For years, "Old Heads" have been preaching to the younger generation about the state of the game: "All the game is about is free throws," "All offense, no defense," and "Nobody tries to defend anymore." Now, it's evident even to the league commissioner and officials that the balance has shifted heavily towards offense.
There's no denying that this is the most offensively talented generation of all time. Players like 90s legends Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, and Shaquille O’Neal laid the foundation of scoring dominance. Stars of the 2000s, such as Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki, elevated it further. However, in the last decade, players like Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Steph Curry, and James Harden have taken offensive power to an unprecedented level.
For context, let's examine some offensive rating trends (points per possession multiplied by 100 equals offensive rating). In the 2000s, the average was 105.3, with the highest points per game (PPG) scored by a team at 96.9. In the 2010s, the average rose to 107.3, with the highest PPG by a team reaching 102.2. This year alone, the current average stands at 115.7, with the highest PPG by a team hitting 123.7.
Another perspective is the gap between high-scoring individual performances. The NBA went 12 years without a player scoring 70 or more points between David Robinson's 71 in 1994 and Kobe Bryant's 81 in 2006. Following Bryant's historic game, it took another 11 years before Devin Booker's 70-point performance. Since then, Donovan Mitchell put up 71 in 2023, and Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic, and Joel Embiid have all surpassed the 70-point mark since.
What brought us here other than growth in the talent pool by decade? Theory can only get us so far in reality (yes, that is an Oppenheimer reference). The only way to fix the current state of the NBA is to swing the pendulum towards defense in hopes of balance. This would be done through various rule changes, which is essentially what has given offense a greater advantage in recent years.
While the league has implemented rules against jumping into defenders in hopes of getting free throws, it is still something we see plenty of today. Many fans believe that the league is plagued with "Free Throw Merchants", who seem to get more calls than others, buffing up their point totals. It isn't just fans; in fact, multiple coaches like Steve Kerr have publicly stated that the refs favor the offense far more, and there isn't much defenders can do. This has been a major talking point since the elimination of hand-checking but is still very relevant today.
Under Adam Silver, the NBA has made many adjustments to rules to improve the "flow-of-play," but that is really just a conservative way of saying offenses. These adjustments include resetting the shot clock to 14 seconds after an offensive rebound, and even longer ago, adding the 3 seconds in the key rule on defense.
Luckily, there have been rumors and whispers about the league considering rules to help the defense catch up. What those rules are exactly is unclear at the moment. Many say that allowing more physicality on defense and calling fewer small fouls would fix it, while others in Instagram comment sections beg for the league to adapt FIBA or Euro league rules. Luka Doncic, one of the league's most prolific scorers and recent additions to the 70+ point club, has been on record comparing Euro league defense and how much harder it is, so there is some precedent.
In conclusion, while the offensive talent in today's NBA is undeniably thrilling and has elevated the game to new heights of excitement, there comes a point where we must acknowledge the potential consequences of neglecting defense. The first step in fixing an issue is realizing there is one. We cannot overlook the fundamental role of defense in shaping the outcome of games and maintaining the integrity of the sport. The league has started to catch on; now we can only hope fans will too, instead of settling for the current product.
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