There’s no doubt that basketball has changed over the last 30 years. Positions have become a thing of the past, and three-point shooting reigns supreme. It’s always interesting to hear a take from a former player who has watched the game evolve since his retirement. Especially when the take is nuanced, and not a purist rant.
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When asked to comment on how the game has changed from his playing days, former Chicago Bulls point guard BJ Armstrong didn’t want to downplay the current generation, treading the path that most players from his generation take. The former All-Star doesn’t want to complain about the three-point revolution either.
Then again, Armstrong, who played in the NBA from 1989 to 2000, doesn’t believe that long-range shooting is what makes today’s game so different. “The game now, I hope the NBA won’t get mad at me saying this,” Armstrong began.
“The court is too small for the players now. You have too many seven-footers on the floor. And when you have this many big guys on the floor, you have to have the space to operate,” he added.
Armstrong explained that when he played, big men almost always operated out of the post. Then things changed. And he mentioned two pivotal players who became engines of that change — his former teammate Michael Jordan, and Stephen Curry.
“The small guys are out on the perimeter, but they didn’t do anything other than pass it to the guys in the post,” he continued. “And then came along this guy named Michael Jordan who figured out how to play in the mid-range where no one was at.”
Armstrong stressed that great players, like Jordan and Curry, are adept at finding space where no one else is.
“And then came along this guy, Steph Curry. He said, ‘Well, people are in the mid-range, people are in the post, I’m gonna go out here past the three-point line where no one’s hanging out’. And he figured that out,” added Armstrong.
The three-time champion pointed out that while Steph had cracked the code, those who tried to replicate his style didn’t have the same success.
“No one’s shooting like Steph Curry or Klay Thompson, that’s the problem,” Armstrong explained. “There’s only one Steph Curry, but everyone’s shooting as if they are Steph Curry… but Steph Curry, he’s an anomaly.”
The 11-year veteran underlined that there are always anomalies in the NBA. He referred to both Victor Wembanyama and LeBron James as examples of that. Whether these players tried to or not, they changed or, in Victor’s case, are expected to change the game.
Armstrong has always put an emphasis on high-quality shots both in his playing and post-playing careers. He believes the staggering number of low-quality looks from deep is the biggest detriment to today’s game.
One time, he even asked MJ what he would’ve done if he waved him off to chuck an ill-advised three.
“[Jordan’s] like, ‘I would’ve traded you’,” Armstrong recalled with a laugh. “So that’s why we didn’t do it.”
They may not all be doing it in a fashion he appreciates, but it’s clear point guards are much more capable scorers than they were when Armstrong was still playing.
