The Golden State Warriors built a dynasty based on a mathematical fact so rudimentary it’s obvious to preschoolers: Three points are more than two. This elementary idea catalyzed a revolution—and the analytics of efficient decision-making overtook NBA strategy.

In the NFL, there isn’t one single inefficiency—like the underuse of a 3-point line far away from the basket—to exploit. So as analytics-driven efficiency boomed in the NBA, the NFL experienced no such upheaval.

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