Three-point Revolution
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The three-point revolution or the 3-point revolution refers to the rapid strategic growth of
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA) offenses and defenses towards attempting
three-point field goal A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or triple) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two ...
s, beginning in the mid-2010s and progressing to the present day. After the introduction of the three point line to the NBA in 1979, NBA teams averaged 2.8 attempts per game. By the 2018–19 season, NBA teams averaged 32.0 attempts per game. Basketball figureheads such as
Stephen Curry Wardell Stephen Curry II ( ; born March 14, 1988) is an American professional basketball player and point guard for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Chef Curry", he is widely regarded as the ...
,
Klay Thompson Klay Alexander Thompson (born February 8, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played his first 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, where Thompson ...
,
Steve Kerr Stephen Douglas Kerr (born September 27, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the United States men's national ...
,
James Harden James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is regarded by some as one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA hist ...
,
Daryl Morey Daryl Morey (born September 14, 1972) is an American basketball executive who is the president of basketball operations of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His basketball philosophy, heavily reliant on analyt ...
and
Mike D'Antoni Michael Andrew D'Antoni (born May 8, 1951) is an American-Italian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a coaching advisor for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). While h ...
are all credited with helping precipitate the NBA Three-Point Revolution.


Background and early history

Prior to the three-point revolution, NBA teams, players, coaches and executives had mixed beliefs on the value of the three-point field goal. The three-point line was initially created for the
American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...
(ABA), a rival league to the NBA, which emphasized creativity, showmanship and entertainment during play. Three years after the
ABA–NBA merger The ABA–NBA merger was a major pro sports business maneuver in 1976 when the American Basketball Association (ABA) combined with the National Basketball Association (NBA), after multiple attempts over several years. The NBA and ABA had entered ...
in 1976, the NBA implemented the three-point line. Players, coaches and executives in the NBA at the time viewed it as a gimmick adopted from the comparatively immature ABA. However, over the next four decades, a number of players and coaches realized the value of the three-point shot as they experimented with it as an integral part of their offense.


7-seconds-or-less Phoenix Suns (2004–2008)

While NBA teams in the 1980s and 1990s had experimented with increased three-point field goal attempts, to mixed results, the
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
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Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
were one of the first teams to achieve regular season and postseason success utilizing the three-point field goal as a central feature of their offense. Under the leadership of head coach
Mike D'Antoni Michael Andrew D'Antoni (born May 8, 1951) is an American-Italian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a coaching advisor for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). While h ...
and point guard
Steve Nash Stephen John Nash (born 7 February 1974) is a Canadian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 18 seasons in the NBA, ...
, the Suns ran a motion offense that encouraged players to shoot a field goal attempt within the first seven seconds of the 24-second
shot clock A shot clock is a countdown timer used in a variety of games and sports, indicating a set amount of time that a team may possess the object of play before attempting to score a goal. Shot clocks are used in several sports including basketball, w ...
. From 2004 to 2007, the team led the NBA in three-point field goal attempts (3PA) and efficiency, with 24.7 per game on 39.3% efficiency during
2004–05 NBA season The 2004–05 NBA season was the 59th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It began on November 2, 2004, and ended on June 23, 2005. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs defeating the defending champion Detroit Pistons, 4� ...
, 25.6 3PA per game on 39.9% efficiency during the
2005–06 NBA season The 2005–06 NBA season was the 60th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Miami Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, four games to two, to win their first NBA championship. This marked that it was the final ...
, and 24.0 3PA per game on 39.9% efficiency during the
2006–07 NBA season The 2006–07 NBA season was the 61st season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The San Antonio Spurs were crowned the champions after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. Notable occurrences *The first NBA draft und ...
. From 2004 to 2007, the Phoenix Suns averaged a league-best 58 wins, tying a then-franchise record with 62 wins in the 2004-05 NBA season. Nash won consecutive NBA MVP awards in the 2004–05 and 2005-06 NBA seasons. Meanwhile, D'Antoni was named the 2004–05
NBA Coach of the Year The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who l ...
. From 2004 to 2008, league average 3PA per game increased from 15.8 to 18.1, and three-point field goal efficiency (3P%) increased from 34.7% to 36.7%.
Steve Kerr Stephen Douglas Kerr (born September 27, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the United States men's national ...
was hired as the Suns' general manager in 2008, and remained until 2010.


Emergence of the Golden State Warriors


2010s: The Stephen Curry effect

Point guard
Stephen Curry Wardell Stephen Curry II ( ; born March 14, 1988) is an American professional basketball player and point guard for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Chef Curry", he is widely regarded as the ...
and the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
are largely credited as the pioneers of the three-point revolution. Drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the 2009 NBA Draft, 7th overall, Curry was considered the best three-point shooter in his draft class, and by the end of the 2012–13 season, was considered one of the best three point shooters in NBA history, when he broke the record for three-field goals made in a single season with 272. Curry's shooting efficiency from well-behind the three-point line, and his versatility shooting off-the-dribble or in-motion, made him a singular offensive talent in the history of the NBA. Golden State's personnel moves have all sought to leverage the shooting ability of Curry into team success. In 2011, Golden State reaffirmed their prioritization of the three-point shot by drafting shooting guard
Klay Thompson Klay Alexander Thompson (born February 8, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played his first 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, where Thompson ...
11th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. Like Curry, Thompson was also regarded as the best three-point shooter in his draft class. His shooting ability created space for offense from Curry and others, as opposing defenses were forced to stay attached to both Thompson and Curry, to avoid giving up an open three-point shot from either of the guards. Thompson also exceled as a perimeter defender, preventing opposing players from creating open three-point shots for themselves and others. A year later, the Golden State Warriors drafted another complementary player in the 2012 NBA Draft in forward
Draymond Green Draymond Jamal Green (born March 4, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Green, who plays primarily at the Power forward (basketball), power forward pos ...
. Drafted 35th overall, Green was not considered a three-point shooter, but added immense value on both sides of the court. Offensively, Green's basketball intelligence meant he was responsible for passing the ball in the Warriors' halfcourt offense, misdirecting defenses to create open three-point opportunities for Curry and Thompson. At 6'6, 230 lbs, Green was strong enough to guard larger forwards and centers, but still quick enough to guard faster forwards and guards who relied on the three-point shot. Green's basketball intelligence was valuable defense too, as he could often be seen reading offensive plays early, and directing teammates on defense to stop opposing players from generating open three-point shots. The chemistry between Curry, Thompson and Green was good enough to produce playoff berths in the 2012–13 and 2013–14 NBA seasons, however, the Warriors did not excel in 3PA or 3P% either of those years, finishing in the middle of the league in both categories. After early playoff losses in both of those seasons, Warriors leadership opted to replace head coach
Mark Jackson Mark A. Jackson (born April 1, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the St. John's Red Storm and was selected by the New ...
with
Steve Kerr Stephen Douglas Kerr (born September 27, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the United States men's national ...
. Kerr implemented a motion offense similar to that in Phoenix, built around shooting, ball movement, cutting and finding the open man. In his first season with the team, Kerr coached the Warriors to a 67–15 regular season record, a then-franchise record, and Stephen Curry would win his first NBA MVP award. The Warriors' 27.0 3PA per game ranked only fifth in the 2014–15 regular season, but their efficiency, 39.8%, was the best in the league during the regular season. In the playoffs, the Warriors would win their first championship in 40 years with a 4–2 victory over
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...
and the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...
. The Warriors' dominance carried over into the 2015–16 season, during which they would record a regular season record of 73–9 the most regular season wins by any team in NBA history. Again, Curry would win NBA MVP honors, this time in a unanimous vote. During their record-setting season the Warriors attempted the most three point shots per game with 31.6, and again lead the league in 3P% with a near-record 41.6%. During this season, the Warriors routinely beat opposing teams by double digits, averaging a point differential of 10.76, the 7th highest in NBA history. Opposing teams had yet to figure out how to defend all of Golden State's shooters, and the defensive tandem of Green and Thompson often proved suffocating for opposing teams. The Warriors' 2015–16 season was punctuated with Game 7 loss to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, after losing a 3 games to 1 lead in the 2016 NBA Finals. By this point, opposing teams like the Cavaliers had identified three-point shooting as the only way to compete with the Warriors, and signed three-point specialists to their roster such as J.R. Smith and
Kevin Love Kevin Wesley Love (born September 7, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time All-Star and a two-time member of the All-NBA Second Team, winning an N ...
. After a Game 7 loss in the NBA finals, the Warriors further improved the shooting versatility on their roster by signing former MVP
Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Durant has won two List of NBA champions, NBA champ ...
, who averaged 4.9 three point attempts per game on 38.5% efficiency for his career. Kevin Durant was considered one of the best players and three point shooters in the NBA, and the Warriors would surpass their previous point differential of 10.76 in the 2015–16 regular season, improving to 11.63 for the 2016–17 NBA season. In the 2016–17 NBA season the Warriors recorded 31.2 3PA per game on 38.3% efficiency on their way to another NBA championship at the expense of Lebron and the Cavaliers, despite the Cavaliers posting higher 3PA per game on better 3P%. In the 2017–18 season, the Warriors recorded 28.9 3PA on 39.1% efficiency, winning another championship at the expense of the Cavaliers. In the 2018–19 season, the Warriors recorded 34.4 3PA per game on 38.5% shooting, but injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson in the
2019 NBA Finals The 2019 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2018–19 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In the best-of-seven playoff series held from May 30 through June 13, 2019, the Eastern ...
would mean a 4–2 loss to the
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
. Durant left the Warriors in the offseason, signing with the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
.


2020s: League-wide response

The emergence of the Golden State Warriors as the most dominant team in the NBA would prompt teams in both the Eastern and Western Conferences to search for and cultivate three-point shooting talent in an effort to compete with the Warriors. While none of these teams ever saw the success of the Warriors, their adoption of the three-point offense did improve overall pace and efficiency of NBA basketball, and became a fixture of the league. A number of teams surpassed the Warriors' three-point shooting statistics during their championship runs – most notably the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
, led by general manager
Daryl Morey Daryl Morey (born September 14, 1972) is an American basketball executive who is the president of basketball operations of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His basketball philosophy, heavily reliant on analyt ...
, recorded an NBA record 45.4 3PA per game on 35.6% efficiency in the 2018–19 NBA season, and 45.3 3PA per game on 34.5% efficiency in the 2019–20 NBA season.{{Cite web , title=2019-20 NBA Season Summary , url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2020.html , access-date=2023-06-21 , website=Basketball-Reference.com , language=en


References

National Basketball Association 2010s in basketball 2020s in basketball