Small ball this, small ball that – but how does it work?
‘Small ball’ is mentioned more and more in the NBA as each season passes by. Why? Because it works, at least in the 21st Century it does.
This style of play consists of a fast paced offense with a smaller line-up and higher frequency of 3 point shots and layups/dunks.
A number of reasons exist as to why this strategy works.
The introduction of the 3 point line
The NBA introduced the three-point line at the start of the 1979-80 season. Coaches have placed a higher emphasis upon the long range shot as the years have passed, recognising the importance of utilising a shot which is worth 50% more than the usual. This has resulted in the current state of affairs in the NBA in which the corner three-point shot and the layup/dunk are scored at a much higher rate than any other shot. This creates an environment in which, if a team can spread the floor with elite three-point shooters the lane becomes vacant, allowing wing players to get easy, high percentage shots at the rim. If a large, cumbersome center was to be on the court then these high percentage baskets would not be present as the lane would soon become clogged with larger players. This results in line-ups which can shoot the ball well from behind the arc, rarely are these players of domineering height. It’s no coincidence that the top five teams in three-point percentage also possess some of the best records in the league; Miami, New York, Oklahoma, San Antonio and Golden State.
Speed
Replacing larger, slower players with more athletic shorter players results in a faster pace of play and easier baskets. The lack of a post-up center means an offense doesn’t need to slow down and wait for the big man to get position in the post, resulting in more time to create a high percentage shot. A faster roster also means more fast-break opportunities which allows teams to rack up big points in short spaces of time.
Lack of superstar centers
Here is a key reason as to the deferral to smaller line-ups. There is a dearth of superstar-level centers which have great post games. Gone are the days of Shaq, Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing. For most teams this means time spent on offense posting up is often time wasted because of it resulting in low percentage shots, due to a lack of quality post-skills in the league. This is the case for many teams in the league such as Oklahoma and New York.
However, in the Playoffs the pace of the game slows right down, every possession matters, therefore one of the key advantages of ‘small ball’, speed, is taken away. This means larger teams with solid front-court players can do serious damage against teams with smaller line-ups, as was visible in the 2012 Playoffs when the Indiana Pacers forced Miami to 6 games.
Creating easy fast break baskets, mismatches and high percentage shots is what ‘small ball’ can offer teams, however the team must possess elite small forwards such as Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony to draw the most from this strategy.