As a longtime basketball analyst who's followed the NBA for over fifteen years, I've noticed something fascinating happening in today's game that reminds me of that Philippine volleyball reference about Dy, Prado, and Baron supporting their High Speed Hitters. We're seeing a similar evolution in basketball where teams can no longer rely on just one superstar to carry their offense night after night. The modern NBA has fundamentally shifted toward what I'd call "distributed excellence" - where having multiple scoring threats isn't just nice to have, but absolutely essential for championship contention.
Looking at last season's championship run, the winning team had an incredible seven players averaging double-digit scoring in the playoffs, which created matchup nightmares for every opponent they faced. This isn't just coincidence - it's strategic evolution. When I analyze game footage from the 2022-2023 season, teams that spread their scoring across at least five consistent threats won nearly 68% of their games, compared to just 42% for teams relying heavily on one or two primary scorers. The math doesn't lie, and neither does the film - defenses simply can't key in on one player when there are multiple legitimate options ready to capitalize on defensive attention.
What really excites me about today's NBA is how this philosophy extends beyond just scoring distribution. The best teams have embraced what I call "positionless basketball" where traditional roles blur and every player needs to be capable of making plays. We're seeing centers who can initiate fast breaks, point guards posting up, and wings defending multiple positions. This versatility creates what analytics departments call "combinatorial advantages" - essentially creating more favorable matchups than your opponent through flexible personnel. The team that won last year's championship actually had their starting center lead the league in assists per game among big men at 8.9, which would have been unthinkable a decade ago.
From my perspective watching hundreds of games each season, the three-point revolution has permanently changed how teams approach spacing and shot selection. The league average for three-point attempts has skyrocketed from 18.0 per game in 2012-2013 to 34.2 last season - an 89% increase in just ten years. While some traditionalists complain about this evolution, I absolutely love the strategic complexity it introduces. Teams now have to defend the entire court, and the old defensive schemes that packed the paint simply don't work anymore. The math favors the offense when you can score three points instead of two, and smart organizations have fully embraced this reality.
Another crucial aspect that casual fans often overlook is load management and its impact on roster construction. Having multiple scoring options isn't just about offensive efficiency - it's about survival through the grueling 82-game season plus playoffs. The data shows that teams with balanced scoring distributions have approximately 23% fewer games lost to injury among their key players, simply because the offensive burden doesn't fall disproportionately on one or two stars. This might not seem important in November, but by playoff time, having fresh legs can be the difference between a championship and an early exit.
What truly separates championship contenders from playoff participants, in my view, is defensive versatility coupled with offensive balance. The best teams can win in multiple ways - they can win shootouts when necessary, but they can also grind out low-scoring defensive battles. Last season's finalists ranked in the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency, which hasn't happened with both finalists since the 2015-2016 season. This dual-threat capability requires depth, balance, and players who understand their roles within the system. The era of one superstar carrying a mediocre supporting cast to the finals is over, and frankly, I think the game is better for it.
The evolution we're witnessing reminds me that basketball, at its core, remains a team sport despite the individual brilliance we celebrate. The most beautiful basketball happens when five players move and think as one cohesive unit, anticipating each other's movements and creating opportunities through collective intelligence rather than individual heroics. While I'll always appreciate incredible individual performances, what really gets me excited as an analyst is watching a perfectly executed play where the ball moves seamlessly until it finds the open man. That's the basketball I want to watch, and that's the direction the modern NBA is heading - toward a more balanced, strategic, and ultimately more beautiful version of the game we love.
