You hear it all the time. The NBA is playing smaller and smaller. But is that really true?
It's a fair question, one invoked by the league's three-point revolution. Emphasis is being placed on positionless basketball, a movement offhandedly referred to as "small ball."
Draymond Green, who might be 6'7" when standing on his tiptoes, started three games at center for the reigning champion Golden State Warriors in the 2015 NBA Finals. P.J. Tucker, all of 6'5", spent 75 percent of his time at small forward for the Phoenix Suns last season while dipping his feet into the power forward waters every so often.
Khris Middleton, listed at 6'7", played the bulk of his minutes at the 4 for the Milwaukee Bucks. Jae Crowder, also 6'7", logged nearly one-third of his minutes at power forward after being traded to the Boston Celtics.
Dual-point guard lineups have gone from unconventional experiments to workaday approaches. Phoenix's backcourt seldom, if ever, featured someone taller than 6'3". Jordan Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell, undersized shooting guards at their tallest, will headline the Los Angeles Lakers' ba ...
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Article written by Dan Favale
Why the NBA’s ‘Small Ball’ Revolution Isn’t What You Think It Is
August 7th, 2015 by Dan Favale Leave a reply »
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