Jerry West might be the NBA logo, but that does not mean he completely supports what the game is today. The Los Angeles Lakers legend has thrust the public into another version of the never-ending old school vs. new school debate after lamenting the way the three-point line has so dramatically changed the game.
“There's some nights I go and it's hard for me to watch,” West said on the Podcast P with Paul George presented by Wave Sports and Entertainment. “In this sense, I'd rather see somebody make a beautiful pass, go in and lay it up instead of four on one, some guy runs behind the three point line and shoots a three.”
Then the NBA Champion dropped the line that harmoniously lights a smile on the face of so many members of the old guard and makes active players seethe.
“The game is soft that way today,” he said. “I don't like it. I don't think it makes for pretty basketball. And I think, unless you have a great, great team late in the game, you're gonna lose games, you're taking points off the board.”
West's point has been made by older and young fans alike, as the frenetic and sometimes reckless offensive pace creates a vastly different aesthetic than the one fans witnessed during NBA Finals showdowns between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs just a decade ago. Those who have been closely following the Denver Nuggets know that ball movement still exists, but it culminates a lot at the perimeter.
Perhaps most ironic of West's diatribe on excessive three-point shooting is that he served as an executive board member of the Golden State Warriors from 2011-17, the franchise most synonymous with the three-point evolution. One could only imagine the conflict boiling inside of the 14-time All-Star while watching Steph Curry and company run down and throw up a long ball without hesitation.
Of course, the overall point is an interesting one worth pondering. Just look at the Boston Celtics. They lived and died behind the three-point line this postseason until they just ran ice cold against Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Time will tell if any teams modify their offensive approach as Jerry West wishes, or if the NBA is destined to go further down this perimeter-oriented path.
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