Will the Big Guys Take Over the NBA Once Again?

In 2015, a phenomenon named Steph Curry carried the Golden State Warriors to the first of 4 NBA titles, with what is now popularly known as the small-ball style of play. Small ball utilizes a lineup of smaller players for speed, agility and increased scoring from the three-point line, sacrificing the earlier time-tested elements of height, physical strength and power in the shaded area. Small ball would wield its magic in the league, creating a ripple effect down to the collegiate ranks that ultimately has led to the use of more 3-point bombs from beyond, over the higher percentage under-the-basket or medium-range shots.

The success of the small-ball concept introduced by the Splash Brothers duo of Steph and Klay Thompson has had a great influence in modern day ball. And this was manifested in the domination of small, speedy shooting guards such as Steph, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, guards who swept the MVP honors from 2015 to 2018.

In 2019 however, Giannis Antetokounmpo would take the MVP crown. The ‘Greek Freak’ was a rare combination of old-ball size and strength with small ball’s speed and ball-handling skills. All he needed now was the shooting ability to make him a modern day “stretch 4”, a power forward that could shoot from the outside to force opposing teams to stretch their defense further out. Once again, the bigs were slowly regaining the lost spotlight.

And then for the next 3 years, the MVP awards would be taken by Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, dominant centers who had hybrid skills, including the grace to bring the ball down quickly in transition, the eagle eye to find the open man and the ability to shoot 3s from all angles if need be. Giannis and Jokic would take the NBA crowns in 2021 and 2023, with the Finals MVP to boot.

If we take the season MVP as an indicator, it would seem that the NBA ideal player is now mutating back to the big man, but with the guard skills already in tow. Bigs such as Jokic, Embiid and Giannis. Stretch 4s such as Kevin Durant. All-everything guys like our GOAT contender Lebron James and the enigmatic Kawhi Leonard. These are the players being cloned for the future of the NBA.

Enter: the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves took a big gamble in trading for defensive specialist Rudy Gobert to form today’s Twin Towers in Minnesota with resident big, Karl Anthony Towns. After 2 years of adjusting, it seems that this team-up is starting to make waves, with Kat sliding to the power forward position and leaving the shaded lane chores to Gobert. The Wolves are leading the Western Conference with 21 wins and only 6 losses, and this is due in no small measure to the Twin Towers concept, with a twist.

Apart from the Kat-Gobert dance number, opposing teams have upcoming star Anthony Edwards and veteran point guard Mike Conley to contend with. With so many pick-and-roll combinations to choose from, the Wolves create numerous mismatches to suit their preference. It’s a pick-your-own-poison thingie for the opposition, and the Wolves are just getting better and faster in dealing with the different options presented by the opposing team.

With Kat, Anthony and Mike presenting different extraordinary skills, opposing defenses are placed in a quandary on how to address the Wolves. Kat is a wing in a center’s body. Anthony is a young Lebron with his wide range of talent. Mike provides the veteran leadership and poise. With Gobert’s strong inside presence on both the offense and the defense, there is nowhere for the Wolves to go but up.

Over in the East, another model of the modern big is also making waves. When the Boston Celtics took in Kristaps Porzingis, they took a ‘unicorn’ who had all the skills of a contemporary big. Teaming him up with their resident big, Al Horford, and then pairing that with All-stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown has brought the Celts to the top at 21 – 6 as well. Both Kristaps and Horford can shoot the lights out from the 3-point territory. Both can provide valuable inside presence as well.

And hot on their heels in the east are the Milwaukee Bucks at 21-7, with their own pair of bigs in Giannis and Brook Lopez. Brook is another example of a big man who can shoot 3s. With Big-time 3-point bombers Damian Lillard and Kris Middleton, dealing with the Bucks will be a special study come the playoffs.

Today’s bigs have mutated to make basketball even more competitive. Previously tasked mainly to handle the difficult job of imposing power in the middle, they must now be able to make contributions outside the shaded lane as well. Bigs are learning to dribble and pass like point guards, detonate the big 3-point bombs like shooting guards, and slice through the defenses like forwards. Bigs no longer stay in the middle to anchor the defense. They must be able to move out to smother the outside shots, and get back in time to provide help if a breakdown in defense occurs elsewhere.

We are now going to the era of positionless ball, where players are required to have all the skill-sets, and are endowed with similar versatile mindsets to make contributions in both offense and defense. And size – with everything else a constant – will still make the big difference. The big man – with acquired guard skills – is back in vogue in today’s game.

Cover photos courtesy of Facebook, the New York Times and Sports Illustrated.