In the ever-evolving extravaganza that is the NBA, the only constant is change. With league wide scoring eclipsing 106 points per game (PPG) last season for the first time since 1990-91, many NBA fans believe that defending — like scoring from the post — is becoming a lost art. After all, Golden State and Houston, two of the NBA’s top teams, asserted their dominance by outscoring opponents, primarily using a relentless barrage of three-point shooting. The teams both ranked top-4 in PPG a season ago, and were first and second respectively the season prior.
The Warriors and Rockets are seen as leaders in recent offensive trends (small-ball to space the floor, the elimination of mid-range jump shots, higher volume three-point shooting), brought on by advanced analytics.