Learning from the current evolution of the NBA
A few life lessons we can get from watching the dynamic changes happening in today’s game.
Basketball has been my favorite sport ever since I was a kid. The moments of seeing Michael Jordan aerial moves to the basket and Hakeem Olajuwon spin around defenders filled my heart with excitement. As I grew older, I started to appreciate the game in a different way. I became more intrigued with effective shot making and smart passes. I also learned to enjoy how much the game is evolving. The NBA today is so full of unique players that we wouldn’t imagine having back then. I realized that there is much we can learn from this evolution that is applicable for everyday life. In this article, I would like to discuss some lessons we can take from this dynamic sport.
Your role is not limited to your position
Growing up both watching and playing (although less frequent) the game, I used to believe that each position is designated for specific roles. Point guards are the main ball handlers who set up the offense, make key passes and rarely score. The shooting guard’s job is to either slash through the defense, create space for the perimeter shot, or get open for the 3-point shot. Small forwards were more of the all-around scorers and defenders having the ideal size and strength. Power forwards are expected to post-up and make mid-range shots. The center, often the tallest player, is tasked to dominate the paint and protect the rim.
This is how I saw the game in the 90s and early 2000s. People would never expect point guards like Jason Kidd to suddenly cross-over and shoot a deep three, Tim Duncan drive to the basket for a dunk, and Shaquille O’Neal take a 3-pointer (imagine how preposterous that would look). We were used to seeing highlights of Kidd’s behind the back passes, Duncan’s post moves, and Shaq’s monster dunks.
However, since perhaps the mid-2000s, this all changed. Now we see point guards like Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard that lead in scoring, power forwards like Giannis and Anthony Davis driving to the basket, and centers like Nikola Jokic making assists and 3s. Shooting guards are either focused on catch-and-shoot like Klay Thompson or becoming playmakers like James Harden. And of course, there is the great LeBron James that embodies all five positions in one. Players are moving out of the past paradigms and making the game more ‘position-less’. Seeing a center take a three would now be absolutely normal. The offense can be facilitated by anyone, often we see the small forwards bring the ball up the court. It shows how players no longer limit themselves to their perceived role.
Key Learning: This transition is something we can adapt to our own workplace. In many organizations, people often limit themselves to their job descriptions or perceived roles. For example, some people working in business strategy would not be expected to have expertise in data analytics and vice versa. However, the overall work process can be more efficient if the strategy team can serve their own data needs and the data team understands more on the business to provide useful insights and recommendations. Imagine if Curry chose to focus on passing and Jokic on under-the-rim scoring, the game would have slower pace and be less exciting. So let’s try our best to have the hunger to explore what we can do outside our roles and how to contribute more. It is always good to look beyond our day-to-day work and ask, what more can I do or how can I help others? In the end, we are all playing the same game, whether it is basketball or business.
Learn from other countries
Before the NBA was as global as today, most teams relied on 1-on-1/isolation offense from their superstars. Teams would just need one or two all-stars caliber players with the latter being a secondary scorer. This is evident in the 90s where players can just give the ball to Michael Jordan or Hakeem Olajuwon to score the basket. Other players would score if the star is too heavily guarded or after getting the rebound. The EuroLeague, on the other hand, is more team oriented. Offense is mostly about rapid ball movement to set up/find the open man for the 3point shot. Some countries, Spain for example, do not see scoring as a main stat but the player’s overall impact on the game. This is a balance-scorecard type metric called valoracion that accumulates points, assists, rebounds, blocks and steals then subtracts missed baskets, fouls and turnovers. European basketball philosophy is that a win is easier achieved together.
The first adopters of the playing style would be the 2000s to early 10s San Antonio Spurs. Decorated with Euroleague players, this team ended up adding 4 championships to the 1 during the Robinson-Duncan era. Most teams have followed this style as we can now see the ball distribution in today’s game is much more dynamic. Moreover, superstar players are now teaming up in pursuit of the championship ring, as they also acknowledge it as the visible solution. Just better not let any overkills like the 2017–2019 Golden State Warriors (I mean having Curry, Thompson, Kevin Durant and other all-stars was just too much for me).
Key learning: No matter if you are from the land that invented the game or have the best players, it is always good to learn from other countries. The way sports are played often reflect the local culture, so learning how different nationalities play will only enrich our game. It will give new insight on simple aspects that become overlooked.
Dare to break tradition and prove your innovations
In the first 30 decades, the NBA could be considered the big man’s league as centers like George Mikan, Bill Russel, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabar dominated the league. The goal was to get the ball as close to the basket as possible, hence most baskets were made in the paint. It was not until 1979 that the 3-pt line was adopted by the NBA from the ABA to give smaller players a better chance to score and add more excitement to the game. This was the right year as it was the arrival of Larry Bird. Despite the extra point, teams still relied on center’s inside scoring and mid-range shots from shooting guards or forwards. These shots have high success rates compared to three-pointers, so taking more threes seemed risky and sometimes desperate. However, the trend for three-point attempts is growing much higher compared to two-pointers shown in the graph below.
From my observation, the European players played a role in this uplift as mentioned earlier. Then came Stephen Curry, who really elevated the game. I remember when he first made my jaw drop in the 2011/12 season. He would cross-over, pull-up and make the 3pt shot with ease. He even shot 3s on the fastbreak, something that make your high school coach give push-ups plus suicide runs. Now, the 3pt shot is a primary offensive option for most teams. Curry also plays more effectively, spending more possessions on off-the-ball offense to get the open 3. Players like Lillard, Luka Doncic and Trae Young have followed in his footsteps.
Key Learning: Don’t hesitate to break tradition and take risks once you’ve discovered a more effective method. Sometimes we are too familiar with the current system and way of working that makes us forget to innovate. We also followed the perceived norms instead of seeking ways to challenge current practices. Curry proved the effectiveness of the 3pt shot, changing coaches’ mindset of its risky nature. So let’s continuously challenge ourselves and question the effectiveness of our work methods.
Be Data Driven
As mentioned in most of my articles, data is the new gold. It enables us to better understand our industry and performance. This also applies to sports, including basketball. Current motion sensor and video technology can provide several data insights for coaches and players to understand how to improve performance. One of the main reasons that players are more comfortable shooting 3s is because of data science and analytics. The insights generated from the machine learning model showed how the deep-two point shot (frequently used in the 90s) was much less rewarding than taking 3s despite its higher percentage rate. The 2017–18 Houston Rockets, which ended the season in the top seed, saw that just making 1 out of 3 shots from the 3pt line can lead to more wins. Other teams have followed this approach in using data to analyze the sequences and spots for each player that lead to a high-percentage shot. Data can also help coaches better understand their opponents offense and defense to form the right counter moves. This reduces the number of hours needed to game tapes. Besides game strategy, data is now used for scouting, player trades and contract extensions. General managers and coaches can make more effective decisions with lower costs. It can also be used to improve current players’ performance and avoid injuries.
Key learnings: The NBA shows how data from today’s technology can be utilized to make game-winning decisions. There must have been several cases where this method was rejected by conservative coaches and staff that believed in their instincts. Nevertheless, data-driven decisions have shown to be more effective and cost-efficient, while preventing common errors that occur from instinct-based decisions (recommend to watch Moneyball, a baseball movie related to this topic). The evolution of today’s game shows how impactful data can be and the best users are the winning teams. This gives a valuable lesson for the everyday workplace: whenever you make a decision, whether it is a new product launch or managing your sales team, make sure that you use proper data to make the right decisions.
Evolution is inevitable, embrace it
As we can see, the game of basketball has changed. We can see players that have adjusted their game; centers like Joel Embiid, Brook Lopez and even Dwight Howard are even getting better at making 3s. There are also players that struggled to adapt like Roy Hibbert and Joakim Noah that eventually ended their careers early. I remember how rocky this transition was in the late 2000s. During that period, the All-Star game voting system made it mandatory to pick a player from each position. Since the only good center that time was Howard from the Orlando Magic, we ended up seeing Andrew Bynum be the starter for the West. Today, we can even see a 6”8 player take the Center position.
Often teams and fans romanticize about the past and end up drafting nostalgic players like pure point guard Lonzo Ball that ended up underperforming in the league. Another example is Zion Williamson, who many can agree reminds us of the 90s big men like Larry Johnson and Shawn Kemp. Although he was named an All Star and has had many highlight plays this season, I am not sure how long he will last with this current playing style. His frequent injuries and the Pelicans’ consecutive losing record can justify my doubts. There are many other players that failed to stay relevant for today’s game, some ended up moving to China to earn more playing time.
From my observation, I also see that evolution is not only happening in basketball but other sports I follow, football and American football. I suddenly realized that there are not many wingers in today’s football game, the players that slash through the left/right side of the defense or make precise crossings to the strikers. To think about it, it is more effective to set up a through ball since wingers have limited playing space that makes their moves predictable. I also saw a Netflix documentary featuring Jose Mourinho that explains his decision to move Cristiano Ronaldo from winger to striker: it’s simply more effective. For American football, I used to love watching dominant running backs like LaDanian Tomlinson. It was so amazing to see a player run past 3 to 4 defenders for an over 20-yard gain. Today’s offense, however, we can see much more passing and less running plays. Moreover, several times we will see the quarterback run the ball while running backs are used for blocking or short gains. Like in basketball, a player’s position in American football no longer limits their role.
Key learning: Whatever our industry, evolution is inevitable. We must always update our skillset and working patterns to keep up with the dynamic changes. Writing this suddenly made me self-reflect on past experiences. Before joining the tech industry, I used to believe that skills in Excel Modelling were enough for an analyst. After learning SQL and Python, I realized how faster my work could have been and much more insights could be generated. Now I try my best to keep up with current and future trends that will move the industry forward. The least-wanted state to be in is romanticizing the past on how simple things were, while missing out the progress and excitement from an ongoing evolution.
The need for change can sometimes be challenged
Although the NBA is experiencing ongoing evolution, its effectiveness is debatable due to the fact that the Phoenix Suns are now in the Western Conference Finals. This team is led by old school players: Chris Paul, probably the last remaining All-Star pure point guard; Devin Booker, the lead scoring shooting guard; and DeAndre Ayton, the classic big man that I thought would be an average role player until the arrival of Paul. Although not entirely old school, this team shows how the past game is still relevant and strong positions result in efficient scoring. Aside from their achievement so far, there is a major issue here: all of their play-off opponents were hampered by injuries. Let’s see if the Suns can prove their journey was not driven by luck by making it to the NBA Finals. Whatever the outcome, I am excited to see how the rest of the league will respond to their remarkable season.
Key Learnings: The direction of change can be challenged by showing solid fundamentals in each role. If you feel that current dynamics seem unnecessary, don’t be afraid to prove it. Do what you believe is right, sometimes all that is needed are minor adjustments instead of a total change.
As a closing statement, I would like to say that this discussion shows how basketball and many other professional sports are more than just a game. It is a representation of life, how we handle intense pressure, collaborate with each other, give our best contributions and for this case, embrace the inevitable changes happening around us.
