The NBA's declining viewership has sparked new concerns about the overuse of three-pointers, and this time, the league is ready to address it.
If you tuned into Tuesday’s NBA Cup Final between the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder, you probably found yourself checking the clock more than the score. The game, which saw the Bucks cruise to a 97-81 win, was a snooze-fest for many.
The Thunder’s shooting was horrendous, especially from beyond the arc. Their dismal 5-of-32 shooting from three-point range made it clear: the Thunder leaned too heavily on the three-pointer and didn’t put in the hard work inside.
Result?
Steep decline in viewership.
According to Sports Media Watch, this year’s championship game averaged 2.99 million viewers on ABC, a drop of 35 percent from last year’s title game between Lakers and the Pacers.
However, this wasn’t the one off case. NBA ratings are down 48% since 2012, with a 28% drop this season alone on ESPN.
So, what’s going on?
The days when big players dominated the paint or players focused on mid-range shots are gone. Now, teams are shooting more three-pointers than ever before.
Some people love this change, but it has also raised concerns. Shaquille O’Neal, the Hall of Famer and current commentator, was the first to put up this theory.
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On his podcast, “Big Pod With Shaq,” O’Neal suggested that the rise in three-point shooting has made games feel repetitive and, at times, boring.
“I think everybody’s looking at the same thing,” Shaq said. “Steph Curry and those guys messed it up. I don’t mind Golden State back in the day shooting threes, but every team is not a three-point shooter, so why is everybody copying the same strategy?”
For Shaq, the current NBA formula – shoot as many threes as possible – has led to a sense of monotony.
“I think viewership will continue to go down unless we switch things back up,” he added.
Cut to season opener:
The Celtics tied the Bucks’ NBA record for most 3-pointers made in game with 29 in the season opener.
Cut to last week,
Suns, Jazz tied NBA record by combining for 44 made 3-pointers.
A day later,
Mavericks, Warriors combined for NBA-record 48 3-pointers to set a new record.
Cut to last night,
Memphis Grizzlies broke their franchise record with 27 3Ps against Warriors.
The current face of the NBA, Lakers’ legend LeBron James also rued the state of the league. “It’s not just the All-Star Game. It’s our game in general,” James said when asked about the announced changes for the All-Star Game.
“There’s a lot of f—ing 3s being shot.”
The three-point barrage is real, with teams averaging 37.5 attempts per game this season – up from just 15.8 in 2004 and 22.4 in 2014.
And now, it looks like the NBA is starting to catch on to Shaq’s theory. NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently said the league is actively investigating the rise in three-point attempts, and that they are taking criticisms of offenses being too similar ‘seriously’.
But now, the big question is –
What can the NBA actually do about it?
Image Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images
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