REDEFINING NBA

Like all other sports leagues, NBA or the National Basketball Association is a subject of
change, minute or large, which facilitates the evolution of the sports itself, including gameplays,
strategies, and even the approach to it.
Think of it [NBA] as a popular and competitive Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA)
game or a Battle Royale online game. These mentioned types of games have this term called
the “metagame” or “meta” in short which is basically a set of tactics, strategies, and options
that offers the players the best chances of winning and gives them a greater edge against their
opponents.
With this, I personally believe that the NBA also have a “metagame” that is ever-
changing (which it should be) but oftentimes exploited. In this case, the teams in NBA opt for
the so-called “meta” team composition and execution of plays. There are various team
compositions which can be seen in NBA like the small ball lineup which I will tackle later. And
there are also countless execution of plays which are oftentimes a combination of basketball
terminologies we already know such three-point shots and pick-and-roll.
Like I have said, the NBA “meta” is ever-changing. How can I prove that? Well,
remember the time when the point guards in Larry Bird’s era perform dribbles which can be
considered now as simple. They do not have these dribbles between the legs back then but
compare with today; even other positions (forwards) can do fancy kinds of dribbles.
Another proof for this evolution is something that I have seen for the past seasons of
the league. I am talking about the barrage of threes and the rise of versatile wings. Classic NBA
for me is all about the grind and grit inside the arc.
With the likes of Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA was full
of intense plays that will definitely keep you at the edge of your seat, at least for me. But now,
all I see are the torrential three-pointers of the players such as Stephen Curry and Klay
Thompson which somehow took away the thrill of the game. Although three-point shots are
essential for teams to widen their lead, most of the time, it is not a game-changer anymore but
rather a way of securing a win. Back at the 80’s NBA, teams were averaging at least 3 successful
three-point shots but now it became more or less than 12.
The versatile wings, on the other hand, are also an evolutionary product of the “meta”
changes in NBA. Despite of accuracy in three-point shooting becoming a must-have skill to
make it to the playoffs, the versatility of players is something I agree with. We cannot deny the
fact that the big men are important as well as the short guys but that is not anymore the case in
the modern NBA. The increasing popularity of the small ball lineup paved way for the rise of the
versatile wings.
Players like Lebron James and Kevin Durant are just some of the examples of versatile
wings for they can perform almost all roles inside the court. If you have seen these two all-star
players play, it is likely that they would be carrying the ball as playmakers while also posting
inside the arc. Overall, the success of these two guys made sure that there will be other players
that would follow their steps.
While I still consider the “meta” of the NBA right now as bland because of the
dominance of the Warriors (due to the threes and the all-star lineup but still beatable), I am still
eager to see what will happen in the near future. Although it seems like it will not change any
sooner, I think that the NBA “meta” will find a way to develop and more importantly – become
unexploitable so that the sports that we grew up watching and the teams we all support can
have a chance at bringing home the championship. Because I am sure that the ultimate reason
we watch sports is for the sake of entertainment and not for bragging or any form of satisfying
the insatiable God complex within ourselves.