According to Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey, the amount of threes being taken each night could ruin the NBA. The Sixers’ President of Basketball Operations commented during a discussion at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.
“I don’t think it’s the fault of the teams or the analysts out there because their job is just to win, but to me the bottom line is [the three-pointer] was added many years ago and it’s [worth] 50 percent more than other shots,” Morey said. “That’s simply too much. It essentially breaks the game.”
Morey continued.
“If the best players in the league taking wide-open 8-to-15 foot shots is worse than a heavily contested, off-the-dribble 3, that is bad for the game. And I think it’s the responsibility of the league office to take a look at this. Because teams are just going to optimize.”
The Sixers are 14th in the NBA for three-point attempts per game. They’re also 18th in terms of made shots from the perimeter. Therefore, Philadelphia has not been leaning into the growing trend of taking between 40-50 3-point shots per night.
Morey’s Comments Are Somewhat Ironic
During Morey’s tenure with the Houston Rockets, he was part of the analytical movement that saw an increase in three-point attempts begin to take place. ‘Morey Ball’ was based on the mathematical principles that layups and 3-point shots were the most efficient in basketball.
With Mike D’Antoni drawing up the scheme and James Harden leading the charge, the Rockets implemented a style of basketball that swept through the league. Morey had a hand in ushering in the current brand of basketball we see throughout the NBA. Now, it would appear he wants to help roll it back a little.
The irony of Morey’s comments won’t be lost on hardcore NBA fans. And while he’s likely right that there needs to be some middle ground in terms of shot selection, he is probably the wrong person to be providing that message.
The Sixers Must Improve Their Frontcourt
Morey may not be a fan of 3-point-heavy offenses but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t embrace them. He must find additional shooting talent during the summer. The Sixers can’t be a middling team on the perimeter if they want to compete for championships.
According to ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, Morey also needs to improve his team’s frontcourt.
“Although depth wasn’t the primary reason for Philadelphia’s failure, it disappointed nonetheless,” Pelton wrote on March 2. “Backup centers Andre Drummond and Adem Bona haven’t provided the cover the 76ers expected behind Embiid, and Caleb Martin wasn’t the strong role player Philadelphia expected. As a result, the Sixers have given more than 3,500 minutes to players my metric rates below replacement level this season, the league’s eighth-highest total.”
Morey has a tough summer ahead of him. He must decide whether to run the current roster back or begin to re-tool on the fly. Sixers fans have been patient with this team. Now, it’s time for Morey to prove his heavy investment wasn’t for nothing. Otherwise, hitting the reset button might be the best bet.
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