The game played in the NBA (and international basketball) has changed dramatically in recent years. Largely thanks to analytics, coaches have turned to the most profitable baskets.
While Daryl Morey, the most fervent promoter of analytics, recently left his post, Owen Phillips posted on Instagram two images of the “shot locations” of NBA teams.
The first gives the main shooting spots for the teams in 2006-07, the season before Daryl Morey took office as GM of the Houston Rockets. The second concerns 2019-20, his last year in this post. The contrast and the evolution are striking:
Several remarks, more or less relevant:
– Unsurprisingly, teams are now focusing on near-circle shots, high percentage and likely to attract fouls, and three-point shooting. Conversely, the game at mid-distance now rests in peace.
– These are regular season numbers.
– In 2006-07 Daryl Morey was an assistant GM and it is clear why he was hired. As of that season, Houston shot much more from long distance than the rest of the teams. Golden State was also already ahead.
– Spurs have the most varied game in 2020… with the Knicks. Go figure …
– Pop is known not to be a fan of three-point shooting, no wonder his team abuse it less than others.
– At the same time, the San Antonio Spurs have LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan in the roster. No wonder they are almost the only team with more than two spots at half distance. Note however, see video below, that SA does not abuse long distance shooting in recent years.
– Like the Spurs, the Knicks, the Wizards, the Grizzlies and the Pacers hardly shoot at three points on certain spots in the wing.
– But the prize goes to the Orlando Magic who boycotted a whole side, even in the corner. A militant and political act?
– On the Spurs side, we know that Pop doesn’t like 3-way shots, is that why they don’t shoot 3s in the wing? Or is the Magic outright boycotting one side, is it political?
– If we look closely at the diagrams of the 2007-2008 season, we can distinguish positions of the Kamasutra
– The diagram does not indicate it but as an expert we give you this additional info: Owen Phillips took Bradley Beal’s shot chart and renamed it Whasington Wizards, he was still not going to piss off at do that of the team as Beal takes 99% of the shots.
– Obviously there are two, three guys from the Hawks, not actually from each team, who are size 58 or they just can’t get behind a line in a corner.
– The Suns in 2007, they were playing Tetris actually. The Sonics too, but they do a lot better.
– Unlike the Rockets, the Sixers weren’t really ahead of their time in 2007. Who were the home 3-point shooters? Mutombo, Gerard Depardieu and the hologram of Ben Simmons?
– The initial version of the graph for the Kings was empty ground with an annotation “Not enough baskets scored since 2007 to get a reliable result,” but the NBA deemed it too discriminating and forced Owen Phillips to put points at random.
– It’s beautiful this uniformity. All the graphics look the same in 2020, what a great time to watch basketball. Nah, we’re kidding. It sucks. All sheep. Can’t wait for an old-fashioned team to win by pounding the racket without having a pivot that shoots from the logo.
– Vivek Ranadive reading this graph: “By choosing Nik Stauskas for the Draft, I was 10 years ahead“.
– With a few exceptions, it’s crazy how it looks like the mid-distance is lava.
– Seen as it started, in 2035 there will be more pixels near the midfield than in the racket.
– Paul George reading this graph: ” Honestly, these are just bad shots. »
NBA evolution video year by year
