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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

With scoring in the NBA at an all-time high, teams have been putting up ridiculous numbers in recent months. The pace in the NBA has increased significantly, and the young players are thriving because of it. But fans have brought out a different reason as to why there are fewer veteran players currently in the NBA. However, having played in the NBA for almost two decades, Jamal Crawford is against this belief.

A few days ago, Jamal Crawford wrote on Twitter, “A lot of these games, teams have 70 plus at the half, 130 plus for the games- but people will say a veteran player isn’t in the league because he doesn’t play “defense” is a weak excuse…

The media has been making a buzz about it since then, but the former Phoenix Suns player was not looking to change his stance, as he recently doubled down on it with his newest post with two simple words, “No lies.”

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Crawford does not believe that the NBA has a lack of veteran players because they are a liability on defense. With the NBA scoring reaching new heights every night, it is clear that the defensive structures employed by the teams are not doing much presently. Players going for 70 has never been a regular thing.

So, to not have a player in the NBA stating they would be a bigger liability on the defensive end is a false narrative that Jamal Crawford is not willing to support.

What is the reason for the NBA’s scoring explosion?

While it is apparent that the teams shoot far more threes than they did in previous seasons, there is more to it than meets the eye. Along with the increase in shot attempts, the pace in the NBA has significantly increased. This, along with the reduction in time on the shot clock for offensive rebounding, has increased the number of possessions per game.

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To bring everything together, the talent in the NBA is at an all-time high. The NBA has seen a tremendous increase in shooting splits all across the board. According to Basketball Reference, the shooting percentage from the floor, the three-point, and the line have only gone up in recent years. Another point to note is that in the 2015-16 season, the 73-10 Warriors had an offensive rating of 114.5, which was one of the best ratings ever. Fast forward to 2023, and the league’s average offensive rating is 115.8.

So, the notion that veteran players are not in the NBA because of their defensive liabilities is false. Rather, the newer players in the NBA are more skilled than ever before, which has taken the spots away from the veteran players.

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What do you think of Jamal Crawford’s comments? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!