Those notable names of the past, the ones still insisting that NBA playoff offenses must pound the ball inside, have been awfully quiet this week.
Perhaps they’ve finally come to accept that the days of packing the paint are over. In this generation, offense is predicated on space, passing and plenty of 3-point shooting.
Never has that been more apparent than in these playoffs.
The four remaining teams — Golden State, Houston, Cleveland and Atlanta — are among the five teams that made at least 10 3-pointers per game during the regular season. The fifth team, the Clippers, was the last to get knocked out in the second round, losing at Houston in Game 7.