![chau_playoff_questions_getty_ringer.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmXXXSgd8cxTpdLenXSYezTT3wZ3JshVSpTjviLeVmEwtm/chau_playoff_questions_getty_ringer.jpg) ###### [Image Source](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_UQTr654ZDWTXiqcrxgZemo0QQg=/1400x1050/filters:format(jpeg)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16177141/chau_playoff_questions_getty_ringer.jpg) We surely wonder how the scoring and over all stats became bloated again right? Maybe due to a faster pace or maybe there’s a more logical way to explain it. And that is what we are goin to dive in today’s NBA EXPRESS here on ***Sports Talk Social.*** It has never been tougher to play defense in the NBA we're in the middle of an unprecedented offensive explosion. NBA teams have never scored this efficiently why is this happening? one word ***SPACE***
![Sportstalk.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmNhzN9CBN8kiUN2VLZszg5vtdRWzWEPVQM5gdyGpjEcRk/Sportstalk.png) ----------------------- ------------------------ http://www.backpicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Screen-Shot-2017-10-20-at-11.32.04-AM.png ###### [Image Source](http://www.backpicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Screen-Shot-2017-10-20-at-11.32.04-AM.png) Here's how a typical NBA teams face the floor 30 years ago back then only a few of the league's players were considered threats from out here because of that the practical playing space was only this wide but now teams are shattering three-point records every season every guard shoots off the dribble threes now not just Steph Curry.
https://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/styles/marquee_large_2x/public/2018/02/28/james-harden-step-back-twitter-reactions.jpg?itok=kQ1DtIoN ###### [Image Source](https://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/styles/marquee_large_2x/public/2018/02/28/james-harden-step-back-twitter-reactions.jpg?itok=kQ1DtIoN) And the trend is only accelerated in the past decade the league is moving further and further out players don't just shoot right on the line now they shoot from way behind it. Here's how a typical NBA team spaces the floor today by the way that's the Tim Boles who shoot the fewest threes in the league here's a typical Warriors possession what happens when you increase the playing surface without adding more people to fill it the defense gets stretched out like a rubber band about to snap they have to cover all the way out here to stop a long-range gunner like Damian Lillard and once an attacker like James Harden gets here the help has to travel a much longer distance to get to him
https://toronto.citynews.ca/wp-content/blogs.dir/sites/10/2014/04/raptors1.jpg ###### [Image Source](https://toronto.citynews.ca/wp-content/blogs.dir/sites/10/2014/04/raptors1.jpg) This is why a team like the Raptors has Demar Derozan started attacks from damn near half court it's a lot harder to stop an athletic marvel when he builds up that much speed and it's a lot easier for a guy like DeRozan to find the open man when the rest of the defense is so stretched and if you scramble to stop all the Deadeye shooters.
https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3319098/lebrondrive.0.gif ###### [GIF Source](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3319098/lebrondrive.0.gif) That a team like the Cavaliers have LeBron has all the space to drive through you and if you have a unicorn like Joel Embiid then any of your players can penetrate and finish what is a defense to do most teams switch to prevent their defenses from collapsing some even do it quite well the Warriors have but that's like putting a bandaid on an open wound one person still has all this space to cover and if stars are just gonna hit step back threes like this it doesn't matter how much you switch there's no defense for that that's why offense is at an all-time high teams keep using more and more of the space given to them it's hard to see how the defense can possibly keep up