The NBA has changed in the past 25 years. Big men stopped being as dominant as they were in the past century and the beginning of this one, leaving the door open for quicker and more skilled players to take over the game.
Of course, the center position isn’t dead, and big men are actually evolving. Still, the game has changed, with the last decade showing how big 3-pointers are. With the arrival of players like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, James Harden, Damian Lillard, and Trae Young, the 3-pointer took over the league, becoming one of the most important shots in the game.
The mid-range refuses to die, but that’s an art that not everybody wants to master. The differences between the game now and 25 years ago are too significant. NBA analyst Kirk Goldsberry recently shared a graphic showing the league-leading scorers by zone in the past 25 years.
Leading Scorers By Zone, Last 25 Years pic.twitter.com/R5BbIxrRxS
— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) August 24, 2021
Curiously or not, veteran or retired players lead the association in the zones closer to the basket. Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, and LeBron James are unstoppable nearby the ring.
Like TD and Bron, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant mastered the mid-range shots. Nowitzki stands out the most in this group. The German big man is the mid-range king, dominating from every zone you can think of.
Taking things a little too far, we have Jason Terry, Trevor Ariza, Ray Allen, and James Harden. These players are well known for being consistent 3-point shooters, so this came as no surprise.
Further, Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, and Harden have made the most field goals from a longer distance than the other sharpshooters. Curry and Dame have shocked people with their range, shooting from the logo, easily making those attempts.
Last but not least (and actually pretty impressive), Trae Young has made the most field goals from the longest range. Logo shots were a thing for Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard, but Trae perfected it. This is more impressive, knowing that Young just finished his third season in the association.
This graphic shows how the 3-pointers have dominated the league in recent years and shows some players’ greatness. Dirk was a menace from mid-range, just like Kobe. Others can score from any position on the court, like LeBron James, and others found a spot on the field and made it theirs.
