http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/live-by-the-three-die-by-the-three-is-mostly-a-myth/ Some great statistical analysis of three-point shooting teams and their range of offensive output. The quick takeaway? "What matters a lot more, of course, is how effective a team is at scoring overall." All forms of scoring are important.
You missed the point, because the point was almost too simple to be real: No matter how many threes you take as a percentage of your offense, you win more if more of your shots go in. In short, be better at your offense than your opponent is at theirs. If that offense is taking a lot of threes, be better at it. If it's pounding the rock, be better at it. Be better than your opponent.
Live by the three implies not so good at other kinds of scoring. Post scoring is easy baskets - most players make 50% at least. Your Korver types aren't good at slashing to the basket or posting up. Of course, making baskets of all kinds at a high rate is best. The anecdotal evidence is that GSW doesn't score well from everywhere.
You have some levers to pull if you're not good at scoring from everywhere, the big one being "make it hard for the other team to score". GSW is pretty okay at that. Of course the old adage of "have the best player" is in play too.
I think it's that if you have great 3 point shooting it opens everything else up. Even when Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are missing 3s, you're still never gonna leave them open, and that opens up driving lanes and creates more space.
Didnt Lebron pretty much just debunk this the other night?? Im more and more concerned about the 3 being our first offensive thought... or being a 3 and D team. Stephan Curry was absolutely on fire at the end of the fourth in game three and brought them back, but it still wasn't enough. In Game two he was atrocious. Why? It wasn't better offense by Cleveland. IT was Cleveland's D that did it. In my opinion, it is easier to stick to a guy on the 3 line and get a hand in his face as he takes a stepback three, but it is much more difficult to defend a quality post up guy,. or a guy who can drive to the basket like Lebron. Some might say, yeah, but its Lebron. I know the stats about the teams that made it to the conference finals and their stats on 3pt shooting, but I still think we are seeing maybe the best ever team at shooting 3's and they arent going to win a championship on their best season. Does anyone think GS can match this season or do better in the next couple years with regards to lack of injuries, domination of the regular season and record setting shooting? The best 3 pt shooting team ever is STILL not gonna win. Did that space get them a win in the last two games since Cleveland has pressured the 3pt line? Is that space gonna get them a ring? Sure doesn't look like it to me. Great shooters will have streaks for sure, but they will also have slumps and slumps are 100% unpredictable. A guy who pounds it into the paint or slashes to the basket is much more consistent than three point shooting will ever be. I am starting to question my own logic in supporting the current offensive scheme Stotts has us doing. I want more interior post presence with some defensive fire. Where's the ANGST players in the paint? We have none. With that said, I think the best offence is a balanced offence and the spurs over the years back that up.
