Increasing Offensive Spacing

The primary offensive goal is to create open shots, preferably at the rim or catch-and-shoot three-point attempts (SABA). The primary defensive goal is to prevent open shots by contesting shooters or forcing turnovers (NADA).

NBA offenses now spread out NBA defenses more than the constraints of the court would suggest to increase spacing and expand their advantages. Players such as Dame Lillard, Steph Curry, and Trae Young add value beyond their shooting, scoring, and playmaking by using their gravity to force defenses to defend all the space inside half-court. Their shooting range expands the scoring zone from 25 feet and in to 35 to 40 feet and in. Defenses must cover a greater area, which creates bigger advantages.

Why have few college offenses (beyond Iowa and Caitlin Clark) copied the best NBA offenses and increased the area in which defenses must defend?

The NBA as a whole shoots 36.6% from the three-point line (according to Basketball-Reference), but NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball shoots only 33%, despite the shorter three-point distance (to 22’1 to 23’9); NCAA Division 1 Women’s Basketball is closer to 31%. NCAA Division 1 has nearly as many teams as the NBA does players, and the NBA has only the best, most talented players, which explains the better shooting percentages. Of course, these better, more talented players also play defense, which means NBA players shoot against better, bigger, faster defenders. The extra spacing appears advantageous.

The difference between a contested three-point attempt (two to four feet to the nearest defender) and a wide open three-point attempt (six or more feet to the nearest defender) in the NBA is 8.3% (30.1% to 38.4%). The difference between a wide-open midrange shot (45.3%) and a wide-open three-point attempt (38.4%) in the NBA is 6.9%. The defender’s proximity appears to affect NBA shooting slightly more than shot distance.

NCAA Tournament offenses often look congested. There are many factors. Few teams have rosters filled with above-average shooters. Some teams run archaic offenses with multiple players in and around the three-second area. Some teams are very stagnant, allowing help defenses to set in their shell without having to move much. The biggest reason, of course, is the shorter three-point line compared to the NBA. Defenses have to cover less space. Why don’t college players move back?

NBA coaches tape a four-point line on their practice courts to emphasize and increase spacing, and some college coaches tape the NBA three-point line on their practice courts for the same purpose. University of Alabama even includes the NBA four-point line on its practice courts (Image). Despite these attempts to create more space, offensive players tend to shoot from the three-point line rather than stepping back a few feet to the NBA distance or the invisible four-point line to increase the distance to the nearest defender.

My two best shooters this season on a very small, noncompetitive high-school team made three-pointers from deep behind the high-school three-point line (easily beyond the maroon college line, and occasionally out to the white NBA line). Clark pulls up from the logo. Why have more college players and teams not moved back to create more space for their offense and more distance between themselves and the defense?

Defenders are a bigger performance limiter. Most college shooters who shoot comfortably from 22 feet would manage from 24 feet, but stepping back seems to have a mental hurdle. Why shoot further than necessary? Why increase the distance unnecessarily? However, the extra space increases the shooter’s openness; stepping back may not be necessary, but may be beneficial, especially for the better shooters.

If the goal is to create an open shot, and a foot or two of distance has a negligible affect on shooting performance, why not move back to create the extra foot or two of separation from the nearest defender, as defender proximity has a greater impact on shooting success? Why stick to the line because it is there? There is no penalty for taking a step back.

Our 15s practicing distance shooting: