Letter From The Coach
by Coach Nick (@bballbreakdown)
I don’t think an off season has ever felt longer than
the summer of 2015. From the time we coronated the
Golden State Warriors, through Vegas Summer League,
and the Banana Boat saga of DeAndre Jordan, this
purgatory seemed to stretch on endlessly.
And just like that, we’re here - opening night is upon
us, and we have a totally new landscape to behold. After
years of talking about “pace and space” and “3 point
shooting” we are finally seeing these principles take hold
across the league. Everyone wants to go small, everyone
wants to shoot more 3s, and everyone wants to play fast.
too many 3s.
And that’s what we’re here for. We’ll be breaking
down the game into its parts, analyzing the numbers, and
giving you educated and rational explanations for what’s
working and what’s not. And this year, it’ll be on a daily
basis. Our original editor in chief Mark Deeks threw a
no look alley oop to our newest EIC Jesse Blanchard, and
Jesse threw it down!
Our popularity has surged in the last few months,
and it’s thanks to the incredible work that Jesse and all
of our talented contributors have been doing. We have
When people ask me just how many 3’s a game will
raised the bar for intelligent NBA discussion, and brought
teams get up to, my answer is always: “Heck, if they’re
more people into the conversation than I ever thought
good, open shots in rhythm, take ‘em all from back there.” possible.
Of course, there will be a limit and there will be a team
You In?
soon that shows us what a mess it can be when you take
Letter From The Editor
by Jesse Blanchard (@blanchardjrb)
The game of basketball is constantly evolving. How
could it not be? Basketball is the free-flowing expression
of athleticism and creativity. Within each play there are
countless permutations—some by design, some through
human error and later adapted into those designs.
Last year’s NBA champion Golden State Warriors
were the culmination of a revolution that took place
nearly a decade ago, when the legalization of zone
defenses gave rise to the Tom Thibodeau defenses and
the Seven Second or Less Phoenix Suns to counter them.
Curry is one of the permutations mentioned earlier.
His ability to shoot for volume and accuracy on the
move—both off the catch and dribble—is something
NBA defenses have never had to account for. He’s a glitch
in the system. He’ll be forever special, but shouldn’t be
unique to history.
The game is constantly evolving, and somewhere
out there right now is a kid working on pull-up
3-pointers; whatever constraints on his imagination now
toppled thanks to Curry and the Warriors bucking the
conventions that deemed such creativity irresponsible.
At BBALLBREAKDOWN, we’re evolving too. Some
of our original staff have gone on to do exciting things,
and none of this would be possible without the hard work
that original Editor-in-Chief Mark Deeks and a host of
other talented individuals put in. And yet, those that
have taken their spots have proven just as dedicated and
ambitious, while offering different insights and strengths
that promise to take us in wonderful new directions.
We remain committed to the same quality and
curiosity you’ve come to expect. Above all, our mission
remains to be more than a website, but a conversation.
Today, we know more about basketball than at any other
time. But information without context is meaningless.
With so many tools, our responsibility is greater to grow
the discussion, to tell the stories of the game that we love.
But we can only do it with your participation.
I look forward to the conversation. I’m in.
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