Snakebites wrote:Manocad wrote:Snakebites wrote:Ah okay. Easy answer there. The answer to that question is no, because there's also a value to unpredictability. If everyone shot nothing but threes there would be less incentive to guard anything else.
Ironically Kevin Durant is a prime example of this- he's been absolutely feasting in the mid range (in addition to his outside shooting) because most defensive strategies emphasize guarding the paint and the perimeter for efficiency reasons. The mid range will never be the primary way a team or player scores again because in vacuum it's objectively less efficient, but it'll always exist at some level, as well scoring in the paint, of course.
Still, a high end scorer that prominently uses the 3 point shot and does so effectively is going to be more efficient than the player who tries to score closer to the basket- those shots are by definition more efficient per attempt. That'll be true for any player who is a focal point of the offense. There will always, of course, be roles for guys like Clint Capela who only take a shot attempt when they have a point blank dunk, usually gotten either off an offensive rebound or a setup from a more talented big man.
Unless it's Wilt Chamberlain shooting 70% from the field and averaging 50 points a game.
He never did both. Not even by half. That's just disingenuous.
That's fair. I'll go with 50 PPG and a .506 FG % in the same season followed by 45 PPG and .528 the following year. By comparison, Durant's best seasons were 32 PPG at .503 and 25 PPG at .537. Same shooting percentages, and I kinda like 50/45 vs 32/25. Oh yeah, let's not forget those 20+ boards as well as the blocks for Wilt. Durant is an average defensive player at best; he's a 7-footer with career 7.1 RPG and 1.1 BPG. He has a championship ring for one reason and one reason only--he went to a loaded team. He's a great offensive player of his generation but he's only offense.
Basically, I don't look at this as a "today's NBA" debate. Great players are great players. I don't think that "This is what teams are focusing on now" has any bearing on what players throughout history, if assembled on the same team today, would make an all time great team.