NBA Week 9 Takeaways

A discussion of the three-pointer and more

The 3-Point Shot

The NBA has no singular style of play, no individual identity that trumps every other, nor a group of players who have perfected the finer intricacies of the game; it is an ever-evolving and adapting sport that responds to contemporary impediments with solutions of its own.

The 3-point shot has become a topic of extreme polarisation across the league, with attempts per game at an all-time high. This has been the natural trajectory of the league for some time, however, the jump this season has been highly unexpected.

This restructuring of modern basketball was fuelled by the Boston Celtics’ 2023-24 game plan, as they attempted 42.5 threes per game, with the next highest being the Sacramento Kings at 39.3. Fast forward to Week 9 of the 24-25 season, and Boston still leads the league in attempts per game—this time with 50.4. However, the team in second place is the Chicago Bulls with 44, followed by the Charlotte Hornets with 42.4. Taking this further, the Warriors attempt 41.4, then Minnesota, San Antonio, Brooklyn, and Cleveland all sit at 39.

Last season, only two teams attempted over 39 threes per game; this season, that number has grown to eight.

Regarding shot frequency per game, the Celtics' 3-point shot consumes 55.2% of their offensive production, meaning they take significantly more threes per game than twos—a stat previously unheard of in NBA history.

I am not of the opinion that the 3-point shot is ruining the game, however, it certainly accounts for a more unpredictable style of play. For teams becoming increasingly reliant on the three, what emerges are serious concerns over benefit-to-cost ratio. If the three isn’t falling, what happens next? The Celtics are a team who live by the three and die by the three, and it has been this way for three seasons. As more teams start to abide by the same metric, we are entering uncharted territory for the consistency of the game in terms of complete team scoring.

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Tracking the Indiana Pacers

Last season, the Pacers heavily overperformed, making it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals and experiencing a previously unimaginable enigma in playoff basketball—a highly competitive sweep. During this time, the Pacers showed promise as a young, savvy, creative team who repeatedly got the job done. Resting on the shoulders of All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers looked primed for a few years of genuine relevance in the NBA playoff picture.

Fast forward to Week 9 of the regular season, and the Pacers are 15-15, sitting 8th in a lacklustre Eastern Conference. The Pacers are severely underperforming from the majority of fans' expectations following their surprising playoff run last year.

However, things are looking up for the Pacers, and it was majorly needed—they have won six of their last seven, including a nice win over the Warriors. However, they’re not out of the woods yet. In their next five games, they face the Western 1-seed Oklahoma City Thunder, the Boston Celtics twice, the Bucks, and the Heat.

This is an extremely important stretch for the Pacers. A couple of underdog wins (the Pacers’ specialty) could keep them under the wings and give them the boost they need to start moving up in the seeding.

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Christmas Day Did Not Disappoint

Upon the release of the NBA Christmas Day schedule, the five-game slate faced public scrutiny for overvaluing lacklustre teams such as the Suns and Lakers, while seemingly neglecting more impressive teams like the Bucks and the Thunder.

While seemingly expected to fail, Christmas basketball featured an incredible level of play, each game going wire to wire with the largest margin of victory being 10 points.

It couldn't have come at a better time for the NBA—five games, each with spectacular finishes, amidst the growing awareness of viewership decline. As of last week, NBA viewership has dropped 19% from this time last year across the major networks of TNT, ABC, and ESPN.

However, numerous stellar performances came from Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, both with 27, LeBron James with 31, Tyrese Maxey with 33, Stephen Curry with 38, Kyrie Irving with 39, Austin Reaves with a 26-point triple-double and a game-winner, Victor Wembanyama with 42, and Mikal Bridges with 41.

Unfortunately, there was one expense—Luka Dončić is out for an extended period of time after suffering a lower calf strain very early in their contest with the Timberwolves. This comes at a bad time for the Mavericks, as they continue to fight for high playoff seeding. However, all is not lost. The Mavericks currently hold a three-game lead over 5th place in the West—the Denver Nuggets—and although they came up short, Kyrie Irving’s 39 points should ease some Mavs fans' nerves.

Ultimately, it was a highly valuable week for the NBA. Over the past few weeks, games have felt more meaningful and have held a higher intensity and greater physicality. If this trend continues, it is likely that viewership ratings will increase, especially as we approach the NFL offseason.