Those seeking a telling snapshot of the NBA’s positional landscape need look no further than Team USA’s pre-FIBA training camp.
Kyrie Irving. John Wall. Derrick Rose. Stephen Curry. Damian Lillard.
If that sounds like a lot of top-tier point guards, well, it is.
Over the last 20 years, the NBA had seen a dramatic shift in its strategic orientation, from the center-centric days of Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing to a more guard-friendly, perimeter-focused style of play.
Heading into next month’s FIBA World Cup in Spain, Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and Andre Drummond highlight a thin frontcourt depth chart with little in the way of margin for error, foul counts or otherwise.
As such, how these three perform—both in competition and against one another—could prove an encouraging bellwether for a big-man renaissance.
That’s not to discount the importance of Kenneth Faried or Paul Millsap, both of whom made it to the final cut of Mike Krzyzewski’s final 12-man roster. But in terms of both size and skill sets, ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Jim Cavan
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