Three-point barrages are the name of the game in today’s NBA landscape. So much emphasis on spacing and defending the deep shot, however, has made interior defenses less imposing. Gilbert Arenas believes players today could inflate their statistics if they pay more attention to scoring in the paint, rather than chucking up double-digit three-point attempts.
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During an appearance on the Straight Game Podcast, the former Washington Wizard underlined how the constant switching on defense allows players to attack the rim with less resistance. The three-time All-Star then emphasized the lack of Shaq-like big men who only operate in the paint, which often leaves smaller players to serve as rim protectors.
“You driving and the guy tryna block you is 6-[foot]-4. You got Charles Barkley with no ups,” Arenas stated, explaining why it has become simpler than ever to get buckets inside.
With so much extra operating room inside, the 42-year-old claimed that modern stars could put up 40 points every game if they simply put less emphasis on the deep ball.
“You’re looking at the game like, man… some of you guys can damn near average 40 if y’all just play the old style a little bit,” Arenas continued, “You don’t need to shoot 14 threes, you can just go to the basket because there’s nobody there to actually stop you from it.”
While it’s true that teams continue to put up more threes than ever, modern rosters are optimized for most starters to shift into multiple roles and positions, making switching a much more feasible defensive strategy than in past decades. Several superstars work primarily in the paint, most notably two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, yet the Greek Freak’s 32.7 scoring average this season is the best of his career.
There are certainly more opportunities to take advantage of smaller paint defenders in today’s switch-happy league, but 40 points per game still appears safely out of reach.
Arenas has been a notable critic of the NBA’s three-point craze on numerous occasions, so it’s not too surprising to see the former guard try to convince today’s players to shy away from all the jumpers.
Arenas has explained before why teams should stop taking so many threes
The 11-year veteran has also blasted the league’s overreliance on threes before on his show, Gil’s Arena. Agent Zero stressed how the sky-high number of attempts isn’t leading to a more efficient offense.
“43, 51, 48 [three-point attempts per game], and y’all scoring 110, 115. What part of math doesn’t register to y’all? Are y’all on a new math? Go back to old school math, where it was simple,” Arenas ranted, highlighting that just two current teams in the last 40 years have produced a top 10 offense in NBA history.
Gil has especially been critical of the Boston Celtics, who are the league’s most egregious outlier as the only team to attempt more than 50 threes a game. The California native clearly wants to see more balance from offensive schemes. But it’s hard to argue against the strategy of the reigning-champions and their 23-8 start to the campaign.
