Lou Williams did not mince words when calling out Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors for fundamentally changing the NBA’s style of play.
During an appearance on Run It Back, Williams pointed out that the Warriors pioneered a three-point revolution, which led to the current state of the game—one that he believes has become less entertaining and overly reliant on three-point shooting.
“Y’all started it. The NBA is in this position because of the style of play that you guys brought to the league and were successful in doing so. And as a result of that, the NBA, as well as all of the other leagues, are copycat leagues.”
“Once you see a team be very successful in doing something, you want to try it yourselves. And sometimes, you might not have the personnel to do the things that made you successful in doing so.”
“And now, we have a league where every single team is shooting upwards of 50 to 60 three-pointers a game because they are emulating what the Golden State Warriors created. So, pat yourselves on the back—y’all started this style of play.”
“You guys weren’t the most physical basketball team. Y’all were super skilled, had a lot of skilled guys in skilled positions. The Golden State Warriors didn’t have a reputation for being physical teams.”
“They were hella skilled. They had a bunch of guys that could play basketball really well together, Draymond included. So, when would the physicality come back? Now, the physicality kind of changed with the international players because you kind of wanted them to adapt.”
“And then, you can also go even further back to when Shaquille O’Neal was a force to be reckoned with, and you had to implement things to get him out of the paint because you literally couldn’t get guys to lay the basketball up because of his presence.”
“So, a lot of things have changed the game over the course of time in the history of this game. But the Golden State Warriors, like others, have to give themselves some credit for where the game is—both positive and negative.”
“So, I hear him, but again, this is like being tone-deaf. Y’all created some of that. That’s just the fact.”
Williams’ comments were a direct response to Draymond Green, who recently called the NBA ‘boring’ and lacking substance due to its current style of play. Green, a key part of the Warriors’ dynasty, criticized the league’s shift toward a three-point-heavy, fast-paced, and less physical brand of basketball, arguing that the strategic elements of the game had faded.
Williams acknowledged that the Warriors weren’t a physically dominant team like past dynasties, such as the 1990s Chicago Bulls or early 2000s Los Angeles Lakers.
Instead, their approach focused on elite shooting, ball movement, and skill-based offense, which led to teams around the league adopting a similar strategy—even those without the personnel to execute it successfully.
While Williams makes a strong argument, the numbers paint a more complex picture. During their first title-winning season in 2014-15, the Warriors averaged 27.0 three-point attempts per game—only the fourth-most in the league. In 2015-16, they jumped to first with 31.6 attempts per game, but by 2016-17, they ranked only fifth with 31.2.
In 2017-18, they dropped to 17th in the league with 28.9 per game, and even in 2018-19, they were only eighth with 34.4 attempts per game.
During their most recent championship run in 2021-22, they ranked third with 39.4 attempts per game. Clearly, Golden State was not always leading the league in three-point volume—other teams took their concept and pushed it further.
The real shift in NBA three-point volume can be attributed not just to the Warriors but also to teams like the Houston Rockets, who took the strategy to an extreme.
Under Daryl Morey and Mike D’Antoni, the Rockets routinely attempted over 50 threes per game, completely abandoning the midrange game. Meanwhile, teams without elite shooters followed suit, leading to inefficient, high-volume three-point shooting that lacked the precision and ball movement that made Golden State so successful.
Williams’ claim that Golden State made the NBA boring is subjective, but it does highlight an important debate. The Warriors’ brand of basketball was never just about shooting—it was about passing, cutting, and ball movement. They often declined good shots to find great ones, making their offense one of the most aesthetically pleasing in NBA history.
However, teams that tried to copy them without the same talent or system struggled, leading to a league where some teams simply jack up threes without the same success.
Williams’ criticism isn’t entirely misplaced, but the Warriors should not be blamed for how the rest of the NBA has misused their blueprint. While Golden State won four championships with a balanced attack, other teams have taken an oversimplified approach—emphasizing volume shooting rather than efficiency and ball movement.
Right now, the Boston Celtics seem to be the only team that has successfully adopted a three-point-heavy offense while still maintaining elite defense and ball movement. With one title already and more chances ahead, they could be the first team since the Warriors to fully capitalize on the modern NBA’s trends.
Lou Williams made a valid argument that the Warriors changed the NBA’s landscape, but blaming them for making it ‘boring’ is an oversimplification.
Golden State’s success was rooted in elite skill, ball movement, and intelligent shot selection, whereas other teams simply tried to replicate the volume of threes without understanding the full philosophy. The Warriors revolutionized the game, but how teams have adapted to it is what has made certain aspects of the NBA less appealing to some fans.
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