Players, not teams, will define NBA of the 2020s

Trend of the 2020s: You can’t handle the truth

The matchup/advantage basketball that dominated the 2010s will probably continue to stand the test of time. If the opponent has a weak link, you have to be able to exploit it. But while physical dominance was exerted by the likes of LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard, the teams without those cheat codes had to game plan a little differently.

The end of the 2010s proved that you need shooting at no fewer than four of the five spots in your lineup and that those with only four must have a creative advantage somewhere else. Those who can’t shoot or those with unproven shooting success will be dared to take them.

Players are taking 3s at an increasing rate each season and they’re likely to continue getting better at 3-pointers, so it won’t be as easy for defenses to coerce players into taking bad shots. Instead of a mediocre shooter having all the space in the world to take a 3, an average shooter will be forced to make a decision: shoot, pass or dribble?

The first two are simple for even the end-of-bench guys. Role players are instructed to do one of those two things with regularity. Dribbling, though, may be the next thing a defense can game plan against.

If James Ennis or Glenn Robinson III is forced to make a decision with the ball, that’s a win for the defense. No doubt that it helps to have a player who can shoot somewhat and defend capably; that player is not a liability on either end. But as the league gets smarter, they will find new weaknesses to exploit and ball handling is the new one.

Players who can shoot, defend and make plays off the dribble are not easy to find. That’s why they’re so valuable. That’s also why they’re the next level to building a championship team. Not only do your non-stars have to be 3-and-D, but they also have to handle the ball and make plays with it.