Warriors changed the game

“Winning is about having the whole team on the same page.” – Bill Walton

It goes against everything we were taught playing basketball growing up. Getting closer to the basket makes for a higher percentage shot. The nearer you are, the better the chance you have of getting an offensive rebound if you miss. The three-point shot is a gamble, and only to be taken when your team is behind and you are running out of time. Even when the American Basketball Association incorporated the extra-point field goal into their game, the National Basketball Association scoffed. It was a gimmick.

When the current team of film producer Peter Guber and Joe Lacob bought the Golden State Warriors with the backing of a group of investment bankers for a record $450 million in 2010, people laughed. The team wasn’t worth that much, and had not been within sniffing distance of a championship since its third title in 1975. It looked like a bad deal, until they went through league stats with a fine-toothed comb, looking for something to use to their advantage. What they noticed was that the numbers of shots attempted just within the three-point line and just beyond it were virtually the same. For what seemed like little additional risk was 50 percent greater reward. If you made half of your regular field goals and only 40 percent of your three-pointers, you’d still come out on top. Even looking at 2021 stats (44.6 percent two-point field goal average and 34.2 percent three-point field goal average, the lowest in the last five years), you’d still score more.

Golden State took the risk, trading away their best player Monta Ellis, and decided that Steph Curry (whom they had drafted in 2009) would be a major player for them, pardon the pun. In 2011, the Dubs drafted Klay Thompson, and everyone who came after had to be able to play alongside Steph and Klay. Three-point shooting was going to be their main weapon. After Mark Jackson vacated the head coaching position in 2014, Steve Kerr took over. Kerr had won five NBA titles as a player with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs, and was an outstanding 3-point shooter.

To be fair, Golden State has had its problems. There was the prolonged absence of Thompson due to injury, the revolving door of players who have come and gone, health issues with Kerr, and moving to a new arena. Yet, since they prioritized good people who are also good players, they have managed to stay stable and consistently excellent. And they’ve kept outside shooting their bread and butter.

In the 2010-2011 season when the Warriors’ new front office took over, league-wide 3-point shooting was at 22.2 percent. By 2020, it had risen dramatically to 39.2 percent. Regardless of the volume, teams were now scoring 57 percent more from beyond the arc. Leading the way, the Warriors have repeatedly shattered 3-point shooting records. They have been to six NBA Finals and just won their fourth championship under Kerr. According to CNBC, the franchise is now worth over $5 billion, more than 11 times what it cost to acquire in 2010. The non-traditional gamble paid off handsomely.