Few knew it at the time, but the 2004-05 Phoenix Suns — most specifically Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire — were poised to change the stratosphere of the entire NBA through their pick-and-roll synergy. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton and Kevin Arnovitz chronicled their saga towards creating the “single most important play in the NBA,” and some of its biggest beneficiaries, Blazers star Damian Lillard included.
In the article’s opening caption, they illustrated how the ball screens helped Lillard gain attention prior to the 2012 NBA Draft board. He was the NCAA’s most efficient pick-and-roll scorer (1.