in the corner would balance it out a bit (that is, just have the 3 point line end at the sideline about 10 feet in from the baseline.)

I like that the 3-point shot creates some spacing in the game, but not to the point where it strategically dominates the game.

[anatomicbomb]

ILY

[AJVLANEY]

He definitely acknowledged that now it is a necessary part to winning games and it is a skill but it definitely changed the game immensely in a way that I personally don't like either. The three point shot which isn't necessarily the easiest shot becomes the best shot in certain situations which really irks me.

[JonFromVA]

Not to put words in the man's mouth, but I imagine his issue here is that the 3pt line rewards a fundamentally bad decision (taking a lower % shot). It's counter-intuitive and something the ABA (that circus league with the rainbow balls) added to increase the entertainment value of their product.

[hyberx]

Yeah Pop. Why does such a skilled shot even exist? Why can't we have a team full of 7 foot giants elbowing each others under the basket trying to jam the ball into the hoop without even jumping? Whyyyyyyyy!

To be honest, it's just a good old coach who is trying to get some leverage amit this new trend (that actually wins the ring) started by the Warriors. Bravo pop.

[Johnny Firpo]

Yeah Pop. Why does such a skilled shot even exist? Why can't we have a team full of 7 foot giants elbowing each others under the basket trying to jam the ball into the hoop without even jumping? Whyyyyyyyy!

To be honest, it's just a good old coach who is trying to get some leverage amit this new trend (that actually wins the ring) started by the Warriors. Bravo pop.

I don't think that trend was started by the Warriors.

[malgus]

I'd like to see the half court line be a 4 point shot.

Good idea Pop.

[EddieJonesFan]

I think what's important is that neither the long range shot, nor the short range shot dominate the game too much. You want diversity of skills and talent, not oversaturation of jumpshooters or low-post bullies. I think the 90's rules were just fine and helped promote diverse skills, but they changed it and coincidentally the league hasn't had many dominant low post players since. Everyone has to be a jump shooter now. In not much time, the 3pt shot will become one of the standard categories that even centers are judged by.

[Cassius]

Funny thing is, majority (if not all) of the players in the league right now never played the game of basketball WITHOUT the 3 point shot. To them the idea of NOT having it is probably ridiculous.

I don't know about that. I'm in my 30s and we didn't have a three point line until we started playing in high school. And even then, when I play pickup, a lot of times we avoid counting three's (esp. in the halfcourt) because nobody wants to argue about toes on the line and that crap. The shot has largely changed the game from an art form to a science. If anything, they should move the line even further back until the EFG% gets a little more balanced.

i.e. a 33% 3pt shooter = 50% fg shooter, let's make the shot so hard that you have to hit almost 40% for the league average EFG% to really even out.

It would be really interesting to see what would happen if the corner 3 were kept constant, but they moved the arch out to 25 feet even from the current 23'9". The Rip Hamilton's of the world would have so much midrange room to operate in, we might see a renaissance in terms of how the game is played between the elbows and the 3pt line.

[ratrac]

Funny thing is, majority (if not all) of the players in the league right now never played the game of basketball WITHOUT the 3 point shot. To them the idea of NOT having it is probably ridiculous.

I don't know about that. I'm in my 30s and we didn't have a three point line until we started playing in high school. And even then, when I play pickup, a lot of times we avoid counting three's (esp. in the halfcourt) because nobody wants to argue about toes on the line and that crap. The shot has largely changed the game from an art form to a science. If anything, they should move the line even further back until the EFG% gets a little more balanced.

i.e. a 33% 3pt shooter = 50% fg shooter, let's make the shot so hard that you have to hit almost 40% for the league average EFG% to really even out.

It would be really interesting to see what would happen if the corner 3 were kept constant, but they moved the arch out to 25 feet even from the current 23'9". The Rip Hamilton's of the world would have so much midrange room to operate in, we might see a renaissance in terms of how the game is played between the elbows and the 3pt line.

In general while that is true, you are much more likely to get fouled when you're taking a 2 point shot, thus adding the intangible value to the shot (it should be possible to account what the real equation would be when you consider the FT rate and made shots from there, but still the element of the opposing player having foul trouble is left out).

[knicksup19]

Funny thing is, majority (if not all) of the players in the league right now never played the game of basketball WITHOUT the 3 point shot. To them the idea of NOT having it is probably ridiculous.

I don't know about that. I'm in my 30s and we didn't have a three point line until we started playing in high school. And even then, when I play pickup, a lot of times we avoid counting three's (esp. in the halfcourt) because nobody wants to argue about toes on the line and that crap. The shot has largely changed the game from an art form to a science. If anything, they should move the line even further back until the EFG% gets a little more balanced.

i.e. a 33% 3pt shooter = 50% fg shooter, let's make the shot so hard that you have to hit almost 40% for the league average EFG% to really even out.

It would be really interesting to see what would happen if the corner 3 were kept constant, but they moved the arch out to 25 feet even from the current 23'9". The Rip Hamilton's of the world would have so much midrange room to operate in, we might see a renaissance in terms of how the game is played between the elbows and the 3pt line.

the fact someone can shoot 50% from 2 and be equally as efficient as some one who shoots 33% from three is ridiculous especially given that 50% from 2 is consider great and 33% is considered low from 3.

I'm not against the 3 ball but I certainly hate the trajectory of its revealancy in basketball

[The_Hater]

And then there's Byron Scott, quoted last year saying 'I don't believe 3 pointers win championships'.

Pop gets it, Scott remains in the dark ages.

[Ballerhogger]

And then there's Byron Scott, quoted last year saying 'I don't believe 3 pointers win championships'.

Pop gets it, Scott remains in the dark ages.

Sad but true