Sports are not unlike life, as the decade moves on, so does the game. The ever-changing style that is the NBA can almost be seen in decades. The 70s were wild and crazy, and the game of basketball was the same. Players were drinking and smoking the funny stuff and all before the game. Fights were a regular occurrence and it hardly ever got you removed from the action. The ’80s and ’90s got a bit more civil but there was still a wild west mentality.

The game was always simple really, Get the ball to the big guy down below and if he can’t put it in, then you kick it back out. The big man was the key, the game ran through them. But as the game evolves the style changes, and the game started to take a much longer style, farther from the basket. The Steph Currys and James Hardens of the world came along and showed us the game can be played on the way outside as well and not just down below. We have learned that 3’s are better than 2’s… no really, we did. If you get more 3’s than they do 2’s you win! Seems just as easy of a concept.

The game has advanced to a point where size almost, and I stress, almost, does not matter. The size of the NBA today is that of what once was a small forward. About 6’6′ to 6’9′, can handle the ball, likes to run and shoot from distance. Oh, and the best part of the new style is they actually play defense!

This new era I will say is from 2021 – current. Sure Steph was long before but we have never seen teams such as the OKC Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers that can run and no matter who shoots the ball from deep, they can make it. Where all five guys on the floor want to play defense. As well, for a new generation team, you must have younger more innovative coaches, one that understands the young players today and how they see the game.

Teams such as the Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, and OKC Thunder are running this style and doing well, several others are in the process of making a team like this and are only steps away. The history of this run and gun with everyone playing defense style, can be traced back to John Calipari and his 2005-06 Memphis Tigers, “Memphis Attack” offense.

The story goes, that Calipari was at a dinner with a junior college coach named Vance Walberg who introduced him to this style of ball where whoever has the ball dives to the hole, and if you get met with resistance you dish to a guy a position outside the three. They are positioned in a way where the guy driving always knows where to throw as a guy should be in that spot  An example would be the corners, there is always a guy on offense running to the corner for a corner three. So if you were to dive and get met with a shot blocker, you kick a no-look pass to the corner as you know someone is there waiting.  In this offense the guy at the three has the ok to shoot it, no matter who it is, after all, three is better than two.

At the time this was a revolutionary way to play the game as threes were not for everyone, or so we were told. After Calipari had great success with this style and coaches from all over the country and the world, would come to watch him practice ( with his blessing of course) just to learn this offense.  It has evolved over the years, as it should, but the concept is the same and guys now learn from a young age to run and gun and now it has reached the NBA in a huge way.

Now even big men like Jokic, who leads the NBA in three-point field goal percentage, and Victor Wembanyama, who shoots up a three on a regular, can play this style of ball.  It is important that all that are on the floor now can shoot a three. But the most important part to the whole new scene is that every player needs to play hard-nose-on-ball defense. Everyone covers for everyone and no one slacks. When this works, it is scary.

The Cavaliers and the Thunder both run this style very well, to perfection really. They have little to no weak spots on the floor and they just don’t quit, and all play hard-core defense. If you are a fan of the game you generally have an ara you take to the most, for me it was the 80s-90s, but no matter which one it is for you, this style and this game tonight is the future of the game. My advice is don’t fight it, just sit back and watch this game and enjoy it for what it is… great basketball.

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