Neumann Goes Beyond the Arc

“The three-point boom.” An era within the 2010s, where the NBA saw a new style of play arise. Three pointers being shot at an unbelievable rate quickly proved to be a successful strategy. At the forefront of the movement were the multi-time champions, the Golden State Warriors. Their sharpshooting backcourt of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, later dubbed “The Splash Bros,” caught everyone’s eye and changed the game as we knew it.  

Nowadays, the NBA is an offense-heavy league. Thirty years ago, 108.2 was the highest team PPG (points per game). Now the highest is up to 122.9. 

Why do I mention this “three-point boom” and influx of scoring in the NBA? Because it was not strictly an NBA thing. This rise in three pointers turned into a world-wide phenomenon.  

Notice the top five Neumann teams in three-point makes were all after or during the 2015-2016 season?  

Top 5 Seasons with the most 3PM (men’s and women’s): 

1) 17-18 Men’s (223-593) 

2) 16-17 Men’s (186-519) 

2) 22-23 Women’s (173-615) 

4) 18-19 Women’s (167-586) 

5) 15-16 Men’s (163-447) 

Do you know what else happened in 2015? The Golden State Warriors won their first of four championships within the next seven years.  

If you’ve played a sport in your life, I’m sure you’ve had a figure you look up to, and I see that being a big reason why all levels of basketball have undergone the spike of three-point shots.  

“I look at a lot of great shooters and I model their technique of how they shoot the ball,” says junior guard Amari Little. 

This spike in three pointers has a split opinion between the two head coaches at Neumann. 

“There has absolutely been an increase in 3’s at every level,” says women’s coach Mary Beth McNichol. But she also acknowledges the hole in this strategy, referring to the adage, ‘if you live by the 3, you can die by the 3!’” 

On the other hand, Jim Rullo, the men’s basketball coach, likes to keep it safe, sticking to his plan of punishing in the paint.  

“A rule of thumb for a player who is a good shooter should be at 40% from three. If you can’t get to that number, you don’t shoot them.” 

That’s not to say the three pointer isn’t important to the men’s team. Amari Little stresses the three-pointer's importance explaining how “it opens floor spacing which can create driving lanes, especially when you're consistent from out there.” 

Trying to go a basketball game without shooting a three-pointer almost seems impossible in the year 2024.  

As we continue to see newcomers into the pros, inspiring change in the next generation of hoopers, it begs the question, “What is the game going to look like in 5-10 years' time?” 

Neumann team’s combined 3PM in a season (since 2013) 

Highlight = highest