How Mike D’Antoni credits Shaquille O’Neal to the rise of 3-pointers in the NBA

In the fast-paced, perimeter-centric world of modern NBA basketball, the analytical movements that deserve praise are Stephen Curry, Mike D’Antoni, and even the three-point revolution. But surprisingly, former head coach and offensive mastermind Mike D’Antoni pointed out that this is an unlikely number and a catalyst for the rise of three-pointers: Shaquille O’Neal.

Yes, That Shaquille O’Neal-7’1-inch, 325-pound power of nature, they ruled the paint like no one before or after, making his life dunk in the center and bullied the defender to surrender to obedience. On the surface, Shaq seems to be the opposite of the three-ball era. He has tried only 22 3-pointers in his 19-year career. Dominance in posts force The NBA is moving in a different direction – which will ultimately lead to the three-point heavy style we see today.

D’Antoni’s unlikely view

D’Antoni is known for the Phoenix Suns’ “seven seconds or less” offense, and his innovative use of three-pointers on the Houston Rockets, never hiding his belief in playing fast, spreading the floor and maximizing efficiency. He was often criticized when he was leading the curve, which in hindsight shapes the future of the alliance.

But in an interview reflecting on the evolution of the NBA offensive, D’Antoni was surprised by crediting O’Neal’s The dominance of the post-era As a reason the league has to get rid of this style of play.

“Shaq is so dominant that the team has no choice but to change,” Da Anthony said. “You can’t beat him to play the same game. If you try to get out big and explode in the post, you’ll lose. So the team starts spreading the floor, shooting three points, and trying to win with agility and spacing. That’s the only way to compete.”

In other words, the alliance did not evolve from the post because it had no effect, but evolved because Shaq makes it impossible to win unless there is Shaq.

Shaq Era: Advantages in Paint

To understand Anthony’s logic, we have to go back to the early 2000s, when Shaquille O’Neal was the most unstoppable force in basketball. In the game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaq averaged 27 points and 11 rebounds per game, leading the league in shooting multiple times and won three consecutive NBA titles from 2000 to 2002.

In the post, he had no answer at all. The team tried dual teams, regional defense, hack-a-shaq, and had little effect. If you play a traditional big guy against him, you’ll get lost. If you try to walk small, he will punish you. Not only is Shaq good, but it is historically inevitable.

So, what should I do when the team can’t fight with fire? They changed the game.

Strategic Change: Fight against Giants at Speed ​​and Spacing

Faced with an inseparable battle within, many coaches and former offices began to explore other strategies. If you’re just trying to match Shaq’s size to Shaq’s size, then are you just making him work harder to defend? What if you spaced the floor apart, pulled the big guy out of the paint and prioritized power?

Mike D’Antoni came up with the idea and ran in Phoenix. With Steve Nash’s running point, Amar’e Stoudemire is a vibrant choice threat, and the lineup is full of shooters, D’Antoni’s Suns push the pace and bring out three-pointers at a rare speed at the time. They were not built to stop Shaq, they were built Outrun and scope he.

“We’re not going to beat the Lakers or the Spurs,” Anthony recalls. “But we can try to beat them in another game. That almost worked.”

D’Antoni’s Suns never made it to the finals, but they laid the foundation for a new match. Other teams noticed. Then there’s Golden State, Stephen Curry and a mature three-point revolution.

The Analytical Times confirm this transformation

Although Shaq may be reason shift, reason Later it appeared in the form of analysis. As the team began to better understand the value of three-pointers and the inefficiency of two-time efficiencies over a long period of time, the peripheral game took over.

But the analysis did not invent this transformation, they just validated a new way of survival. It turns out that a three-pointer is more than just a head. That’s a Strategic necessity Born in an era where traditional internal scores can only go that far, especially when Shaq anchors paint.

As D’Antoni pointed out, once the elves were taken out of the bottle, there was no turning back.

“Once the team sees that they can shoot threes, they won’t look back. It’s all started because we have to find a way around Shaq.”

Shaq’s indirect legacy in modern games

Ironically, Shaquille O’Neal is probably the biggest reason why big men stretch the floor today. Although Shaq proves the power of scale, he also reveals its limitations in the ever-changing alliance. After him, the big man in the back center almost disappeared. The center of today – Nikola Joki, Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, shot from the arc beyond the arc as it was posted.

It’s not just the center. Now, the team is growing around spacing and pace. The third corner is sacred. Floor spacing is not negotiable. It’s a completely different game, it all comes from the moment when the old way of doing things crashes into a wall called Shaquille.

Ironically

There is a beautiful irony in Da Anthony’s argument. Shaq is a player who laughs at three-pointers and somehow dominates, who may have singlehandedly pushed the league to embrace the style he overlooks. Without SHAQ, post-game may still be the main strategy. Instead, the demands that compete with him create an environment where innovation flourishes.

Mike D’Antoni often finds himself in the wrong side of Shaq-led playoff losses and ends up being one of the architects of this innovation.

“Shaq has made us evolve,” Da Anthony said. “Once we did, the game changed forever.”

Lessons from evolution and adaptation

The story of Shaquille O’Neal’s indirect role in the three-point revolution is the perfect example of how evolution works, not just in basketball, but life. Dominance in one region often forces others to innovate or perish. Shaq’s pure dominance closed one strategic door, but opened another.

In trying to solve the “SHAQ problem”, coaches like D’Antoni unlock a brand new way of playing. It’s not about getting better at what has worked, it’s about Do something different. In this way, they laid the foundation for the revolution.

Nowadays, teams usually score 40 or 50 three-pointers in a game. The guard pulled up from 30 feet. The big man is expected to shoot from range. Although Shaq himself has never played like this, his influence is felt in every start five innings, three in each draft, and in every squad at speed size.

The final thought

Mike D’Antoni’s honor to Shaquille O’Neal may sound strange at the first time, but it makes a lot of sense when viewed through the lens of basketball evolution. Shaq not only ruled his time-he definition It was so thorough that he accidentally forced the next start. In trying to beat him, the league found a new path, one of which was paved with three-pointers, spacing and pace.

Remind people that sometimes the biggest innovators are not changing, but those strength By becoming so good that the status quo has become obsolete.

So the next time you watch the three-point barrage, remember: Somewhere in a string of shots is the legacy of a 7-foot giant who never cared for the three-point line, but their presence makes it the most important shot in the game.