We are in the golden area of efficiency in the NBA. In NBA internet culture corner 3's and free throws are perceived as the goals of any good offense and the players that are proficient at them are worshiped. James Harden and others like him are placed on a pedestal, while players like Westbrook are crucified for their use of long 2's and their streaky 3-point shooting. And they aren’t wrong.

Offenses do function better when they take more efficient shots(duh), the math doesn’t lie. Three of the remaining 5 teams in the NBA Playoffs ranked in the top five of three pointers made throughout this season, and the number one team, Houston, was just eliminated the other night. Additionally, even though San Antonio doesn’t rely on the three quite as much as the other teams that are still alive, they are still very good at it (2nd in 3pt%). On a per possession basis, the average NBA possession scores .936 points per trip, but that number jumps to 1.181 on corner 3’s and 1.171 and the rim, while a long 2 from the wing only scores . 686 per possession, or about half as much. These are the numbers, teams should be shooting these shots as the rules are now, but is this good for basketball? Basketball is first and foremost about fun. The NBA is for entertainment of their fans, and at the recreational or pickup basketball level its about the players having fun. The problem of efficiency worshiping is hurting basketball at both levels.

This is literally the worst shot in basketball

Prior to the onset of Basketball Internet Culture, sports analysis and the play style of a random dude at the YMCA were completely segregated, but as NBA Twitter and the rest of Basketball Internet Culture has become ubiquitous it has started to influence, and in my opinion corrupt, pick up games. NBA 3pt. shot attempts have been on the rise since the lines introduction in the 79–80 season (when it was seen as a gimmick) and teams have been gradually waking up to the idea that 3 points is more than two, and in a perfect world a good three point shot would end up with the same PPP as a good two pointer, and not the disproportional value that it is in today game. In pickup games I fear and have seen a similar trend to the one the NBA has experienced over the last 37 years, but with more extreme consequences.

The uptick in 94 was due to the NBA moving the line in, and back out again in 98. Unsurprisingly, 95–96 was the only time MJ shot well from deep

The primary factor that exacerbates this problem is how pickup games are traditionally scored. Across the country there about a thousand different rule quirks with pickup: make it take it, double line, win by 2, 5 hard, no fouls, shoot for captain, winner stays, shoot for it. But one of the most consistent rules across the the parks and rec centers of America is how games are score. The vast majority of games are scored by 1's and 2’s instead of the traditional 2 point and 3 point field goals. This means that if the average pickup player makes 50% of their shots inside the arc, someone shooting from behind the line only has to make 1 in 4 shots to equal him. Basketball is better when the ball goes through hoop more often, and with everyone and their brother thinking they are the next Steph coupled with this flawed scoring system, three point shots are becoming an outsized portion of the game.

The way the NBA has played has always influences how pickup ball is played. Kobe and AI birthed a generation of ISO players and now Steph and Klay are doing the same with shooters. The problem isn’t that good shooters are taking these shots, good three point shooters make basketball better, its that bad ones are, and they are still a net positive. They can miss 75% of the time, and STILL help their teams. In a full-court game this often divulges into deep chucks and cheap fast break buckets, instead of the more satisfying post moves, crossovers, and step backs of our uncle’s and older brother’s basketball. And while it may help a team win in the short team, it still isn’t good basketball.

So how do we keep basketball from becoming a perpetual three point contest? We can’t just expect people to take less effective shots for the “integrity of the game.” There are a couple of solutions to this problem at all levels of basketball, but unfortunately one of the most obvious fixes for the over reliance on the three isn’t an option for pickup. It is logistically impossible to move the three point line back at the vast majority of places basketball is played in this country. However, there is another easy fix. Play to 2’s and 3’s. Simply by making a shot behind the line worth only 50% more instead of 100% more, the incentive for bad shooters to shoot deep shots is killed. This would result in a shot chart that is much more evenly distributed.

I’m not yearning for the days of Bird, McHale and Parish. I don’t think basketball is soft now, or that it was better back in the day. The mythology surrounding the Bad Boys Pistons is fun, but in reality, they weren’t that enjoyable to watch. I just don’t want to lose so much of what makes the sport special. The patented Kobe turnaround fade-away is not an efficient shot for almost anyone to take, but hitting that shot to win the game while yelling “KOBE!” at the top of your lungs is what basketball is really all about.