(CNN Philippines) — The way the game is played in the NBA has drastically changed in the last few years.
Three-point shooting has become a crucial part of how a squad operates. Advanced statistics and analytics showed that it is a vital tool to success.
This is why guards like Steph Curry, James Harden, and Damian Lillard are thriving in this era of spacing and ball movement.
With the changing times, NBA teams are looking for big guys who can pull up from beyond the arc.
Back in the day, forwards and centers were trained to post up in the paint, defend, and grab the rebounds.
Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, and Tim Duncan are perfect examples of the old school big men. They bang bodies in the shaded area so they can score closer to the basket and serve as anchors on defense.
Today, the new generation of bigs are more agile, equipped with precise court vision, and have a decent outside touch.
Nikola Jokić, who just led the Denver Nuggets to their first NBA title in the franchise’s 47-year history, brought the importance of having a talented traditional center back to the limelight.
READ: Nuggets wrap up first NBA title with win over Heat
The 6-foot-11 Serbian can do it all on the hardcourt. He can post up, dish nifty passes, dominate the board, and shoot threes at a higher than usual percentage for his position. The two-time league Most Valuable Player is a triple-double machine that any teammate would be ecstatic to play with.
What makes Jokić, a future first ballot Hall of Famer, special is he can affect the many aspects of a match without much buzz. He simply gets the job done.
The Nuggets’ path to the mountaintop was as steep as it could get. It took them years for a generational star like Jokić and gutsy guard Jamal Murray to capture the elusive crown.
After Denver’s triumph, other NBA teams will re-assess their rosters and complement their shooters with someone similar to Jokić.
The small ball strategy will stay in the NBA. It worked in the past and probably will in the future. But at the end of the day, basketball will always be a game of giants.
